A new revolutionary practice: operaisti and the 'refusal of work' in 1970's Italy

Article

Pizzolato, N. 2017. A new revolutionary practice: operaisti and the 'refusal of work' in 1970's Italy. Estudos Historicos (Rio de Janeiro). 30 (61), pp. 449-464. https://doi.org/10.1590/s2178-14942017000200008
TypeArticle
TitleA new revolutionary practice: operaisti and the 'refusal of work' in 1970's Italy
AuthorsPizzolato, N.
Abstract

The social protest that engulfed Italy in the 1970s found a theoretical analysis in the work of the operaisti.
Through a series of concepts, they outlined a new revolutionary practice that aimed to return to a more authentic reading of Marxism. This article focuses on the notion of ‘refusal of work’ and the ancillary concept of ‘appropriation’ and examines how these theoretical tools emerged out of radical protest in factories and were put forward by the operaisti as a central plank of a revolutionary strategy for the working class

PublisherFapUNIFESP (SciELO)
JournalEstudos Historicos (Rio de Janeiro)
ISSN0103-2186
Publication dates
Print01 Aug 2017
Publication process dates
Deposited06 Sep 2017
Accepted04 May 2017
Output statusPublished
Publisher's version
License
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1590/s2178-14942017000200008
LanguageEnglish
Permalink -

https://repository.mdx.ac.uk/item/8727w

Log in to edit

Download files

Publisher's version
68257-147404-1-PB.pdf
License: CC BY 4.0

  • 57
    total views
  • 14
    total downloads
  • 4
    views this month
  • 1
    downloads this month

