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Simon Tormey

The University of Sydney, School of Social and Political Sciences, Faculty Member

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some of my interests:

Global Civil Society/Alter-Globalisation – The theory and practice of transformative movements; social forums; Deleuze, Guattari and rhizomatic politics; social movements; indigeneity and the anthropology of stateless societies.

Contemporary Political Theory and Global Politics – theories/critics of totalitarianism/modernity/postmodernity; concepts of democracy/representation/difference/identity. The idea of ‘development’; theories of ‘Global Justice’.

‘Critical Theories’ – Neo and Post-Marxisms; the work of the Budapest School; Castoriadis; Laclau & Mouffe; Zizek. French thought after 1968; Postcolonial theory (Spivak, Bhabha, Wittgenstein); critical pedagogy and education (‘global citizenship’; ‘global dimension in HE’/the RAE etc.)

My current research projects are:

1. Not in my Name - the crisis of representation and what it means for democracy.

2. Decolonising Politics - what are the implications of a thorough postcolonial critique for rethinking the aims and ambitions of political theory, i.e. global justice?
Address: SSPS - RC Mills (A26)
University of Sydney
Camperdown, 2006 NSW
Australia

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Benjamin Moffitt

Australian Catholic University

Alexandros Kioupkiolis

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

Aston University

Paris Aslanidis

Yale University

senka anastasova

Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Republic of Macedonia

Shahid Beheshti University

Benjamin De Cleen

Vrije Universiteit Brussel

UERJ - Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro / Rio de Janeiro State University

Eötvös Loránd University

InterestsView All (25)

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Books by Simon Tormey

anti-capitalism a beginner's guide.v2 (proofs)

The End of Representative Politics (2015)

First proof of the book - so not the same as the published version, but close to it. For citation... more

Making sense of tyranny: Interpretations of Totalitarianism (1995)

Full clean text of the original - feel free to circulate, reproduce or distribute as appropriate.

Agnes Heller: Socialism, Autonomy and the Postmodern (2001)

Since I am now the owner of the copyright i can put up the full text of the original published bo... more

Key Thinkers From Critical Theory to Post-Marxism (2006)

Anti-Capitalism: A Beginners Guide (2004)

Papers by Simon Tormey

Populism: Democracy's Pharmakon?

This paper seeks to resolve one of the key tensions in the literature on populism: whether populi... more This paper seeks to resolve one of the key tensions in the literature on populism: whether populism is a threat to democracy or the best means of renewing and deepening democracy. The author argues that rather than defining populism in terms of certain definite outcomes, we should view populism as a symptom of crisis, and one capable of producing a variety of possible effects, some positive and some negative. The argument is pursued in terms of highlighting certain shortcomings in terms of the dominant approaches to the issue, and also through exploring recent Spanish politics, which has seen an increase in various kinds of populist parties and movements. The renewal of democracy in Spain is offered as an example of how populist initiatives can have beneficial outcomes, as well as detrimental ones.

Old and New Media Logics in an Electoral Campaign: The Case of Podemos and the Two-Way Street Mediatization of Politics

by Andreu Casero-Ripollés, Ramón A. Feenstra, and Simon Tormey

In Spain, the 2014 European Elections saw the unexpected rise of a new party Podemos, which obtai... more In Spain, the 2014 European Elections saw the unexpected rise of a new party Podemos, which obtained five European Parliament seats only three months after its formation. In the Spanish National Elections in December 2015, this party obtained 20.66 percent of the votes, which made it the third biggest party. Our objective was to analyze the old and new elements of Podemos’ communication and campaign strategies. The methodology followed here used this new party as a strategic case study by a qualitative approach. The analysis focused on three key fronts: (1) the role of communication, (2) mediatization of politics, and (3) use of digital media. The results suggested that Podemos’ 2014 electoral campaign combined presence on broadcast television and use of intense digital media to boost citizens’ engagement and self-mediation. Accordingly, it was established as a new transmedia party. This case also demonstrates that mediatization can also occur in two-way street dynamics, that is, from politics to the media, where the former generates an influence on the latter. This finding opens the door to help overcome the media-centric vision. Finally, we discussed future questions about the influence on other political actors’ communication strategies in different parts of the world from an international perspective.

