Critical Realism for Marxist Sociology of Education

Critical Realism for Marxist Sociology of Education
Author: Grant Banfield
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 228
Release: 2015-09-16
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 131741148X

This book offers a critical realist intervention into the field of Marxist Sociology of Education. Critical realism, as developed by British philosopher Roy Bhaskar, is known for its capacity to serve as a conceptual underlabourer to applied fields like education. Indeed, its success in clarifying and resolving thorny issues of educational theory and practice is now well established. Given critical realism’s sympathetic Marxist origins, its productive and critical engagement with Marxism has an even longer history. To date there has been little sustained attention given to the application of critical realism to Marxist educational praxis. The book addresses this gap in existing scholarship. Its conceptual ground clearing of the field of Marxist Sociology of Education centres on two problematics well-known in the social sciences: naturalism and the structure-agency relation. Marxist theory from the days of Marx to the present is shown to also be haunted by these problematics. This has resulted in considerable tension around the meaning and nature of, for example, reform, revolution, class determinism and class struggle. With its emergence in the 1970s as a child of Western Marxism, the field continues to be an expression of these tensions that seriously limit its transformative potential. Addressing these issues and offering conceptual clarification in the interests of revolutionary educational practice, Critical Realism for Marxist Sociology of Education provides a new perspective on education which will be of interest to students, scholars and practitioners alike.

Sociology, Phenomenology and Marxian Analysis

Sociology, Phenomenology and Marxian Analysis
Author: Barry Smart
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 216
Release: 2013-10-15
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 1134479808

Sociology is an established academic discipline but there has been continuing debate over its status as a science and the nature of its subject matter. This led to the emergence of a phenomenological sociology and to critiques of positivist sociology. This critical reappraisal of the relevance of Marxian analysis for a science of society shows how these developments within sociology have had their counterpart in Marxism. The author analyses the status of Marx’s work and the Marxist ‘tradition’ in sociology. He focuses upon those concerns which are common to both Marxian analysis and sociology – the question of subjectivity; the nature of social reality; and the dialectical relationship of the ‘doing’ or practice of a science of society to the social world within which such social analyses are situated. Originally published in 1976.

Beyond Realism and Marxism

Beyond Realism and Marxism
Author: A. Linklater
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 214
Release: 1990-02-06
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0230374549

This book discusses the challenge to realism which proponents of international political economy and critical theory have mounted in the last few years, and examines the changing relationship between realism and Marxism. It is aimed at students of approaches to international relations.

Marxism and Nationalism

Marxism and Nationalism
Author: Ephraim Nimni
Publisher: Pluto Press
Total Pages: 256
Release: 1991
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9780745307305

'Nimni has written an innovative and rigorous book, important for his critique and his detailed exposition...rich and perceptive' Dr Fred Halliday, Fortnight'A fascinating discussion of nation, state and language...Nimni's (book) is, as (Ernesto) Laclau says, an excellent book which will become a necessary reference point for all those interested in the field' Peter Beilharz in Thesis Eleven'A necessary reference point for all those interested in its field' Ernesto LaclauNimni presents the reader with a lucidly argued and arranged histoy of the unhappy marriage between Western Marxists and the Nationalities question. He effectively places these social and political theories in their historical context in the attempt to understand them on their own terms. Perhaps more importantly, Nimni points out the usefulness of Marxist theory (or perhaps the fallibility of "liberal" theory) for an understanding of the contemporary disintegration of "nationalities" in Eastern Europe. He therefore poses an intelligent implicit criticism of Fukuyama's smug assertion of the triumph of liberalism in the last twentieth century. Finally, Nimni crucially addresses the epistemological and logical framework of Marxism and to his credit, discusses the little-explored area of the relationship between Marxist and liberal thought. Australian journal of Politics & History, Vol.41, No.3 (1995)This is a book that will be particularly useful to those interested in the contribution to the study of nationalism by the Australian socialist, Otto Bauer. ...this book is a welcome addition to the literature on socialism and nationalism and particularly for the chapters of Bauer. Canadian Review of Studies in Nationalism XXII, No 1-2

