Radical Politics in a Conservative Capital: Anarchist Theorizing and Organizing in Edmonton

Abstract

This thesis will investigate anarchism as a political philosophy and a social movement in Edmonton, Alberta. This will involve analyzing the ways local anarchists have interpreted anarchist theory as well as ways they have publicly advanced anarchism and participated in projects which practice anarchist values. This study will utilize ten semi-structured interviews with local self-identified anarchists regarding the approaches through which they have negotiated the numerous, and sometimes contradictory, anarchist theories, including the ways this influences their beliefs and actions. The interviewees’ narratives will be supplemented with the history of the development of anarchism in Edmonton, which will consist of studying local anarchist groups’ activities and purposes, as well as describing public events and literature printed in the city. Utilizing social movement theory, this study will determine if the anarchists in Edmonton constitute a sustained social movement.