Freedom Is an Endless Meeting: Democracy in American Social Movements
Polletta (sociology, Columbia) considers whether, as a process  in decision-making, participatory democracy can be successful in  effecting social change or is doomed to fail because it lacks  organizational focus and an awareness that strategizing is  essential. She closely analyzes the dynamics of participatory  democracy in several movements in recent American history-organized labor, pacifist groups, the Civil Rights  Movement, the New Left, and groups protesting against  globalization. She postulates that the primary challenges of  participatory democracy have been how to "coordinate actions and  programs across de-centralized units" and how to choose a group interest from among competing individual interests. Drawing on  extensive interviews with activists, Polletta focuses on  distinct strengths that participatory democracy can provide to  social and political action groups-the gathering and evaluation  of information, the development of skills in "negotiating common  agendas," and the ability to look beyond immediate conflict and  focus on "future battles waged in electoral institutions." Although somewhat repetitive and densely written, this generally  supportive critique of participatory democracy as a  decision-making process challenges both proponents and opponents  to re-think their deeply held beliefs. For academic and large  public libraries.Jack Forman, San Diego Mesa Coll. Lib., CACopyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.