Weapons of the Weak and Race Rebels

In Weapons of the Weak, I agreed with the idea that activities at a small-scale do not receive as much attention in respect to grand-scale movements (p. 95). It is apparent when looking at what the news covers and chooses not to cover, and also made me think about how some leaders gain more coverage over others because of traditional notions on what “leadership” is. Some folks may be engaging in small acts of leadership and still choose not to view themselves as a leader because it often connotes doing large and meaningful actions or being involved in some leadership organization/club. 

Race Rebels provides an apparent example about the ways in which workers engage in everyday resistance, while relating to concepts of authenticity in Tiongson’s reading as workers’ express their opinions on what is considered “authentic” politics or not. A good example easily observed today is looking at students’ preconceived notions about organizations more oriented towards social justice. It is commonly presumed that those involved in these organizations are the only ones who are truly engaged in politics, when in reality, people in general may be engaging in political acts without their knowledge - whether that be in work, school, and in their own homes. This led me to question how we can shift notions about what “politics” entail due to the prevalent misconceptions surrounding the term.