Export as

Related outputs

The hidden labour of digital capitalism: changes, continuities, critical issues
Pizzolato, N. 2024. The hidden labour of digital capitalism: changes, continuities, critical issues. International Review of Social History. 69 (2), pp. 299-306. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0020859024000336
EDI and postgraduate research: report on the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion review of postgraduate research at Middlesex University
Pizzolato, N., Saini, R., Stumbitz, B. and Sotiropoulou, P. 2024. EDI and postgraduate research: report on the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion review of postgraduate research at Middlesex University. Middlesex University. https://doi.org/10.60528/1qw7q5
Introduction: Gender and work in twentieth-century Italy: new approaches
Bracke, M.A., Favretto, I. and Pizzolato, N. 2024. Introduction: Gender and work in twentieth-century Italy: new approaches. Modern Italy. https://doi.org/10.1017/mit.2024.7
Constructing debt: discursive and material strategies of labour coercion in the U.S. South, 1903-1964
Pizzolato, N. 2024. Constructing debt: discursive and material strategies of labour coercion in the U.S. South, 1903-1964. in: Batista, A., Müller, V. and Peres, C. (ed.) Coercion and Wage Labor: Exploring Work Relations through History and Art UCL Press. pp. 275-300
Reconceptualising the factory as plant-ation: Black radicalism and the politics of history in a Detroit automobile plant
Pizzolato, N. 2024. Reconceptualising the factory as plant-ation: Black radicalism and the politics of history in a Detroit automobile plant. Historical Materialism: Research in Critical Marxist Theory. https://doi.org/10.1163/1569206x-bja10062
Il lavoro attraverso lo sguardo femminile: la fotografia delle donne in Italia tra ricerca artistica e critica sociale
Di Trapani, M., Favretto, I., Pizzolato, N. and Betti, E. 2022. Il lavoro attraverso lo sguardo femminile: la fotografia delle donne in Italia tra ricerca artistica e critica sociale. Sociologia del lavoro. https://doi.org/10.3280/SL2022-163014
Through the female gaze: women and work in Italy since the 1950s
Di Trapani, M., Favretto, I. and Pizzolato, N. 2021. Through the female gaze: women and work in Italy since the 1950s.
Amanda Ciafone. Counter-Cola: A Multinational History of the Global Corporation. [Book review]
Pizzolato, N. 2020. Amanda Ciafone. Counter-Cola: A Multinational History of the Global Corporation. [Book review]. American Historical Review. 125 (2), pp. 626-627. https://doi.org/10.1093/ahr/rhz1197
"Once we owned slaves". Labour and coercion in 20th century American plantations
Pizzolato, N. 2020. "Once we owned slaves". Labour and coercion in 20th century American plantations. Contemporanea: Rivista di storia dell'800 e del '900. XXIII (1), pp. 25-51. https://doi.org/10.1409/96379
Back to the factory: the continuing salience of industrial workplace history
Akgöz, G., Croucher, R. and Pizzolato, N. 2020. Back to the factory: the continuing salience of industrial workplace history. Labor History. 61 (1), pp. 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1080/0023656X.2019.1681632
The antinomies of Fordism
Pizzolato, N. 2017. The antinomies of Fordism. Storica. 23 (69), pp. 159-173. https://doi.org/10.23744/1794
Scioperi al ritmo dei tamburi: Black Power nel “1968” americano
Pizzolato, N. 2018. Scioperi al ritmo dei tamburi: Black Power nel “1968” americano. Scienza e Politica. 30 (59), pp. 61-78. https://doi.org/10.6092/issn.1825-9618/8902
The Influence of professional doctorates on practice and the workplace
Boud, D., Fillery-Travis, A., Pizzolato, N. and Sutton, B. 2018. The Influence of professional doctorates on practice and the workplace. Studies in Higher Education. 43 (5), pp. 914-926. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2018.1438121
Tactics of refusal: idioms of protest and political subjectivities in Italy's "1968 years"
Pizzolato, N. 2018. Tactics of refusal: idioms of protest and political subjectivities in Italy's "1968 years". American Historical Review. 123 (3), pp. 758-763. https://doi.org/10.1093/ahr/123.3.758
Harvests of shame: enduring unfree labour in twentieth century United States, 1933-1964
Pizzolato, N. 2018. Harvests of shame: enduring unfree labour in twentieth century United States, 1933-1964. Labor History. 59 (4), pp. 472-490. https://doi.org/10.1080/0023656X.2018.1467259
Transdisciplinary qualities in practice doctorates
Costley, C. and Pizzolato, N. 2018. Transdisciplinary qualities in practice doctorates. Studies in Continuing Education. 40 (1), pp. 30-45. https://doi.org/10.1080/0158037X.2017.1394287
Antonio Gramsci: a pedagogy to change the world
Pizzolato, N. and Holst, J. 2017. Antonio Gramsci: a pedagogy to change the world. London Springer, Cham.
The IWW in Turin: ‘Militant history’, workers’ struggle and the crisis of Fordism in 1970s Italy
Pizzolato, N. 2017. The IWW in Turin: ‘Militant history’, workers’ struggle and the crisis of Fordism in 1970s Italy. International Labor and Working Class History. 91, pp. 109-126. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0147547916000314
Gramsci, politics and pedagogy: an interpretative framework
Pizzolato, N. and Holst, J. 2017. Gramsci, politics and pedagogy: an interpretative framework. in: Pizzolato, N. and Holst, J. (ed.) Antonio Gramsci: A Pedagogy To Change the World Springer. pp. 1-32