Reinventing the political party in Spain: the case of 15M and the Spanish mobilisations

by Simon Tormey and Ramón A. Feenstra

The current political context in Spain is intriguing for those who study participation and politi... more The current political context in Spain is intriguing for those who study participation and political parties. The emergence of citizen activism, expressed mainly through the 15M Movement, and the political crisis of the two major political parties has led to a new and complex situation where new political parties flourish out of citizen initiatives. This paper analyses the nature and characteristics of these new political parties, and considers the impact that the proliferation of these parties is having on current democracies. The work is based on content analysis and field interviews involving almost a hundred activists and party members from three different Spanish cities.

Citizens against Austerity: a Comparative Reflection on Plataforma de Afectados por la Hipoteca (PAH) and Bündnis Zwangsräumung Verhindern (BZV)

by Vicente Ordóñez, Ramón A. Feenstra, and Simon Tormey

Despite significant socioeconomic differences between Spain and Germany, the two countries have w... more Despite significant socioeconomic differences between Spain and Germany, the two countries have witnessed the growing presence of activist initiatives addressing housing problems. Plataforma de Afectados por la Hipoteca (PAH) in Spain and Bündnis Zwangsräumung Verhindern (BZV) in Berlin are struggling to stop evictions and defend citizens’ housing rights. The goal of this paper is to reflect on how politics are developing in relation to austerity and the lack of basic goods for parts of the population. This paper adopts a qualitative methodology based on a comparative case study of PAH and BZV to study the similarities and differences between the two platforms. The paper focuses especially on PAH and BZV ideological and sociological backgrounds, political repertories and political
logics.

Representation: An Exhausted Paradigm?

Living in Smooth Space: Deleuze, Spivak and the Indigenous

Is "another world" possible? Laclau, Mouffe and social movements

The Politics of Radical Democracy, Edinburgh …, Jan 1, 2009

Why Does Agnes Heller Matter? Political Action, Social Change and Radical Politics in the Twenty-First Century

Engaging Agnes Heller: A Critical Companion, Jan 1, 2009

Resisting 'Global Justice': disrupting the colonial 'emancipatory'logic of the West

Third World Quarterly, Jan 1, 2009

This paper takes issue with global justice theory seeing it a 'global-local' in which the perspec... more This paper takes issue with global justice theory seeing it a 'global-local' in which the perspectives and demands of post-Kantian western liberalism silences ways of being in the world that move beyond a narrowly circumscribed definition of 'reasonableness'. Taking its cue from critics of dominant liberal conceptions of the self, such as Spivak, Deleuze and Freire this paper examines the impact of epistemological diversity and the radical 'otherness' of indigenous, peasant and marginal epistemologies on how western intellectuals might think about global justice. We look at a number of examples of indigenous and marginal resistance to injustice in the global system, including the West Papuan and Zapatista movements, and conclude that the goals of such movements cannot be encapsulated in distributive or juridical terms. An alternative theorization of global justice might, contra global justice theory, insist on a dialogical, contingent basis for discussing justice, whether local or global.

