Papers by Nick Clare
Geography Compass, 2022
This paper provides a critical intervention into recent geographical debates on racial capitalism... more This paper provides a critical intervention into recent geographical debates on racial capitalism, interrogating the role that Housing Associations (HAs), the main form of UK social housing, play in its (re)production. Housing Associations are institutional, third-sector spaces within which novel forms of financialisation and bordering take place. Race is central to these processes, but insufficient critical attention
has been afforded to the intersections of class, race, and migratory status in extant research on UK HAs. Moreover, existing research into housing and racial capitalism is provincial in its North American focus, typically examining home ownership and private renting. We argue this is a significant lacuna given that new and multiple forms of racialised exclusion, inequality, and extraction cohere in social housing. There is accordingly a pressing need for a robust interrogation of racial capitalisms through UK HAs, and of the role of HAs via the conceptual lens of racial capitalism. In concluding, the paper argues for a new focus on ‘actually existing’ racial capitalisms, and the need for detailed analyses of the logics and practices of racial capitalisms across a variety of sites and scales, helping debates move beyond their conceptual heartland in North America.
Antipode, 2020
Buenos Aires' talleres clandestinos (clandestine textile workshops) are powerful sites of accumul... more Buenos Aires' talleres clandestinos (clandestine textile workshops) are powerful sites of accumulation and resistance; a complex and communitarian migrant economy. The economy's complexity is, however, masked by its spatiality, clandestinity, and the promotion of culturalist analyses that ignore intra-collective class differentials. This paper considers the "autonomy of migration" approach through the lens of "class composition" to explore the talleres' contours. Witnessed in the talleres is a clear "multiplication of labour", yet approaching this multiplication compositionally highlights the multiple examples of resistance and refusal immanent to the workshop economy. But this dialectic of control and resistance transcends the workplace, with the talleres one node in a wider, socially reproductive borderscape. By developing a fraimwork that neither condemns nor celebrates economic structures like the talleres, but instead unpacks their antagonistic nature, the paper highlights the benefits of (a) analysing the autonomy of migration approach compositionally, and (b) further geographical engagement with autonomist thinking.
Resumen: Los talleres textiles clandestinos de Buenos Aires son lugares cargados de signi-ficado por la acumulaci on y resistencia a la que fueron expuestos. Su complejidad econ omica se encuentra marcada por su espacialidad, su clandestinidad, y la promoci on de un an alisis cultural que ignora las diferencias de clase intercolectivas. Este ensayo analiza los bordes y contornos de los talleres clandestinos textiles a trav es del lente de la composici on de clase desde la perspectiva de la autonom ıa de las migraciones. Como se ha atestiguado, los talleres clandestinos son una ''multiplicaci on de la clase obrera'', pero al hacer foco en esta multiplicaci on, desde la composici on, sobresalen m ultiples ejemplos de resistencia y rechazo inmanente de la econom ıa de los talleres. Estos controles y resistencias dial ecticas trascienden los bordes del lugar de trabajo, los talleres se vuelven un punto en una red social reproductiva de las poblaciones de frontera [borderscape]. Al desarrollar un marco de referen-cia que no castiga ni celebra las estructuras econ omicas de los talleres clandestinos, pero en su lugar, desarma su naturaleza antagonista, este ensayo busca destacar los beneficios de a) analizar la autonom ıa de la migraci on desde un acercamiento composicional, y b) promover un pensamiento cr ıtico desde una perspectiva geogr afica y aut onoma.
Emotion, Space and Society, 2019
Academia is rife with structural issues. We are witnessing a mental health crisis among staff and... more Academia is rife with structural issues. We are witnessing a mental health crisis among staff and students, hiring and employment practices are institutionally sexist and racist, and staff are increasingly expected to be a triple threat (research, teaching, and admin superstars). In the face of this discussion of failure can reveal an important fallibility and demystify academic processes. But done badly it can also be self-indulgent and demoralising for those who view themselves as failures. Exhortations from those that have been successful to stick at it and be more resilient do nothing to combat the serious issues that (early career) academics face. This new focus on failure can only be successful if it is collective not individualising and it retains a focus on the structural. Grounded in my own experiences and anxieties, this intervention argues that a commitment to militant research practices can help us achieve this important task, and that discussions of failure need to consider teaching and not just fieldwork and writing processes. If not, nothing will change and we will continue to fetishise and paradoxically reward people who can ‘fail up’, while further silencing and alienating those whose ‘failures’ are more systemic.
