Understanding Occupy from Wall Street to Portland: Applied Studies in Communication Theory

(Paperback)

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Given the centrality of economics and communication in the Occupy movement, Understanding Occupy from Wall Street to Portland uses economic insights and contemporary theories of communication to better understand the movement at this current juncture in history. This collection is organized by complementary theoretical and methodological perspectives: the globalcritical cultural and economic understandings of Occupy; the localinterpretive ethnographic examinations of a local siteOccupy Portland, Oregon; and mediated perspectivesanalyses of the words of officials and media. The contributors also examine social movement phenomena by stepping outside of social movement theory to analyze the macro- and microprocesses of the Occupy movement, demonstrating the saliency of communication theory. Throughout the volume are in-depth case studies that examine universal narratives about Occupy. One of the challenges of studying Occupy is that members of this movement are committed to not allowing any one person (or entity) to define it. One way the editors acknowledge this and attempt to honor the individualism and postmodern fragmentation of this movement is to consider their findings in light of the three interpretive lenses of the romantic, functional, and critical. This informative and comprehensive text provides a critical lens on the constantly evolving Occupy movement.

Reviews

Understanding Occupy from Wall Street to Portland is strongest in chapters where contributors closely follow the contours of Occupy Portland to deliver ethnography-derived insight into the Occupy movement and the immediate environment within which it operated. . . .For communication, political science, or social movement scholars or students, as for those who are now continuing Occupys work in other arenas, Understanding Occupy from Wall Street to Portland presents a useful sociological description of Occupy Portland and its communication and consensus-building successes, as well as a cogent analysis of some of the rewards and challenges that accompany Occupys participatory, leaderless model of social movement organizing. * Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly *
This book on Occupy reminds us of the important ways the movement connected local to global issues and vice versa. The collection of chapters appropriately represent diverse voices from and perspectives on the movement. This volume will provide a valuable resource for students, scholars, and all those who are considering Occupy's influences on movements to come. -- George Cheney, Kent State University
Understanding Occupy from Wall Street to Portland uses multiple communication perspectives to understand this critically important development in social movements. One of the many strengths of the volume is that it investigates Occupy at the broader cultural and economic context, the mediated context, and at the level of everyday, on-the-ground organizing. The book is a must-read for students and scholars in communication, social movements, organizational studies, political science, and economics, and anyone else interested in the dynamics of social contention in late capitalism. -- Heather M. Zoller, University of Cincinnati
The Occupy movement presents novel and rich complexities as the first postmodern social movement. This volume goes significantly beyond popular commentary on the movement and typical social movement analyses to the internal micro-practices of development and struggle. The results are fresh, insightful and compelling. -- Stanley A. Deetz, University of Colorado

Author Bio

Renee Guarriello Heath is an associate professor of communication studies at the University of Portland and a scholar of community collaboration and democratic communication practices. C. Vail Fletcher is an assistant professor of communication studies at the University of Portland. She is a scholar that focuses on conflict and identity, international development and culture, and social media. Ricardo Munoz is a PhD student in communication at the University of Colorado, Boulder. He is a scholar of organizational communication with an emphasis on informal and non-hierarchical organizing.