James J. Brittain

Professor

Office: BAC 305
Phone: (902) 585-1292
Email: james.brittain@acadiau.ca

Student Hours (Fall 2024)
Thursday 12:00pm

Education

BA Honours (New Brunswick-Saint John), MA (Acadia), PhD (New Brunswick)

Research/Teaching Interests

Class (Consciousness)
Escape
Political Economy
Social Reproduction
Sport

Teaching (2023-24)

Fall 2024
SOCI-1033-FA01, Social Problems
SOCI-2533-FA01, Popular Culture and the Media
SOCI-3093-FA01, Social Thought (3rd year Theory)

Winter 2025
SOCI-3503-WI01, Power Games: A Critical Analysis of Sport
SOCI-3543-WI01, Debates in Marxism (3rd year Theory)

Selected Publications
Books

Dahringer, Heather A. Kitchin and James J. Brittain. 2017. Mapping Geographies of Violence. Halifax: Fernwood Publishers.

Brittain, James J. 2010. Revolutionary Social Change in Colombia: The origin and direction of the FARC-EP. London: Pluto Press.

Book Chapter Contributions
Brittain, James J. 2022. “Atrophying Masculinity within Professional Road Cycling: Contesting ‘the male’ through a (re)scripting of the anti-male,” in Gender Politics in Sport. Győző Molnár and Rachel Bullingham (Editors). London: Routledge.

Brittain, James J. 2017. “A Violent Escape: Scripting intra-class conflict and (fortifying) contemporary capitalist endurance,” in Mapping Geographies of Violence. Heather A. Kitchin Dahringer and James J. Brittain (Editors). Halifax: Fernwood Publishers. pp.76-106.

Brittain, James J. 2017 “Theorizing Violence Through an Approach Toward Power,” in Mapping Geographies of Violence. Heather A. Kitchin Dahringer and James J. Brittain (Editors). Halifax: Fernwood Publishers. pp.8-25.

Brittain, James J. 2015. “The FARC-EP and Consequential Marxism in Colombia,” in Emancipatory Politics: A critique. Stephen Feuchtwang and Alpa Shah (Editors). London: OAC Press. pp.95-132.

Ampuero, Igor y James J. Brittain. 2008. “La cuestión agraria y la lucha armada en Colombia.” en Recuperando la tierra: El resurgimiento de movimientos rurales en África, Asia y América Latina. Sam Moyo y Paris Yeros (coordinadores). Buenos Aires: CLACSO. pp. 327-399.

Ampuero, Igor and James J. Brittain. 2005. “The Agrarian Question and Armed Struggle in Colombia,” in Reclaiming the Land: The Resurgence of Rural Movements in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Sam Moyo and Paris Yeros (Eds.). London: Zed Books. pp. 359-382.

Papers in Refereed Journals

Brittain, James J. 2025. “Eating’s Cheating and the Reframing of Power in Sport: The peculiarity of male professional road cycling,” Sport in Society (Special Issue: Outsiders, underdogs and bohemians in sport)

Brittain, James J. 2024. “Wellness and the Working Class: The artifice of benefits under capitalism,” Perspectives [open access].

Brittain, James J. 2020. “Calling (Intellectual) Bullshit On Inequality’s Perversion of Alienation,” Socialist Studies 14(2): 1-12.

Brittain, James J. 2017. “Reading the (Identity Politics) Market: Articulating the forest past the trees post-Trump,” Capital & Class 41(3): 411-422.

Brittain, James J. 2017. “Violence Beyond the Proximal Subjective: Theorizing an addendum of distal causality,” International Journal of Žižek Studies 11(1): 1-19.

Brittain, James J. 2011. “Revolutionary Emancipation ‘From Below’ in Colombia, a Response to Skocpol,” Critique 39(1): 99-128.

Brittain, James J. 2010. “Contemporary Colombia: The continuity of struggle,” Labour, Capital and Society 43(2): 3-11.

Brittain James J. 2009. “Uribe’s Colombia.” Global Dialogue 10(1): 108-119.

Brittain, James J. and R. James Sacouman. 2008. “Agrarian Transformation and Resistance in the Colombian Countryside.” Labour, Capital and Society 41(1): 57-83.

Brittain, James J. Barb Moore, and Jim Sacouman. 2008. “Political and Economic Realities behind the ILO Report Applauding Colombian Labour Relations” The Spark Issue 20: 17-25.

Brittain, James J. 2007. “The Differing Revolutionary Positions of Gramsci and Trotsky in Relation to Classical Marxism, the Peasantry, and the Majority World.” Socialist Studies: The Journal of the Society for Socialist Studies 3(2): 65-92.

Brittain, James J. 2007. “Formas de Desarrollo Poco Convencionales e Ilícitas: La compleja industria del narcotráfico en Colombia.” Cuadernos de Sociología Número 41: 13-68.

Brittain, James J. 2007. “FENSUAGRO’s Struggle for Social Justice.” Peace Review: Journal of Social Justice 19(3): 417-426.

