Places of Revolt: Geographical References in the Slovak Anarchist Press Around the Turn of the Millennium

Abstract: 

Geographical references likely played a crucial role in shaping the worldview of Slovakia’s anti-globalisation activists. The aim of this study is to provide a classification of geographical categories based on how they operate in the anti-globalisation activist press. The primary material for this study consists of two journals: Zdola (“From the Bottom”) published by the Slovak section of the Czechoslovak Anarchist Federation, and Žerme bohatých (“Let’s eat the rich”) published by the organisation Priama akcia (“Direct action”), the Slovak section of the International Workers’ Association. Geographical references in the Slovak anarchist press around the turn of the millennium provided potentially isolated activist communities with information about relevant struggles around the world. These references empowered these communities by calling on them to be a part of the global struggle. Three narrative strategies are identified: context, equation and inspiration. The differences between the two journals stem from their different ideological profiles. The qualitative research presented in this article allows for a semantic categorisation of these references.