Il compito rivoluzionario dell’auto-organizzazione: una nota su Grace Lee Boggs
Pizzolato, N. 2016. Il compito rivoluzionario dell’auto-organizzazione: una nota su Grace Lee Boggs. Commonware.
The revolutionary task of self-activity: a note on Grace Lee Boggs
Pizzolato, N. 2016. The revolutionary task of self-activity: a note on Grace Lee Boggs. Viewpoint.
The IWW in Turin: militant history and the crisis of high capitalism in 1970s Italy
Pizzolato, N. 2015. The IWW in Turin: militant history and the crisis of high capitalism in 1970s Italy. Global Labour and the Crises of High Capitalism: Rethinking the 1970s. Re:Work Institute, Humboldt Universitat, Berlin 28 - 29 Jun 2015
American peonage: connections, categories, scales, 1935-1952
Pizzolato, N. 2015. American peonage: connections, categories, scales, 1935-1952. Translocal and Microhistories of Labour. Centre for Global History and Culture -- University of Warwick 23 - 24 Jan 2015
‘As much in bondage as they were before’: unfree labour during the New Deal (1935-1952)
Pizzolato, N. 2016. ‘As much in bondage as they were before’: unfree labour during the New Deal (1935-1952). in: van der Linden, M. and Rodríguez García, M. (ed.) On Coerced Labour Leiden De Gruyter Brill.
The American labor movement (1948-1981)
Pizzolato, N. 2004. The American labor movement (1948-1981). in: Ness, I. (ed.) Encyclopedia of American social movements New York Routledge.
Gli immigrati del fordismo. Torino e Detroit: due distretti operai a confronto
Pizzolato, N. 2004. Gli immigrati del fordismo. Torino e Detroit: due distretti operai a confronto. Zapruder.
Fatiche globali. Un’agenda per la storia del lavoro
Pizzolato, N. 2006. Fatiche globali. Un’agenda per la storia del lavoro. Zapruder.
Strikes in the United States since World War II
Pizzolato, N. 2009. Strikes in the United States since World War II. in: Brenner, A., Day, B. and Ness, I. (ed.) The encyclopedia of strikes in American history New York, NY, USA Routledge. pp. 226-238
Italian national identity and nationalism (1870-1980)
Pizzolato, N. 2008. Italian national identity and nationalism (1870-1980). in: Herb, G. and Kaplan, D. (ed.) Nations and nationalism: a global historical overview ABC-Clio.
The American worker and the Forze Nuove: Turin and Detroit at the twilight of Fordism
Pizzolato, N. 2013. The American worker and the Forze Nuove: Turin and Detroit at the twilight of Fordism. Viewpoint Magazine.
“Una situazione sado-masochistica ad incastro”. Il dibattito scientifico sull’immigrazione meridionale (1950-1970)
Pizzolato, N. 2005. “Una situazione sado-masochistica ad incastro”. Il dibattito scientifico sull’immigrazione meridionale (1950-1970). Quaderni Storici. https://doi.org/10.1408/19594
"Lo diavolo mi ingannao". La sodomia nelle campagne siciliane (1572-1664)
Pizzolato, N. 2006. "Lo diavolo mi ingannao". La sodomia nelle campagne siciliane (1572-1664). Quaderni Storici. 2, pp. 449-480. https://doi.org/10.1408/22531
Workers and revolutionaries at the twilight of Fordism: the breakdown of industrial relations in the automobile plants of Detroit and Turin, 1967-1973
Pizzolato, N. 2004. Workers and revolutionaries at the twilight of Fordism: the breakdown of industrial relations in the automobile plants of Detroit and Turin, 1967-1973. Labor History. 45 (4), pp. 419-443. https://doi.org/10.1080/0023656042000292234
An ordinary transgression. Adultery and concubinage: from the neighbourhood to the Court (Diocese of Monreale, 1590-1680)
Pizzolato, N. 2007. An ordinary transgression. Adultery and concubinage: from the neighbourhood to the Court (Diocese of Monreale, 1590-1680). Quaderni Storici. https://doi.org/10.1408/24449
Gli operai, gli immigrati, la rivoluzione. Detroit e Torino: un'ipotesi comparative (1967-73)
Pizzolato, N. 2006. Gli operai, gli immigrati, la rivoluzione. Detroit e Torino: un'ipotesi comparative (1967-73). Meridiana.
Revolution in a comic strip: Gasparazzo and the identity of southern migrants in Turin, 1969-1975
Pizzolato, N. 2007. Revolution in a comic strip: Gasparazzo and the identity of southern migrants in Turin, 1969-1975. International Review of Social History. 52 (S15), pp. 59-75. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0020859007003124
From local to global: American peonage during the New Deal, 1935-1952
Pizzolato, N. 2014. From local to global: American peonage during the New Deal, 1935-1952. III Seminário Internacional Mundos do Trabalho. Salvador de Bahia, Brazil 26 - 29 Nov 2014
I Terroni in Città: revisiting southern migrants militancy in Turin's hot autumn
Pizzolato, N. 2012. I Terroni in Città: revisiting southern migrants militancy in Turin's hot autumn. Contemporary European History. 21 (4), pp. 619-634. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0960777312000409
Transnational radicals: labour dissent and political activism in Detroit and Turin (1950-1970)
Pizzolato, N. 2011. Transnational radicals: labour dissent and political activism in Detroit and Turin (1950-1970). International Review of Social History. 56 (1), pp. 1-30. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0020859010000696
Challenging global capitalism: labor migration, radical struggle, and urban change in Detroit and Turin
Pizzolato, N. 2013. Challenging global capitalism: labor migration, radical struggle, and urban change in Detroit and Turin. New York Palgrave Macmillan.