Box 18, Item 1225: Movements

Box 18, Item 1225: Movements

Printout, undated.

One of seven papers digitised from item 1225.

The University of Queensland's Richard Sylvan Papers UQFL291, Box 18, Item 1225

This item was identified for digitisation at the request of The University of Queensland's 2020 Fryer Library Fellow, Dr. N.A.J. Taylor.

For all enquiries about this work, please contact the Fryer Library, The University of Queensland Library.

[2] leaves. 1.37 MB.

Manuscript

MOVEMENTS
New social movements along with, and in partial contrast with, new politics and past­
materialism as a quasi-technical term in political science and sociology. Like the others, it is

an ill-defined term. Among the problems is the extreme slackness of identity criteria, so it is

too often impossible to know when one has one.1 The terms are regularly introduced as if it

was known what was meant (this is a widespread intellectual sin; the legitimate end of
Wittgenstein's campaign against technical terms in philosophy).
A major problem with the political social science investigations so far is that the

classification of movements is too coarse-grained, and that when subclassifications are made
there are not in terms of movements. For example, the broad environmental movement, the

level movements is sifted down to, jets analysed in a typology, of shades of green, not into
submovements.
A movement involves action and/ or a diseration to action in a concerted direction by a

group of engaged members

type of intensional set-like objects
OED. ‘series of actions and endevours of a body of persons for special object’

WRONG CATEGORY, otherwise Not bad.
What is the movement though?
Extent of doctrine socialism/ anarchism without doctrine
knowing how
without knowing that or theory

practice

without

theory

e.g. golf, most stickingls language.
Deep ecology attempt to shed doctrine; empasis on movement. Doctrine involved that of sub­
social paradigm (model).

Further features of a movement:
• a certain duration. An action group that form for a short time purpose, holds a

single parade, achieves its objective and dissolves, it not a movement. These are numerous

short-lived action groups that do not rate as movement, and which need not be categorised or

listed.
• a certain integration. of members. Although there is now a widespread push for

sustainable development (and attempts by many governments to coopt and neutralise

environmental activity in this way), there is no sustainable development movement. That is

not just because of the multiplicity of objectives subsumed under the smooth synthesized
“objective”, but because there is no due integration, no appropriate organisation of adherents.

Deep ecology is now a movement; it was it when Naess first presented it as one.

1

A hyporduct is that post-materialism, usually taken as a single stock-of-affairs, splits into
several.

2

Environmental movements in Australia. The Australia-wide environmental organisations are
not movements, but there are movements within or associated with them. The big four

organisations, of which ACF is still the largest are
ACF
range of objects

Greenpeace

branches

local

Wilderness Society
specific object
WWOrganisation
Friends of the Earth which used to be a significant organisations, and still runs a national
journal Chain Reaction, for fullen into decline. All these organisations are presently under

pressure from declining membership and declining funding.
Advocacy groups
• Regionally - linked “advocacy” groups: Some of these groups are spread (e.g. over

a whole state); perhaps zeroing in on local issues in campaigns, some are local, sare are in

between. Examples include: National Parks, Wilderness Societies, Heritage Groups, Forestry
coalitions (e.g. SE forestry coalition which is composed of smaller local movements). Anti­

freeway and public transport groups,...
• Non-rigionally-linked groups. These are of course contingently tied to actiosn and
campaigns at various locations. Important examples include animal-concerned groups:

animal preservation and conservations groups, animal liberation.
Practice groups
• Lifestyle groups. There are several strands within the broad commune movement,

which is alive and for the most part thriving in Australia (by contrast with other countries

where is was initiated).
• Issue groups, include
^forestry, forest restoration and tree planting groups, such as nationally Greening

Australia regionally bush regeneration groups and independently many local planting and
restoration schemes from local councils down to ornamental rainforest gardens. Earlier there

was a native garden movement, fostered by organisations for growing native plants.
• sustainable and organic agriculture groups. There are several different groups,
depending on the (production) methods allowed*.
Prominent among these is the permaculture (abbreviating “permanent agriculture”)

movement, which plans an integrated agrucultural system perannual food producing plants

rather than annuals.
• alternative energy groups
• ‘Spiritual’ with ritual and ceremony, worship of the Earth, including Council of AllBeing, Re Earthly Homage to Gaia.