Editorial Type:
Article Category: Research Article
| Online Publication Date: 16 Jul 2010
Everyday Routines in Free Spaces: Explaining the Persistence of The Zapatistas in Los Angeles
Everyday Routines in Free Spaces: Explaining the Persistence of The Zapatistas in Los Angeles
Page Range: 199 – 216
While examining the radical potential of "free spaces"—small-scale, grassroots sites for social movements—researchers neglect the daily activities underlying their continued existence. Based on participant observation at Zapatista community centers in Los Angeles, this article argues that everyday routines are important for the persistence of free spaces. Participants spent the majority of their time involved in routines. These were repetitive tasks for maintaining the organization; their focus was practical and immediate, as opposed to theoretical; and the rituals of participatory democracy structured them. At rare times, members reflected on their work, initiating abstract political talk to inspire and unify themselves in response to tedium from mundane activity or a crisis. Yet, reflection also distracted from applied work and even proliferated organizational schism. This suggests that free spaces retain stability by balancing both routine and reflection.
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