We are in trouble (Haraway, 2016). Our time is unbalanced and threatened by a New Climatic Regime (Latour, 2017), the rise of the extreme right, terrorism and a brutal and unregulated capitalism (Stengers, 2017). All of these are the results of a social organization that impacts nature, social ties and individual psyche (Guattari, 2008). Facing such a reality, people get organized to resist. In violent manners (through demonstrations or strikes; i.e. currently in Iran or in Venezuela) or peacefully (i.e. the occupy movement or “Nuit Debout” in France), activist groups are coming into existence to think of other ways of doing and to resist the status quo. However, these movements and groups are struggling to exist. Indeed, they lack financial support; they are discredited and shut down. In other words, their existence is an ongoing fight. This presentation proposes to think how these movements of resistance –these alternatives– exist and what are the processes that trigger, maintain, and challenge their existence. More specifically, this paper focuses on the existence of a free university, namely The University of the People (hereafter UP) based in Montreal, Canada, that tries to resist the hegemonic system through education. Hence, this non-profit organization created in 2010 fights non-critical thinking in giving free courses in public spaces. Acknowledged as a left-wing group, UP struggles to exist mainly because it does not receive funding, it does not have a space on its own and it is voluntary based. I thus propose to explore how persistence, perdurance, or duration is constituted and/or threatened in UP in asking: what matter in UP’s existence as an alternative organization in resistance? I am willing to understand and explore how alternatives resist towards hegemonic power. Thus, this paper contributes to social sciences in focusing on how these types of organizations exist.

As I am studying in communication, I adopt a communicational perspective nourished by critical thinking. This approach enriches traditional ways of studying social phenomena in social sciences in focusing on the processes of communication. The communicational perspective I mobilize is anchored in the ‘constitutive approach of communication’ –CCO– (see for example, Ashcraft, Kuhn, & Cooren, 2009; Cooren & Martine, 2017) which views communication as constitutive of organizations (and not solely as a tool). Thinking in these terms, permit to deconstruct dichotomies; indeed, the CCO approach rubs the differences between nature/culture, subject/object, material/immaterial (Cooren, 2018). In that sense, my proposal will be an opportunity to present a new way of approaching social phenomena. It engages straight forward conversations with other streams of social sciences.

For my study, I conducted an ethnography during a year. I did 21 interviews (committee members, teachers, students and founders); I observed 7 committee meetings, 20 courses for one year and 3 session launches. I also have faithfully maintained a logbook as the observations were ongoing. The presentation will be developed from the analysis of this collected data.

A glimpse on the findings I propose to give a glimpse of some data in order to get a sense of the analysis. First I will present notes taken in my logbook and secondly a conversation I had with one of UP’s members, Ann. The preliminary finding focuses on the notion of “space(s)”; how spaces matter in Upop’s existence.

Personal log book abstract (September 19, 2017)

UP is spatially ephemeral. When the students leave, UP does no longer exist; it exists as a social movement, as an entity, as an organization, as a non-profit organization. But it does not physically exist. When the course is over, “UP’s space” reverts to its primary use. For example, in a bookshop, after the course, a student buys a book. Does UP stop existing at that moment?

This abstract engages with the physical existence of UP: where and when does its physical existence ceased? For two hours, a public venue like a bookshop or a bar is UP; but when the course is over the bar returns to being a bar and the bookshop a bookshop. In that sense, space(s) matter(s) in UP’s existence. Spaces give UP a form and characterize its existence. The notion of space also appears during an interview with Ann an UP’s committee member:

(1) Interview with Ann (August 16, 2017)

All of these social movements… it’s just about affinity between individuals that are creating relationships you know. Huh. But, yes, I think the idea is the same: there is the idea of clearing [défricher in French], you know. A sort of educative wasteland [une friche éducative], a cultural wasteland. There is also a proximity between that and the ability to occupy space huh physical space, but also mental space. Space on all kinds of levels… it is also through the creation of communities; I think that it is very important. And UP is doing that also; but the people at III [a community of artists that aim to invest an old warehouse to create an autonomous and independent art space] they have huh… it’s more guerrilla-style than what UP does. UP is at the margin but it’s something else […] but there is still the idea of occupying wastelands and to create communities.

(2) Interview with Ann (August 16, 2017)

There are affinities between III, UP and IV [IV is an industrial building which is being converted into an alternative space of gathering area]. There are meeting points, and there are a few things that them and us are a little fuzzy on; but through the meeting points we could create some associations that could be very interesting for the city. Because it’s becoming so difficult to exist in… I mean, I don’t know how long you have been here, but I am in the art world since a long time now; and I have been living on the fringes of society also for a long time; but it is becoming more and more difficult to exist you know. The horizon becomes narrower. Initiatives like UP, or III or IV could create the horizon anew. That is the reason why I am here. It is very important and it’s vital. I am happy to be part of this even if it’s not spectacular; even if I think that it participates in something in the underground.

Here the notion of space gains a new dimension: UP is also existing through mental spaces. When the physical space ceased to be, UP opens up mental spaces for critical thinking and for resistance.

In the presentation, I will unfold this idea of how space(s) matter(s) in UP existence. Moreover, I will explore what other things are mattering. The presentation will thus head in that direction and will further develop what is observed when speaking about what matter in the resistance. Finally, I will address the stakes of studying specifically alternative form of education. I will develop further the context of higher education and social movements. For the time being, I will conclude in saying that the theoretical stance presented here puts to the fore the entanglement between communication and other practices/things/discourses that make alternative organizations exist. In that sense, my perspective presents theoretical and strategic challenges for critical thinking and for the contemporary scientific development of interest for the social sciences and the humanities.