"Not in my Name": Representation and its Discontents

This lecture is dedicated to friend and former colleague, John McClelland, who delighted in the a... more

Beyond representation? A rejoinder

Parliamentary Affairs, Jan 1, 2007

A 'Creative Power'?: The Uses of Deleuze. A Review Essay

Contemporary Political Theory, Jan 1, 2005

Consumption, resistance and everyday life: Ruptures and continuities

Journal of Consumer Policy, Jan 1, 2007

This paper makes the case for regarding political consumption and more generally individual colle... more This paper makes the case for regarding political consumption and more generally individual collective action as an instance of 'everyday resistance'. In doing so it seeks to make connection with the political case against representative politics, one that stretches back to the origins of 'official' politics at the start of the nineteenth century. Three moments in the history of the idea of everyday resistance are presented: Max Stirner's egoistic individualism; Leo Tolstoy's critique of violence and Agnes Heller's evocation of the everyday as a site of civic courage. The examples show the longevity and persistence in political thought of the idea of the individual as the locus of social power, one that puts it at odds with the normative assumptions of theories of representation. They also show the dangers of assuming that individual collective action can unproblematically be considered a form of participation in democratic processes as opposed to a resistance against incorporation into mainstream or 'official' politics. Rights which are often at the core of efforts of activists become remodelled as a weapon of contingent 'everyday' struggles as opposed to a universal or transcendentally posited phenomenon. 115 951 4871 Fax. 44 115 951 4859 Simon.tormey@nottingham.ac.uk Word count, including footnotes: 8050 This paper is not under consideration with any other publication consumption

'Not in my Name': Deleuze, Zapatismo and the Critique of Representation

Parliamentary Affairs, Jan 1, 2006

anti-capitalism a beginner's guide.v2 (proofs)

The End of Representative Politics (2015)

First proof of the book - so not the same as the published version, but close to it. For citation... more

Making sense of tyranny: Interpretations of Totalitarianism (1995)

Full clean text of the original - feel free to circulate, reproduce or distribute as appropriate.

Agnes Heller: Socialism, Autonomy and the Postmodern (2001)

Since I am now the owner of the copyright i can put up the full text of the original published bo... more

Key Thinkers From Critical Theory to Post-Marxism (2006)

Anti-Capitalism: A Beginners Guide (2004)

Populism: Democracy's Pharmakon?

This paper seeks to resolve one of the key tensions in the literature on populism: whether populi... more This paper seeks to resolve one of the key tensions in the literature on populism: whether populism is a threat to democracy or the best means of renewing and deepening democracy. The author argues that rather than defining populism in terms of certain definite outcomes, we should view populism as a symptom of crisis, and one capable of producing a variety of possible effects, some positive and some negative. The argument is pursued in terms of highlighting certain shortcomings in terms of the dominant approaches to the issue, and also through exploring recent Spanish politics, which has seen an increase in various kinds of populist parties and movements. The renewal of democracy in Spain is offered as an example of how populist initiatives can have beneficial outcomes, as well as detrimental ones.

Old and New Media Logics in an Electoral Campaign: The Case of Podemos and the Two-Way Street Mediatization of Politics

by Andreu Casero-Ripollés, Ramón A. Feenstra, and Simon Tormey

In Spain, the 2014 European Elections saw the unexpected rise of a new party Podemos, which obtai... more In Spain, the 2014 European Elections saw the unexpected rise of a new party Podemos, which obtained five European Parliament seats only three months after its formation. In the Spanish National Elections in December 2015, this party obtained 20.66 percent of the votes, which made it the third biggest party. Our objective was to analyze the old and new elements of Podemos’ communication and campaign strategies. The methodology followed here used this new party as a strategic case study by a qualitative approach. The analysis focused on three key fronts: (1) the role of communication, (2) mediatization of politics, and (3) use of digital media. The results suggested that Podemos’ 2014 electoral campaign combined presence on broadcast television and use of intense digital media to boost citizens’ engagement and self-mediation. Accordingly, it was established as a new transmedia party. This case also demonstrates that mediatization can also occur in two-way street dynamics, that is, from politics to the media, where the former generates an influence on the latter. This finding opens the door to help overcome the media-centric vision. Finally, we discussed future questions about the influence on other political actors’ communication strategies in different parts of the world from an international perspective.

