The Politics of Friendship: Hannah Arendt and the Organizing of the Industrial Areas Foundation

Abstract

This article puts the political thought of Hannah Arendt into conversation with the organizing of the Industrial Areas Foundation, the oldest community organizing network in the United States. Arendt is often read as critical of politics that is instrumental in purpose, and the IAF is sometimes criticized for an overly instrumental approach to political life. In this article, however, I argue that Arendt illuminates what is particularly distinctive about the IAF and its place in American public life, namely its attention to politics as a space for disclosure and plurality. The encounter between the theorist and the organizing, however, reveals dissonance as well as resonance, revealing limitations in Arendt's conception of the factors that motivate political life. I conclude by reflecting on some of the implications that the work of the IAF and the thought of Arendt raise for the practices of organizing and citizenship in America more broadly.

Pandemic-Era Organizing

“…Daniel May has described the relational aspect of organizing as “public friendship,” the ability to act together in public (May 2018). These relationships are cultivated through regular, intentional organizational practices; they are seen as a key part of organizing (May 2018, 94).…”

“…Daniel May has described the relational aspect of organizing as “public friendship,” the ability to act together in public (May 2018). These relationships are cultivated through regular, intentional organizational practices; they are seen as a key part of organizing (May 2018, 94). Relationships are central to how these organizations see the process of organizing: they organize people by helping people build relationships with each other within and across institutions.…”

Hallmarks of the Political in Community Organizing: An Arendtian Perspective

“…In recent years, there has been growing interest in the thinking of Hannah Arendt and its relevance to understanding the nature of contemporary political life (Bernstein, 2018). In the field of community organizing specifically, there is a small but growing body of literature dedicated to a critical appraisal and application of Arendt's ideas on themes such as action, power and the nature of the political (Boyte, 2010;Bretherton, 2015;Bunyan, 2010Bunyan, , 2013May, 2018). This article seeks to add to this literature.…”