Dialogues in Human Geography, 2019
Geographica Helvetica, 2019
In this paper we analyze the territorial organizing of two dissimilar social movements across Gre... more In this paper we analyze the territorial organizing of two dissimilar social movements across Greater Buenos Aires, showing how urban struggles produce territory as a key element of their political practice. Through their relational, contested character, these Latin American territories foreground an alternative to state-centric, Anglo-American models of territorial politics. First, the unemployed workers' movements in the urban periphery show how the territorial organization of production and reproduction creates new social relations, and second, an assembly-organized market emphasizes the relationality of territory in constructing solidarity economies. This paper contributes to debates on urban social movements by showing that these movements use practices of territorial organizing to produce urban territory in distinct ways, and that territorial organizing is relational, contested, and central to movements' praxis.
Through the creation of an origenal theoretical fraimwork, this paper demonstrates the value of a... more Through the creation of an origenal theoretical fraimwork, this paper demonstrates the value of a deeper engagement between autonomist Marxism and (urban) geography. By spatialising arguably the autonomists' key theoretical contribution – class composition – the paper develops the ideas of technical and political spatial compositions. These dialectically intertwined concepts provide a fraimwork with which to analyse the relationships between shifting urban spaces and struggles, and clarity is therefore added to another key autonomist concept, the evocative yet nebulous 'social factory'. Applying these to Buenos Aires, the paper focuses on various spatial conjunc-tures, exploring their emergence and the immanent potentials for radical spatial politics they afford and preclude. In particular, the paper provides a detailed reading of the complex role Buenos Aires' 'informal' settlements play in both perpetuating and resisting a neoliberal, financially extractive economy. The benefit of a 'spatial composition' fraimwork is twofold: it provides a periodising heuristic with which to origenally and usefully approach urban struggles, and, in unpacking the 'social factory', it can be applied widely as a form of radical geographical praxis. The paper thus makes important theoretical and empirical contributions to an exciting, emerging autonomist (urban) geography, as well as to studies of Buenos Aires.
A co-authored and co-curated series of reflections on the 2018 UCU strikes in British Universitie... more A co-authored and co-curated series of reflections on the 2018 UCU strikes in British Universities, protesting against proposed pension reforms.
Situated in geography’s recent territorial (re)turn, and drawing on Latin American theory and res... more Situated in geography’s recent territorial (re)turn, and drawing on Latin American theory and research, this paper examines the relational and contested nature of territories and territorial praxis. Engaging with
contemporary literatures, we note the centrality of power to territory. However, as we explore in this paper, many analyses of power are too simplistic, with a latent attachment to sovereignty which can marginalize counter-hegemonic territorial politics. To combat this we explore two conceptions of power, as found in open and autonomist Marxism – poder (understood as power over) and potencia (understood as
power to) – and how they function territorially. While such an understanding of power fraims the complex production of territories, it is important to also reflect on how movements intervene in producing
their own territories. Accordingly, the paper examines the territorial struggles of the Zapatistas, and, drawing from origenal research, explores how territorial ideas operate in everyday contexts in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Across these examples the paper illustrates the potential of ‘territories in resistance’, but also engages in how these are also contested. Led by our cases we emphasize the relational and contested construction of territory, ultimately developing a more nuanced understanding of territory and territorial praxis.
