The Independent Left Press and the Rise and Fall of Mass Dissent in Aotearoa Since the 1970s

Abstract

Leftist publications are inextricably linked to the ebb and flow of struggle in society. During an era of relatively high dissidence—the 1970s and to a lesser extent the 1980s—a vibrant leftist press flourished in Aotearoa. While magazines often do not capture the complexity, energy and spirit of struggles, and are often distant from them, nonetheless they can reveal important trends within movements. By outlining the major independent socialist magazines in Aotearoa since the 1970s such as the New Zealand Monthly Review, The Republican, Race Gender Class, New Zealand Political Review, and a variety of other publications, this article aims to highlight some major debates and transformations within the left. It also functions as a very broad, sweeping overview of the rise and fall of the left, and protest generally, since the late 1960s.