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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-GB link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>A note of caution – Taggart has also written for New Public Thinkers at: <a href="http://newpublicthinkers.org/?p=35">http://newpublicthinkers.org/?p=35</a> I think that this was a weak assessment of the left, based on traditional/orthodox narratives of the state and capital. This lack of an engagement in the history/critique of the left/radical leftist politics is asserted again in the link Sarah posts below, which at a trivial level basis its criticism on freedom, based on the use of “free” (as in monetary value) in the title of these “anarchist” schools. In part, this may be the case, but in part it is a reaction to Gove’s definition of free schools.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>The list is interesting. The Third University, for example, aims to deliver #coffeelols [see me in the pub for an explanation] and to be the third best university in Leicester. Maybe it’s radical. Maybe it is a piss-take. Maybe it is an outlet for some people in Leicester. Maybe it is educational. Maybe it is what you want it to be. Is it really anarchist? Maybe it needs to be kettled first, so we find out.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>I like David’s suggestion of a symposium – perhaps a pulling together of these radical projects/forms.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>In solidarity.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>R.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0cm 0cm 0cm'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> ssc-bounces@lists.aktivix.org [mailto:ssc-bounces@lists.aktivix.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>David Young<br><b>Sent:</b> 26 September 2011 07:29<br><b>To:</b> Amsler, Sarah; ssc@lists.aktivix.org<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [SSC] Maps and politics of 'radical education projects'<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Dear Sarah,<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Thanks for sharing these texts and your thoughts around this central issue. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>On the idea of bringing people together, I think this is an excellent suggestion, and is in fact what one such "alternative education" project is attempting to do in London next month. Dougald Hine's "University Project" is holding a "Universities Past and Future" event at the Hub in Westminster from 14th - 16th October. More here:<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://univproject.pbworks.com/w/page/45692087/The%20University%20Project">http://univproject.pbworks.com/w/page/45692087/The%20University%20Project</a><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>That said, it may be that we, the SSC, consider hosting a similar event to discuss, as you suggest, the politics and pedagogies of forms of alternative education.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Thanks,<br>David.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>On Sun, Sep 25, 2011 at 10:58 PM, Amsler, Sarah <<a href="mailto:S.S.AMSLER@aston.ac.uk">S.S.AMSLER@aston.ac.uk</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Dear all,<br><br>I came across the two texts below and would be interested in discussing them with anyone also interested. I think they offer a way into some pressing questions about major concepts (freeness and freedom, radicalism, anarchistic politics, etc.) that are being both materialised in practice and called into question. It might be an interesting exercise, for example, to try to formulate responses to some of the (perhaps rhetorically framed) questions in the second.<br><br>Sociological Imagination's working list of 'radical education projects' in the UK:<br><a href="http://sociologicalimagination.org/a-work-in-progress" target="_blank">http://sociologicalimagination.org/a-work-in-progress</a><br><br>Andrew Taggart's critical questioning of the above forms, as particularly read:<br><a href="http://andrewjtaggart.com/2011/09/19/on-the-other-side-of-radical-education-lies-wisdom-an-exhortation-or-on-the-question-whether-really-free-is-really-good/" target="_blank">http://andrewjtaggart.com/2011/09/19/on-the-other-side-of-radical-education-lies-wisdom-an-exhortation-or-on-the-question-whether-really-free-is-really-good/</a><br><br>After spending a second weekend working with the people of the Free University of Liverpool (to whom I will send a copy of this message), I am clearer that there is certainly a moment of emergence with these different projects, which have been developing for a little (or long) while, all coming into some serious material form but often autonomously from each other. I'd like to think about the place of this in history, the context of this historical moment and the forms of politics and pedagogies being developed -- and whether or not they really are all characterised by a 'shared ethos of anarchism' (an argument which I do not entirely agree with) it seems like a wider conversation to have on the radar. I have had some thoughts about at some point in the reasonably near future bringing people involved in these different projects/spaces together to share experiences and imaginaries?<br><br>Best,<br>Sarah<br><br>Dr Sarah S Amsler<br>Lecturer in Sociology<br>Aston University<br>Birmingham, B4 7ET, UK<br><a href="tel:%2B44%20%280%29%20121%20204%203072">+44 (0) 121 204 3072</a><br><a href="mailto:s.s.amsler@aston.ac.uk">s.s.amsler@aston.ac.uk</a><br><br>Campaign for the Public University: <a href="http://publicuniversity.org.uk" target="_blank">http://publicuniversity.org.uk</a><br><br>_______________________________________________<br>SSC mailing list<br><a href="mailto:SSC@lists.aktivix.org">SSC@lists.aktivix.org</a><br><a href="https://lists.aktivix.org/mailman/listinfo/ssc" target="_blank">https://lists.aktivix.org/mailman/listinfo/ssc</a><o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></div></body></html>