Transition and Renewal: Progressive Utopias and Leftist Reorientation, 1970s–1990s
This conference, hosted in Copenhagen, DNK, explores the evolution of progressive and leftist movements from the nineteen seventies through the nineteen nineties. It focuses on how these movements adapted to changing political and social landscapes, examining their utopian aspirations and practical reorientations during a period of significant global transformation. The event provides a platform for scholars to discuss the intellectual and practical shifts within these political currents.
Committees & topics
Topics
New Social Movements and the Reshaping of Left-Wing Political Fields since the 1970s · Shifting Semantics of 'Progressive' since the 1970s · Left-Wing Reactions to the Resurgence of Nationalism in the 1990s · Collapse of State Socialism, Neoliberal Dominance and Left-Wing Conceptions of Progress in the 1990s · European Integration and Demands for a 'Social Europe' after 1979 · Technological Scepticism and Nostalgic Tendencies on the Left during the Long 1970s · History Workshops and the Erosion of the Utopia of Progress · Labour and Refugee Migration and Conceptions of the Future in Europe
Why it matters
Understanding the trajectory of progressive and leftist movements from the nineteen seventies to the nineteen nineties is crucial for comprehending contemporary political discourse and the challenges faced by similar movements today. This period witnessed the rise of new social movements, the decline of traditional industrial labor, and the re-evaluation of socialist and communist ideologies in the wake of global events. The conference's focus on 'progressive utopias' highlights the enduring human desire for societal improvement, while 'leftist reorientation' underscores the necessity of adaptation in the face of political and economic shifts.
The discussions will shed light on how these movements navigated internal divisions, external pressures, and the complex interplay between idealism and pragmatism. By examining case studies from various countries, including those in Europe like DEU, FRA, ITA, GBR, NLD, SWE, AUT, and BEL, as well as the USA, RUS, MEX, and TUR, the conference offers a comparative perspective on the diverse experiences of the left. This historical analysis provides valuable insights into the resilience and transformation of political ideologies, offering lessons for current and future efforts to address societal inequalities and promote progressive change.
How to prepare
Delegates preparing for this conference should engage with the historical context of progressive and leftist movements during the specified decades. A strong understanding of the major political, economic, and social shifts that characterized this era, such as the rise of neoliberalism, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the emergence of environmental and feminist movements, will be essential. Consider how these broader trends influenced the internal dynamics and external strategies of leftist groups.
Furthermore, participants should familiarize themselves with key theoretical debates within leftist thought during this period, including discussions around post-structuralism, identity politics, and the re-evaluation of state socialism. Analyzing specific national contexts, drawing on examples from countries such as DEU, FRA, ITA, GBR, NLD, SWE, AUT, BEL, USA, RUS, MEX, and TUR, will allow for a more nuanced understanding of the diverse experiences and adaptations of these movements. Preparing to discuss the interplay between utopian ideals and practical political action will be particularly beneficial for contributing to the conference's central themes. Consider how different groups employed various Engagement Strategies to achieve their goals.
Country perspectives
Where the most-relevant 5 countries stand on the core issues in play. Click through for the full country profile.
DenmarkHost country for the conference, providing a European context for discussions on leftist reorientation.
Role in topic
As the host nation, DNK provides a European perspective on the evolution of progressive and leftist movements, likely offering insights into social democratic traditions and their adaptations during the specified period.
GermanyExperienced significant leftist movements and reorientation, particularly post-reunification.
Role in topic
DEU offers a crucial case study for examining leftist reorientation, especially given its division and subsequent reunification, which profoundly impacted socialist and communist parties and their ideological frameworks.
FranceA hub of intellectual and political leftist thought and activism during the period.
Role in topic
FRA was a significant center for intellectual and political leftist movements, with debates around May and the influence of various philosophical currents shaping its progressive landscape.
United StatesWitnessed the rise of new social movements and a re-evaluation of traditional leftism.
Role in topic
The USA provides a distinct context for studying progressive utopias and leftist reorientation, particularly with the emergence of civil rights, anti-war, and feminist movements challenging and reshaping traditional left-wing politics.
RussiaUnderwent profound systemic changes impacting global leftist discourse.
Role in topic
RUS, particularly with the dissolution of the Soviet Union, represents a pivotal case for understanding the crisis and reorientation of state socialism and its global implications for leftist movements.
Topics & background
The background behind each topic and the actors that shape it.
