In response to the perceived cooptation of traditional leftist organizations such as labor unions and working class political parties by capitalist social relations and hierarchical authority, autonomous antisystemic movements--stressing values of feminism, anti-xenophobism, and sexual liberation and introducing new forms of social organization including group living, self-directed programs of work and study, and cooperative working relationships--arose in 1970s Italy and spread to Northern Europe, including Germany, where they became a potent social force in the 1980s. In addition to narrating the development and activities of these groups, this book analyzes them in terms of the "decolonization of everyday life," a theoretical position that differs from Antonio Negri's "workerism" analysis of these groups, which is extensively critiqued by the author. Annotation 2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