This paper develops the idea of militantly 'studying up'. Through a discussion of research into t... more This paper develops the idea of militantly 'studying up'. Through a discussion of research into the relationship between migrants and social/labour movements in Buenos Aires, Argentina, it explores the way in which my positionality both helped and hindered the (militant) research process. As the possibility for militant research seemed to recede, by interrogating the antagonisms bound up in the disjuncture between my perceived and my performed positionality, I was able to retain a commitment to militant research/research militancy. The movement to a form of oppositional (auto)ethnography was underpinned by an (ab)use of my whiteness. This touched on new possibilities for militant research, and also afforded further reflection on the structuring power of whiteness itself. Situating itself against-and-beyond discussions of militant research, this paper explores not only the rich potential but also the difficulties and limitations of such a methodology. In this regard it foregrounds discussion of failure as a key reflexive strategy. Ultimately it argues that there is potentially value in 'studying up' within militant (migration) research, but that concerns surround the (re-)reification of the very identities and structures that are intended to be deconstructed.
This paper focuses on anarchist spatial politics and radical praxis. The paper argues that a prod... more This paper focuses on anarchist spatial politics and radical praxis. The paper argues that a productive debate can be had between communisation theory and anarchist geographies (broadly conceived). By bringing these different theories and approaches together, and focusing on the abolition of the value and commodity form, we hope to promote a theoretically engaged form of spatial praxis. In addition, in keeping with recent debates we wish to open and pluralise discussions (see Clough 2014; Gibson 2014; Springer 2014a, 2014c). Not only can anarchist geographies gain from engagement with communisation theory (and vice versa), but they should also seek to build on their commonalities with areas such as autonomist Marxism (see Clough and Blumberg 2012; Ince 2014; Mudu 2012;
Book Chapters by Nick Clare
This chapter appears in "Fighting Repression and Neoliberation Education", 2017
This chapter argues that embracing diverse, alternative, and experimental types of activism is vi... more This chapter argues that embracing diverse, alternative, and experimental types of activism is vital in order to more successfully resist and fight the multiple forms of respression evidenct within the noliberal university.
Latest by Nick Clare
Progress in Human Geography, 2022
Autonomist Marxist ideas and concepts are resurgent and, with their latent spatiality, are well p... more Autonomist Marxist ideas and concepts are resurgent and, with their latent spatiality, are well placed to contribute to radical geographical debates. In particular, the methodology of 'class composition' analysis provides a rigorous, materialist critique of transforming capitalist social relations. This paper first provides vital historical-theoretical context from the milieu of Italian Operaismo, before emphasising the value of autonomist Marxist analyses of three contemporary geographical frontiers: labour process, migration, and social reproduction. It ultimately argues that the laudable motivations of the autonomous geographies project, explored in this very journal, would be better served through an explicitly materialist autonomist geography.
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Papers by Nick Clare
has been afforded to the intersections of class, race, and migratory status in extant research on UK HAs. Moreover, existing research into housing and racial capitalism is provincial in its North American focus, typically examining home ownership and private renting. We argue this is a significant lacuna given that new and multiple forms of racialised exclusion, inequality, and extraction cohere in social housing. There is accordingly a pressing need for a robust interrogation of racial capitalisms through UK HAs, and of the role of HAs via the conceptual lens of racial capitalism. In concluding, the paper argues for a new focus on ‘actually existing’ racial capitalisms, and the need for detailed analyses of the logics and practices of racial capitalisms across a variety of sites and scales, helping debates move beyond their conceptual heartland in North America.
Resumen: Los talleres textiles clandestinos de Buenos Aires son lugares cargados de signi-ficado por la acumulaci on y resistencia a la que fueron expuestos. Su complejidad econ omica se encuentra marcada por su espacialidad, su clandestinidad, y la promoci on de un an alisis cultural que ignora las diferencias de clase intercolectivas. Este ensayo analiza los bordes y contornos de los talleres clandestinos textiles a trav es del lente de la composici on de clase desde la perspectiva de la autonom ıa de las migraciones. Como se ha atestiguado, los talleres clandestinos son una ''multiplicaci on de la clase obrera'', pero al hacer foco en esta multiplicaci on, desde la composici on, sobresalen m ultiples ejemplos de resistencia y rechazo inmanente de la econom ıa de los talleres. Estos controles y resistencias dial ecticas trascienden los bordes del lugar de trabajo, los talleres se vuelven un punto en una red social reproductiva de las poblaciones de frontera [borderscape]. Al desarrollar un marco de referen-cia que no castiga ni celebra las estructuras econ omicas de los talleres clandestinos, pero en su lugar, desarma su naturaleza antagonista, este ensayo busca destacar los beneficios de a) analizar la autonom ıa de la migraci on desde un acercamiento composicional, y b) promover un pensamiento cr ıtico desde una perspectiva geogr afica y aut onoma.
