The Brecht Forum and its projects, The New York Marxist School and The Institute for Popular Education 122 West 27 Street, 10 floor New York, New York 10001 (212) 242-4201 (212) 741-4563 (fax) [EMAIL PROTECTED] (e-mail) The Brecht Forum presents a special symposium Culture Matters Friday, November 1, 7-9:30 pm and Saturday, November 2, 9:30 am-4:30 pm Featuring panelists: Rashidah Ismaili Abu Bakr, Aijaz Ahmad, Ellen Braune, Joseph Buttigieg, Stephen Duncombe, Yerach Gover, Ed Herman, Myriam Jimenez Roman, and Colleen Roach Tuition: $15 Why does culture matter? What is the relationship between radical culture and radical political action? What cultural theories are most relevant for social change? Which have led us into cul de sacs? Since the national liberation struggles and solidarity movements of the 1960s and 1970s to the neoliberal information age of the 1980s and 1990s, increasing attention to cultural forms of domination and resistance has animated political theory and practice. The first translations of Antonio Gramsci's _Prison Notebooks_ had a major impact, introducing a focus on "hegemony" and the idea that radical social transformation involved creating a counter-hegemonic culture throughout society. Pioneering work on "cultural imperialism" and "Three Worlds" theory brought about sweeping changes in radical thinking and activism. On the threshhold of the twenty-first century, seemingly everything has been transformed into a commodity, religious fundamentalisms are flourishing, and resistance to capitalism is ever more fragmented. Yet, these developments have provoked wide-ranging responses in the arena of cultural theory and practice. Starting from the contributions of Antonio Gramsci, this two-day symposium is designed as an opening dialogue in an ongoing series of programs to assess the impact of these rich advances in cultural theory and practice. Why does culture matter? What is the relationship between radical culture and radical political action? What cultural theories are most relevant for social change? Which have been dead-ends? What needs to be reworked, reappropriated, renewed? What challenges must be addressed if decisive progress into the twenty-first century is to be made? Panelists come from a variety of perspectives and a number of countries. They include scholars in media and literary studies within universities as well as activists and practicioners "on the ground." All will be asked to exchange their own experiences, thinking, and insights on future directions. The four sessions are plenaries, so that everyone can partcipate in the entire program and carry the central concern--the implications for today's movements and struggles--from one discussion to the next. Schedule Friday, November 1, 7 pm Panel I: Culture Matters? with Aijaz Ahmad, Ellen Braune, Joseph Buttigieg, Stephen Duncombe, Yerach Gover, Myriam Jimenez Roman, and Colleen Roach Saturday, November 2 10 am-12 noon Panel II: Culture and Social Change: Gramsci's Legacy with Aijaz Ahmad and Joseph Buttigieg 12 noon-12:30 pm lunch break 12:30 pm-2:30 pm Panel III: Culture, Identity, and Nationalism with Rashidah Ismaili Abu Bakr, Yerach Gover, and Myriam Jimenez Roman 2:30 pm- 4:30 pm Panel IV: Imperialism, Corporate Culture, and Resistance with Ellen Braune, Stephen Duncombe, Ed Herman, and Colleen Roach 4:30 pm-5:30 pm reception Panelists *Rashidah Ismaili Abu Bakr works in the Higher Education Opportunity Program at Pratt University. An academic as well as a cultural worker, she is a poet and has also written on such issues as popular culture and black psychology. *Aijaz Ahmad is the Senior Fellow at the Centre for Contemporary Studies, Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, New Delhi, and author of _In Theory: Classes, Nations, Literatures_. *Ellen Braune is Communications Director for the National Labor Committee. Most recently, she has implemented the year-long Gap campaign and the Kathy Lee Gifford/ Wal-Mart expose. She also teaches media analysis and tools for media activism. *Joseph Buttigieg, a founder of the International Gramsci Society, is Professor of English and Fellow of the Center for European Studies at the University of Notre Dame. *Stephen Duncombe is a Professor of American Studies/ Media and Communications at the State University of New York and writes regularly for _The Baffler_. *Yerach Gover is Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Social Research, Graduate School, CUNY, and the author of _Zionism: The Limits of Moral Discourse in Israeli Hebrew Fiction_. *Ed Herman is Professor Emeritus of Finance, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania and a regular columnist for Z magazine. *Myriam Jimenez Roman is Research Coordinator at the Schomberg Center for Research in Black Culture and writes on race and gender issues in the Caribbean and Latin America. *Colleen Roach is a writer and researcher on culture and communications issues. She has been teaching in this area for the last fifteen years. ***** The Brecht Forum, founded in 1975, is an independent institution of the left and is not affiliated with any political party or other organization. Participation in events is open to all, and nobody is turned away for inability to pay. Become a Brecht Forum subscriber. Tuition and lecture fees cover only one-third of our expenses. The rest comes primarily from donations large and small from a dedicated community of friends and supporters. For a minimum contribution of $15 a month, you can become a Brecht Forum subscriber and get free admission to all Brecht Forum lectures and classes (excluding language classes and Theater of the Oppressed workshops). Your contribution is tax-deductible, and it is a way of ensuring that our doors stay open. Call (212) 242-4201 for more information. //30
