ABSTRACT
"Do It Yourself" (DIY) is the quintessential practice of anarchist politics, bringing together other anarchist concepts such as prefiguration, anti-capitalism and horizontalism that are foundational to anarchist organizing and cultural practices. A DIY approach is a way to seize power by creating counterhegemonic cultural forms and practices consistent with anarchist anti-authoritarian values. This chapter first discusses an episodic history of the usage of the term DIY, exploring the various cultural forms in which it has emerged, while also deepening the understanding of the specific definition and practices of DIY anarchism. Next, it explores seven key characteristics of DIY anarchism that emerge from this episodic history. They are oppositional content, aesthetic experiments, communities of practice, anti-hierarchical organizational structures, prefigurative processes, anti-capitalist economics, and direct action. Many of these characteristics are connected to core anarchist concepts, as DIY anarchism is the practice emerging out of and contributing to these theories.