Brittain, James J. 2007. “La Vacilante Economía Política de Uribe: Aumento de la tributación dual de clases, acuerdos bilaterales comerciales dilatados o prolongados, y la creciente inestabilidad rural.” Controversia Número 188: 247-289.

Brittain, James J. 2007. “Government, NGOs and the Paramilitary: A Colombian contradiction.” Development 50(1): 122-127.

Brittain, James J. 2007. “War, Evil, and the End of History. Review essay of Bernard-Henri Lévy’s book concerning the global shift toward apolitical conflict.” Rethinking Marxism 19(1): 143-146.

Brittain, James J. 2006. “Human Rights and the Colombian Government: An analysis of state-based atrocities toward non-combatants.” New Politics 10(4): 124-129.

Brittain, James J. 2005. “The FARC-EP in Colombia: A revolutionary exception in an age of imperialist expansion.” Monthly Review 57(4): 20-33.

Brittain, James J. 2005. “A Theory of Accelerating Rural Violence: Lauchlin Currie’s role in underdeveloping Colombia.” Journal for Peasant Studies 32(2): 335-360.

Publications in Non-Refereed Press(es)

Brittain, James J. 2019. “Celebrating Our Brutality: Here Comes the Boom,” 18 October On-Line https://zizekanalysis.wordpress.com/2019/10/18/celebrating-our-brutality-here-comes-the-boom-2012-james-j-brittain/

Brittain, James J. 2016. “Hope Amidst Despondency: Interpreting class post-Trump,” 22 November On-Line http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/11/22/hope-against-despondency-interpreting-class-post-trump/#_edn1

Brittain, James J. 2011. “Armed ‘Rescues’ as the Abortion of Dialogue: The Colombian State’s Continuity of Failure,” December 2 On-Line http://upsidedownworld.org/main/colombia-archives-61/3336-armed-rescues-as-the-abortion-of-dialogue-the-colombian-states-continuity-of-failure.

Brittain, James J. 2010. “Is the FARC-EP (really) a Terrorist Organization,” November 28 On-Line http://www.fightbacknews.org/2010/11/28/farc-ep-really-terrorist-organization

Brittain, James J. 2009. “Colombia and America’s War on Drugs,” November 30 On-Line http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=16213.

Brittain, James J. 2009. “Celebrating the Victories while Silencing the Costs: (So-called) Decreased coca levels in Colombia,” November 23 On-Line http://www.abpnoticias.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2659&Itemid=1.

Brittain, James J. 2009. “It’s Really a War on the Poor: A war on coca nobody believes in,” November 20/22 On-Line http://counterpunch.org/brittain11202009.html.

Brittain, James J. 2009. “US Strategic Interests in Latin America: The militarization of Colombia,” October 28 On-Line http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=15853.

Brittain, James J. 2009. “(The Continuity of) Immunity for Tío Sam in Colombia” October 27 On-Line http://upsidedownworld.org/main/content/view/2181/1/.

Brittain, James J. 2009. “Colombia’s Fascist Attack on Academic Freedom” June 1 On-Line http://upsidedownworld.org/main/content/view/1887/1/.

Brittain, James J. 2008. “A Third Term in Office? Entrenching Colombian authoritarianism” September 3 On-Line http://upsidedownworld.org/main/content/view/1453/68/.nbsp]

Brittain, James J. 2008. “The Road to Tyranny in Colombia: A third term in office” On-Line http://www.counterpunch.org/brittain08192008.html.

Brittain, James J. 2008. “The Case of Liliana Obando and the Rights of Colombian Workers” August 18 On-Line http://colombiajournal.org/colombia291.htm.

Brittain, James J. 2008. “Examining the Continuity of FARC-EP Resistance in Colombia: Not the end of Guerrilla Warfare” August 1 On-Line http://counterpunch.com/brittain08012008.html.

Brittain, James J. 2008. “Anti-Uribe Protests” Z Magazine 21(5): 20-22.

Brittain, James J. 2008. “Colombia: Was the US involved in the murder of FARC-EP leaders?” March 13 On-Line http://links.org.au/node/306.

Brittain, James J. 2008. “Remembering March 6: Anti-Uribe protests in Colombia and the world” March 10 On-Line http://www.counterpunch.org/brittain03102008.html.

Brittain, James J. and R. James Sacouman. 2008. “Colombia: Destabilizing ‘the new Latin America’” Green Left Weekly Issue 743: 14.

Brittain, James J. and R. James Sacouman. 2008. “A Response to the Murder of FARC Commander Raúl Reyes in Ecuador: Uribe’s Colombia is Destabilizing a New Latin America:” March 4 On-Line http://www.counterpunch.org/brittain03042008.html

Brittain, James J. and R. James Sacouman. 2008. “Uribe’s Colombia is Destabilizing a New Latin America” March 3 On-Line http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/3233

Brittain, James J. and R. James Sacouman. 2008. “Uribe’s Colombia is Destabilizing a New Latin America: A Response to the Murder of FARC Commander Raúl Reyes in Ecuador” March 3 On-Line http://www.colombiajournal.org/colombia273.htm.