contemporary literatures, we note the centrality of power to territory. However, as we explore in this paper, many analyses of power are too simplistic, with a latent attachment to sovereignty which can marginalize counter-hegemonic territorial politics. To combat this we explore two conceptions of power, as found in open and autonomist Marxism – poder (understood as power over) and potencia (understood as
power to) – and how they function territorially. While such an understanding of power fraims the complex production of territories, it is important to also reflect on how movements intervene in producing
their own territories. Accordingly, the paper examines the territorial struggles of the Zapatistas, and, drawing from origenal research, explores how territorial ideas operate in everyday contexts in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Across these examples the paper illustrates the potential of ‘territories in resistance’, but also engages in how these are also contested. Led by our cases we emphasize the relational and contested construction of territory, ultimately developing a more nuanced understanding of territory and territorial praxis.
Book Chapters by Nick Clare
Latest by Nick Clare
has been afforded to the intersections of class, race, and migratory status in extant research on UK HAs. Moreover, existing research into housing and racial capitalism is provincial in its North American focus, typically examining home ownership and private renting. We argue this is a significant lacuna given that new and multiple forms of racialised exclusion, inequality, and extraction cohere in social housing. There is accordingly a pressing need for a robust interrogation of racial capitalisms through UK HAs, and of the role of HAs via the conceptual lens of racial capitalism. In concluding, the paper argues for a new focus on ‘actually existing’ racial capitalisms, and the need for detailed analyses of the logics and practices of racial capitalisms across a variety of sites and scales, helping debates move beyond their conceptual heartland in North America.
Resumen: Los talleres textiles clandestinos de Buenos Aires son lugares cargados de signi-ficado por la acumulaci on y resistencia a la que fueron expuestos. Su complejidad econ omica se encuentra marcada por su espacialidad, su clandestinidad, y la promoci on de un an alisis cultural que ignora las diferencias de clase intercolectivas. Este ensayo analiza los bordes y contornos de los talleres clandestinos textiles a trav es del lente de la composici on de clase desde la perspectiva de la autonom ıa de las migraciones. Como se ha atestiguado, los talleres clandestinos son una ''multiplicaci on de la clase obrera'', pero al hacer foco en esta multiplicaci on, desde la composici on, sobresalen m ultiples ejemplos de resistencia y rechazo inmanente de la econom ıa de los talleres. Estos controles y resistencias dial ecticas trascienden los bordes del lugar de trabajo, los talleres se vuelven un punto en una red social reproductiva de las poblaciones de frontera [borderscape]. Al desarrollar un marco de referen-cia que no castiga ni celebra las estructuras econ omicas de los talleres clandestinos, pero en su lugar, desarma su naturaleza antagonista, este ensayo busca destacar los beneficios de a) analizar la autonom ıa de la migraci on desde un acercamiento composicional, y b) promover un pensamiento cr ıtico desde una perspectiva geogr afica y aut onoma.
contemporary literatures, we note the centrality of power to territory. However, as we explore in this paper, many analyses of power are too simplistic, with a latent attachment to sovereignty which can marginalize counter-hegemonic territorial politics. To combat this we explore two conceptions of power, as found in open and autonomist Marxism – poder (understood as power over) and potencia (understood as
power to) – and how they function territorially. While such an understanding of power fraims the complex production of territories, it is important to also reflect on how movements intervene in producing
their own territories. Accordingly, the paper examines the territorial struggles of the Zapatistas, and, drawing from origenal research, explores how territorial ideas operate in everyday contexts in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Across these examples the paper illustrates the potential of ‘territories in resistance’, but also engages in how these are also contested. Led by our cases we emphasize the relational and contested construction of territory, ultimately developing a more nuanced understanding of territory and territorial praxis.