Reinventing the political party in Spain: the case of 15M and the Spanish mobilisations

by Simon Tormey and Ramón A. Feenstra

The current political context in Spain is intriguing for those who study participation and politi... more The current political context in Spain is intriguing for those who study participation and political parties. The emergence of citizen activism, expressed mainly through the 15M Movement, and the political crisis of the two major political parties has led to a new and complex situation where new political parties flourish out of citizen initiatives. This paper analyses the nature and characteristics of these new political parties, and considers the impact that the proliferation of these parties is having on current democracies. The work is based on content analysis and field interviews involving almost a hundred activists and party members from three different Spanish cities.

Citizens against Austerity: a Comparative Reflection on Plataforma de Afectados por la Hipoteca (PAH) and Bündnis Zwangsräumung Verhindern (BZV)

by Vicente Ordóñez, Ramón A. Feenstra, and Simon Tormey

Despite significant socioeconomic differences between Spain and Germany, the two countries have w... more Despite significant socioeconomic differences between Spain and Germany, the two countries have witnessed the growing presence of activist initiatives addressing housing problems. Plataforma de Afectados por la Hipoteca (PAH) in Spain and Bündnis Zwangsräumung Verhindern (BZV) in Berlin are struggling to stop evictions and defend citizens’ housing rights. The goal of this paper is to reflect on how politics are developing in relation to austerity and the lack of basic goods for parts of the population. This paper adopts a qualitative methodology based on a comparative case study of PAH and BZV to study the similarities and differences between the two platforms. The paper focuses especially on PAH and BZV ideological and sociological backgrounds, political repertories and political
logics.

Representation: An Exhausted Paradigm?

Living in Smooth Space: Deleuze, Spivak and the Indigenous

Is "another world" possible? Laclau, Mouffe and social movements

The Politics of Radical Democracy, Edinburgh …, Jan 1, 2009

Why Does Agnes Heller Matter? Political Action, Social Change and Radical Politics in the Twenty-First Century

Engaging Agnes Heller: A Critical Companion, Jan 1, 2009

Resisting 'Global Justice': disrupting the colonial 'emancipatory'logic of the West

Third World Quarterly, Jan 1, 2009

This paper takes issue with global justice theory seeing it a 'global-local' in which the perspec... more This paper takes issue with global justice theory seeing it a 'global-local' in which the perspectives and demands of post-Kantian western liberalism silences ways of being in the world that move beyond a narrowly circumscribed definition of 'reasonableness'. Taking its cue from critics of dominant liberal conceptions of the self, such as Spivak, Deleuze and Freire this paper examines the impact of epistemological diversity and the radical 'otherness' of indigenous, peasant and marginal epistemologies on how western intellectuals might think about global justice. We look at a number of examples of indigenous and marginal resistance to injustice in the global system, including the West Papuan and Zapatista movements, and conclude that the goals of such movements cannot be encapsulated in distributive or juridical terms. An alternative theorization of global justice might, contra global justice theory, insist on a dialogical, contingent basis for discussing justice, whether local or global.

"Not in my Name": Representation and its Discontents

This lecture is dedicated to friend and former colleague, John McClelland, who delighted in the a... more

