Cambridge University Press Solidarity in Practice: Moral Protest and the US Security State (Cambridge Studies in Contentious Politics)

Cross-border solidarity has captured the interest and imagination of scholars, activists and a range of political actors in such contested areas as the US-Mexico border and Guantanamo Bay. Chandra Russo examines how justice-seeking solidarity drives activist communities contesting US torture, militarism and immigration policies. Through compelling and fresh ethnographic accounts, Russo follows these activists as they engage in unusual and high risk forms of activism (fasting, pilgrimage, civil disobedience). She explores their ideas of solidarity and witnessing, which are central to how the activists explain their activities. This book adds to our understanding of solidarity activism under new global arrangements, and illuminates the features of movement activity that deepen activists' commitment by helping their lives feel more humane, just and meaningful. Based on participant observation, interviews, surveys and hundreds of courtroom statements, Russo develops a new theorization of solidarity that will take a central place in social movement studies. Review 'Chandra Russo shows how activists use prayer, pilgrimages, fasting, and time in jail to express themselves politically. Their witness, through sacrifice, dramatizes important issues and deepens the activist commitment to change. Solidarity in Practice is bold and gripping, and particularly timely.' David S. Meyer, University of California, Irvine, and author of The Politics of Protest: Social Movements in America'Whether Democrats like Barack Obama or Republicans like Donald J. Trump are President, the United States government carries out atrocities inside its borders and, especially, around the world. Yet few Americans are aware of what their government does every day in their name. Read this fascinating book to find out how brave protestors are trying to change that ignorance.' James M. Jasper, The City University of New York, and author of The Art of Moral Protest: Culture, Biography, and Creativity in Social Movements'Chandra Russo explores the practice of solidarity witness in movements dealing with border justice, torture, and human rights abuses. In a rich exploration of ritual protest, fasting, pilgrimages, and civil disobedience, Russo captures the power of such embodied resistance. More importantly, she offers a provocative reflection on potential problems in this style of activism, particularly regarding issues of privilege and inclusion.' Sharon Erickson Nepstad, Distinguished Professor of Sociology, University of New Mexico'Solidarity in Practice is a model of politically and ethically engaged scholarship. Vividly tracing the practices of 'solidarity witness', Russo challenges narrow definitions of the political and shows how activists use ritual and embodiment to create a sense of emotional connection to migrants, prisoners at Guantanamo, and victims of torture. Packed with compelling stories of activists' experiences, the book paints a rich picture of a central vein of American progressive politics. At a moment when repressive action by the US is growing, Russo's timely analysis is crucial for all who hope to understand the wide range of forms that resistance can take.' Nancy Whittier, Sophia Smith Professor of Sociology, Smith College, Massachussetts, and author of Frenemies: Feminists, Conservative, and Sexual Violence'In this carefully researched, beautifully written, and persuasively argued book, Chandra Russo explores the motivations, achievements, and shortcomings of networks of solidarity. Solidarity in Practice is a tour de force of social movement scholarship, a book that exposes the limits of conventional and traditional forms of social protest, while advancing and analyzing the new forms that are emerging out of the wrenching contradictions of our time.' George Lipsitz, University of California, Santa Barbara, and author of The Possessive Investment in Whiteness: How White People Profit from Identity Politics'C