Revisiting Crimes of the Powerful

Revisiting Crimes of the Powerful
Author: Steven Bittle
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 361
Release: 2018-06-13
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1351815369

Frank Pearce was the first scholar to use the term 'crimes of the powerful.' His ground-breaking book of the same name provided insightful critiques of liberal orthodox criminology, particularly in relation to labelling theory and symbolic interactionism, while making important contributions to Marxist understandings of the complex relations between crime, law and the state in the reproduction of the capitalist social order. Historically, crimes of the powerful were largely neglected in crime and deviance studies, but there is now an important and growing body of work addressing this gap. This book brings together leading international scholars to discuss the legacy of Frank Pearce’s book and his work in this area, demonstrating the invaluable contributions a critical Marxist framework brings to studies of corporate and state crimes, nationally, internationally and on a global scale. This book is neither a hagiography, nor a review of random areas of social scientific interest. Instead, it draws together a collection of scholarly and original articles which draw upon and critically interrogate the continued significance of the approach pioneered in Crimes of the Powerful. The book traces the evolution of crimes of the powerful empirically and theoretically since 1976, shows how critical scholars have integrated new theoretical insights derived from post-structuralism, feminism and critical race studies and offers perspectives on how the crimes of the powerful - and the enormous, ongoing destruction they cause - can be addressed and resisted.

Approaches to Class Analysis

Approaches to Class Analysis
Author: Erik Olin Wright
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 232
Release: 2005-07-01
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 9781139444460

Few themes have been as central to sociology as 'class' and yet class remains a perpetually contested idea. Sociologists disagree not only on how best to define the concept of class but on its general role in social theory and indeed on its continued relevance to the sociological analysis of contemporary society. Some people believe that classes have largely dissolved in contemporary societies; others believe class remains one of the fundamental forms of social inequality and social power. Some see class as a narrow economic phenomenon whilst others adopt an expansive conception that includes cultural dimensions as well as economic conditions. This 2005 book explores the theoretical foundations of six major perspectives of class with each chapter written by an expert in the field. It concludes with a conceptual map of these alternative approaches by posing the question: 'If class is the answer, what is the question?'

Theories of Development

Theories of Development
Author: Jorge Larrain
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 329
Release: 2013-05-03
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0745667473

This is a new introductory text providing an up-to-date account of leading theories of development. The book includes a discussion of classical accounts of development, particularly that of Marx, but also considers current debates on the issue. Theories of imperialism, neo-imperialism, dependency, world systems theory and other conceptions are all given full and balanced consideration. A feature of the work is the connections drawn between theoretical interpretation and empirical application: in this respect, the author concentrates particularly upon drawing materials from the Latin American experiences. Readable, accurate and incisive, the book also provides an original standpoint upon problems of development. It will be of interest to students and professionals in sociology, political sciences and anthropology.

Marxism and National Identity

Marxism and National Identity
Author: Robert Stuart
Publisher: State University of New York Press
Total Pages: 318
Release: 2006-06-01
Genre: History
ISBN: 0791482278

Post-Marxists argue that nationalism is the black hole into which Marxism has collapsed at today's "end of history." Robert Stuart analyzes the origins of this implosion, revealing a shattering collision between Marxist socialism and national identity in France at the close of the nineteenth century. During the time of the Boulanger crisis and the Dreyfus affair, nationalist mobs roamed the streets chanting "France for the French!" while socialist militants marshaled proletarians for world revolution. This is the first study to focus on those militants as they struggled to reconcile Marxism's two national agendas: the cosmopolitan conviction that "workingmen have no country," on the one hand, and the patriotic assumption that the working class alone represents national authenticity, on the other. Anti-Semitism posed a particular problem for such socialists, not least because so many workers had succumbed to racist temptation. In analyzing the resultant encounter between France's anti-Semites and the Marxist Left, Stuart addresses the vexed issue of Marxism's involvement with political anti-Semitism.