New Social Movements and the Reshaping of Left-Wing Political Fields since the 1970s
Key players
- Germany
Cradle of the Greens and a paradigmatic case of new social movements reshaping social democracy
- France
Site of post-1968 feminist, ecological and regionalist movements influencing the Mitterrand-era left
ItalyHome of Eurocommunism, autonomist movements and feminist 'second wave' that reoriented the PCI
United KingdomNew left and identity-based movements pressured Labour, especially via the GLC and municipal socialism
- United States
Civil rights, feminist, gay liberation and environmental movements that exported repertoires of contention
NetherlandsHub of squatter, peace and ecological activism that fed into a pluralised Dutch left
Shifting Semantics of 'Progressive' since the 1970s
Key players
- United States
Site where 'progressive' was rehabilitated in the 1990s as a substitute for 'liberal' under Clintonian centrism
- United Kingdom
New Labour's 'progressive governance' redefined the term around modernisation and market-compatible reform
- Germany
SPD and Greens negotiated competing progressive meanings between class politics and post-materialism
- France
Mitterrand-era socialism and the 'deuxième gauche' contested the semantic field of progrès
SwedenSocial-democratic model whose crisis exemplified the strain on the older 'progressive' synthesis
Left-Wing Reactions to the Resurgence of Nationalism in the 1990s
Key players
- Germany
Reunification and Kosovo debate forced the SPD and Greens to redefine their stance on nation and intervention
- France
Confronted the rise of the Front National and internal divisions over republican nationhood
- United Kingdom
Labour under Blair embraced liberal interventionism in response to Balkan nationalism
- Italy
Faced regionalist nationalism of the Lega while the PDS rebuilt the post-communist left
- YUG
Site of the violent ethno-nationalist disintegration that catalysed the European left's debates
AustriaRise of Haider's FPÖ symbolised the new right-wing populist challenge to the left
Collapse of State Socialism, Neoliberal Dominance and Left-Wing Conceptions of Progress in the 1990s
Key players
- Russia
Post-Soviet shock therapy embodied the collapse of the state-socialist alternative
- United States
Anchor of neoliberal globalisation and of Clintonian Third Way recalibration
- United Kingdom
New Labour's modernisation became the paradigm of left adaptation to neoliberalism
- Germany
Reunification costs and Neue Mitte reshaped social-democratic conceptions of progress
- France
Site of intellectual resistance to la pensée unique and of the 1995 strikes against neoliberal reform
MexicoZapatista uprising of 1994 catalysed a global imaginary of post-socialist left alternatives
European Integration and Demands for a 'Social Europe' after 1979
Key players
- France
Delors-era driver of social Europe and site of recurring left-wing referendum battles
- Germany
Anchored Maastricht's stability orientation while its unions pressed for European social standards
- United Kingdom
Thatcher-era opt-outs from the social chapter exemplified resistance to social Europe
- Italy
Centre-left governments used European constraints to legitimise domestic reform
- Denmark
Maastricht referendum revealed left-wing scepticism toward integration without social guarantees
BelgiumHost of EU institutions and laboratory for European-level trade union mobilisation
Technological Scepticism and Nostalgic Tendencies on the Left during the Long 1970s
Key players
- Germany
Anti-nuclear and ecological milieus that produced Die Grünen and ecosocialist theory
- France
Gorz, Illich-inspired currents and anti-nuclear protests at Creys-Malville
- United States
Counterculture, appropriate-technology and anti-nuclear movements after Three Mile Island
- United Kingdom
Schumacher's 'small is beautiful' and a strong tradition of pastoral leftism
- Italy
Post-Seveso environmentalism and operaista debates on technology and labour
History Workshops and the Erosion of the Utopia of Progress
Key players
- United Kingdom
Birthplace of the History Workshop movement around Ruskin College and Raphael Samuel
- Germany
Geschichtswerkstätten and barefoot historians excavating local Nazi-era and labour history
- Sweden
Lindqvist's 'Gräv där du står' inspired worker-led historical research
- Italy
Microstoria and oral history projects renewed left-wing historiography
- Netherlands
Active workshop and oral history scene linking academic and grassroots research
Labour and Refugee Migration and Conceptions of the Future in Europe
Key players
- Germany
Largest guest-worker recipient whose Türkische-deutsche population reshaped debates on citizenship
- France
Postcolonial migration drove confrontations between republican and multicultural futures
- United Kingdom
Commonwealth migration shaped early multiculturalist and anti-racist left politics
- Netherlands
Surinamese, Moluccan and Turkish-Moroccan migration informed a distinct multicultural model
- Sweden
Refugee reception from Chile, the Middle East and the Balkans tested the social-democratic welfare model
TurkeyPrincipal sending state whose diasporic politics influenced European left debates
Resources
News, lessons, and country profiles to prep for Transition and Renewal: Progressive Utopias and Leftist Reorientation, 1970s–1990s.
Lessons
Bite-sized lessons to build the basics
Courses
Guided courses that go deeper on the topic
The states in play, with the data that shapes their stance
Related conferences
By committee
- New Social Movements and the Reshaping of Left-Wing Political Fields since the 1970s
- Shifting Semantics of 'Progressive' since the 1970s
- Left-Wing Reactions to the Resurgence of Nationalism in the 1990s
- Collapse of State Socialism, Neoliberal Dominance and Left-Wing Conceptions of Progress in the 1990s
- European Integration and Demands for a 'Social Europe' after 1979
- Technological Scepticism and Nostalgic Tendencies on the Left during the Long 1970s
- History Workshops and the Erosion of the Utopia of Progress
- Labour and Refugee Migration and Conceptions of the Future in Europe