Beyond representation? A rejoinder

Parliamentary Affairs, Jan 1, 2007

A 'Creative Power'?: The Uses of Deleuze. A Review Essay

Contemporary Political Theory, Jan 1, 2005

Consumption, resistance and everyday life: Ruptures and continuities

Journal of Consumer Policy, Jan 1, 2007

This paper makes the case for regarding political consumption and more generally individual colle... more This paper makes the case for regarding political consumption and more generally individual collective action as an instance of 'everyday resistance'. In doing so it seeks to make connection with the political case against representative politics, one that stretches back to the origins of 'official' politics at the start of the nineteenth century. Three moments in the history of the idea of everyday resistance are presented: Max Stirner's egoistic individualism; Leo Tolstoy's critique of violence and Agnes Heller's evocation of the everyday as a site of civic courage. The examples show the longevity and persistence in political thought of the idea of the individual as the locus of social power, one that puts it at odds with the normative assumptions of theories of representation. They also show the dangers of assuming that individual collective action can unproblematically be considered a form of participation in democratic processes as opposed to a resistance against incorporation into mainstream or 'official' politics. Rights which are often at the core of efforts of activists become remodelled as a weapon of contingent 'everyday' struggles as opposed to a universal or transcendentally posited phenomenon. 115 951 4871 Fax. 44 115 951 4859 Simon.tormey@nottingham.ac.uk Word count, including footnotes: 8050 This paper is not under consideration with any other publication consumption

'Not in my Name': Deleuze, Zapatismo and the Critique of Representation

Parliamentary Affairs, Jan 1, 2006

From Utopian Worlds to Utopian Spaces: Reflections on the Contemporary Radical Imaginary and the Social Forum Process

ephemera, Jan 1, 2005

The 2003 European Social Forum: Where next for the anti-capitalist movement?

Capital & Class, Jan 1, 2004

A Ticklish Subject? Zizek and the Future of Left Radicalism

Thesis Eleven, Jan 1, 2005

The work of Slavoj Žižek has become an essential reference point for debates concerning the futur... more The work of Slavoj Žižek has become an essential reference point for debates concerning the future of left radical thought and practice. His attacks on identity politics, multiculturalism and 'radical democracy' have established him as a leading figure amongst those looking to renew the link between socialist discourse and a transformative politics. However, we contend that despite the undeniable radicality of Žižek's theoretical approach, his politics offers little in the way of inspiration for the progressive left. On the contrary, his commitment to Lacanian categories reasserts the primordial character of alienation, hierarchy and domination, and his proposed schema for confronting the status quo, the model of the Act, serves to reaffirm rather than contest the given. We suggest that a genuinely transformative politics should (contra Žižek) stress the necessity for the prefiguration of alternatives, of linking and radicalizing 'petty' resistances, of encouraging critical and utopian forms of thought and activity.

New Labour's neo-liberal Gleichschaltung: The Case of Higher Education

The Commoner, Jan 1, 2003

Horizontals, verticals, and the conflicting logics of transformative politics

Confronting globalization: Humanity, justice and the …, Jan 1, 2005

At the time of writing there is considerable excitement in the UK over the hosting of the Europea... more At the time of writing there is considerable excitement in the UK over the hosting of the European Social Forum which is due to take place in October 2004. The µsocial forum process ¶ is one of the most significant features of the contemporary µmovement for global justice ¶ (MGJ) also known as the µanti-capitalist ¶ movement, the µanti-globalisation ¶ or µalter-globalisation ¶ movement, among a host of other possible labels. In particular the social forum process has allowed the MGJ to present itself not merely as a negation of something, namely neoliberal capitalism, but as the potential site for something positive. The slogan of the movement is after all µAnother world is possible ¶ and thus µpossibility ¶ is what ostensibly lies at the core of the social forums themselves. The MGJ has in this sense moved from a protest phase (Seattle, Prague, Genoa etc) to a phase of consolidation and exploration of the terms and conditions of µpossibility ¶ itself. While the movement has established itself on the basis of µone no, many yeses ¶, institutional forms such as the Social Forums were conceived so as to provide a basis for convergence and encounters between different segments in the movement, enabling more effective action and interaction.

Agnes Heller:'Radical Universalism'After the 'Grand Narrative.'

Marxism's Ethical Thinkers, edited by L. Wilde. New …, Jan 1, 2001

Democracy and its Discontents (Nottingham Uni)

Globalisation and its Discontents (Nottingham Uni)

simon.tormey@nottingham.ac.uk http://homepage/ntlworld.com/simon.tormey/

Global Uprising: Radical Politics Since 1968 (Nottingham Uni)

tormey-ideology.final.pdf

a critique of the concept of populism