Defining Autogestion and Its Visibility

In this essay, Livia K. Stone discusses the origins of the concept of autogestion/self-management, generally associated with anarcho-syndicalism. Often described as emerging from Yugoslavia in the 1950s, Stone argues that the origins of the term actually lie in the Algerian independence movement in the 1960s and represented a defining shift in twentieth century social movements.

Livia K. Stone is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at Illinois State University. She is the author of Atenco Lives!: Filmmaking and Popular Struggle in Mexico (2019), and "Autogestion: Correcting the History of Self-Management" (2024)

Anarchist Essays is brought to you by Loughborough University's Anarchism Research Group and the journal Anarchist Studies. Follow us on Bluesky @anarchismresgroup.bsky.social

Our music comes from Them'uns (featuring Yous'uns).

Artwork by Sam G.