Brittain, James J. and R. James Sacouman. 2008. “Uribe’s Colombia Destabilizing Latin America” March 3 On-Line http://upsidedownworld.org/main/content/view/1158/61/.

Brittain, James J. 2006. “Organizing Rural Labor in Rural Colombia: A federation of unions struggles to exist in the face of state reaction.” Dollars & Sense Issue 268:7-9.

Brittain, James J. and R. James Sacouman. 2006. “Atlantic Canada Fights Back against Atlantica.” Canadian Dimension 40(5):27-28.

Brittain, James J. and R. James Sacouman. 2006. “Atlantic Canada Responds to Atlantica: A New Horizon of Struggle in the East,” Union News. 4(2): 2-4.

Brittain, James J. 2006. “Colombia’s Paramilitaries go Legit?” Political Affairs Issue 225:5.

Brittain, James J. 2006. “Censorship, Hegemony, and the Media in Colombia.” Colombia Journal November 27 On-Line http://colombiajournal.org/colombia248.htm.

Brittain, James J. 2006. “Censorship and Hegemony in Colombia: The arrest of journalist Freddy Muñoz.” Counter Punch November 25 On-Line http://counterpunch.com/brittain11252006.html.

Brittain, James J. 2006. “Abandoning a Negotiated Prisoner Exchange for a Military Rescue Attempt? Uribe’s Failure to Learn from Colombia’s Past.” Counter Punch October 25 On-Line http://www.counterpunch.org/brittain10252006.html.

Brittain, James J. 2006. “Uribe Alienates the Elite.” ANNCOL October 24 On-Line http://www.anncol.org/uk/site/doc.php?id=262.

Brittain, James J. 2006. “Abandoning a Negotiated Prisoner Exchange for a Militant-Rescue Attempt? Uribe Further Alienates Colombia’s Elite.” Colombia Journal October 23 On-Line http://colombiajournal.org/colombia246.htm.

Brittain, James J. and R. James Sacouman. 2006. “Atlantic Canadians Respond to Atlantica.” Our Times 25(4):6.

Brittain, James J. and R. James Sacouman. 2006. “Is the FARC-EP Dependent on Coca? An Examination of the Insurgency’s Power and the Recent U.S. Indictment against the Leadership.” ANNCOL March 24 On-Line http://www.anncol.org/uk/site/doc.php?id=240.

Brittain, James J. 2005. “Class-Struggle and Saint John, New Brunswick: The need for working class unity.” People’s Voice 13(21):5.bsp]

Brittain, James J. 2005. The Objective Reality of Plan Patriota: A Response to Subjective Propaganda (UN ReliefWeb). New York, NY: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Brittain, James J. 2005. “The Negation of Pacifism and the Necessity of Objective Justice.” ANNCOL July 1 On-Line http://anncol.org/uk/site/doc.php?id=225.

Brittain, James J. 2005. “Clandestine Politics within Colombia: The Bolivarian movement for a new Colombia.” Socialism and Liberation 2(5):34-36.

Brittain, James J. 2005. The Reactionary Restriction of Justice in Colombia (UN ReliefWeb). New York, NY: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Brittain, James J. 2005. “The Reactionary Restriction of Justice in Colombia.” Colombia Journal May 2 On-Line http://www.colombiajournal.org/colombia208.htm.

Brittain, James J. 2005. “Colombia: US-Uribe anti-FARC offensive fails.” Green Left Weekly Issue 620:20.

Brittain, James J. 2005. “FENSUAGRO: Organic class-consciousness in rural Colombia.” Colombia Journal March 21 On-Line http://www.colombiajournal.org/colombia205.htm.

Brittain, James J. 2005. “Run, Fight or Die in Colombia.” Counter Punch March 12/13 On-Line http://www.counterpunch.org/brittain03122005.html.

Brittain, James J. 2005. “The Objective Reality of Plan Patriota: a response to subjective propaganda.” Colombia Journal January 24 On-Line http://www.colombiajournal.org/colombia201.htm.

Brittain, James J. 2005. “Petras vs. Saramago.” ANNCOL January 1 On-Line http://www.anncol.org/side/1071.

Brittain, James J. and Jasmin Hristov. 2004. “The War on Campus: notes from the trenches of Colombia.” Critical Times 2(3):6.

Brittain, James J. 2004. “Colombia: is the FARC planning a new offensive?” Green Left Weekly Issue 608:20.

Brittain, James J. 2004. “United against the state?” ANNCOL November 29 On-Line http://www.anncol.org/side/1001.

Brittain, James J. 2004. “Colombia: Who is committing the abuses?” Green Left Weekly Issue 605:20.

Brittain, James J. 2004. “Plan Patriota and the FARC-EP.” ANNCOL November 14 On-Line http://www.anncol.org/side/962.

Brittain, James J. 2004. “Plan Patriota and the FARC-EP: a change in the countryside or preparation for a prolonged conflict in Colombia.” Counter Punch October 20 On-Line http://www.counterpunch.org/brittain10202004.html.

Brittain, James J. 2004. “Colombia’s New Budget.” ZNet Colombia Watch July 30 On-Line http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=15&ItemID=5959.