The Intersections of Race and Class-Based Social Movements under Fordism: Rediscovering a Neglected Form of Critical Social Analysis
(2020) SOCM04 20201Sociology
Department of Sociology
- Abstract
- When critical scholars coming from different academic disciplines, such as sociology, gender studies, or Black studies, meet and discuss today, discussions sometimes take the form of whether recognition of particular identities or redistribution of material resources is of most importance. In this thesis, my aim is to explore resources that could contribute to moving beyond this framing of the question, which inevitably implies that one always would need to step back in order for the other to move forward. I recently came across the works of the Johnson-Forest tendency from the 1940s in the US, which combines social dialectics with a Marxist analysis in which particular identities are at the very center of their analysis and considered the... (More)
- When critical scholars coming from different academic disciplines, such as sociology, gender studies, or Black studies, meet and discuss today, discussions sometimes take the form of whether recognition of particular identities or redistribution of material resources is of most importance. In this thesis, my aim is to explore resources that could contribute to moving beyond this framing of the question, which inevitably implies that one always would need to step back in order for the other to move forward. I recently came across the works of the Johnson-Forest tendency from the 1940s in the US, which combines social dialectics with a Marxist analysis in which particular identities are at the very center of their analysis and considered the basis for revolution. There is not much available literature on the Johnson-Forest tendency, and therefore I will devote this thesis to a detailed investigation of their works. I will start by outlining biographical and contextual background to their works. Then I will take a closer look on some of their writings on the relationship between race and class, and then look a hitherto unexplored correspondence between the members of the Johnson-Forest tendency, which one of the members later claimed was of major importance for their development. Finally, connecting back to the discussions mentioned above, and in light of the current #BlackLivesMatter-demonstrations, I will evaluate what relevance the works of the Johnson-Forest tendency have for an analysis of the relationship between race and class today. (Less)
- Popular Abstract
- In the immediate post-WWII period, really when sociology as a field of academic study established in the US, there was was a tendency inside the Trotskyist movement that started to elaborate on a Marxist framework in which race and the anti-racist struggle was central to their analysis. This group avoided a class reductionist position as they did not deny that racism take on a life of its own and extends beyond economics. But they also argued that racism in capitalist society cannot be understood without specifying its economic roots. Moreover, the primary sources they drew on was quite unique at that time. Hegelian dialectics, Marx, and an original reading of Lenin was their main sources of inspiration. Few others in the US, except... (More)
- In the immediate post-WWII period, really when sociology as a field of academic study established in the US, there was was a tendency inside the Trotskyist movement that started to elaborate on a Marxist framework in which race and the anti-racist struggle was central to their analysis. This group avoided a class reductionist position as they did not deny that racism take on a life of its own and extends beyond economics. But they also argued that racism in capitalist society cannot be understood without specifying its economic roots. Moreover, the primary sources they drew on was quite unique at that time. Hegelian dialectics, Marx, and an original reading of Lenin was their main sources of inspiration. Few others in the US, except Herbert Marcuse, whom one of them later had a serious correspondence with, found a similar fascination for these works. This group called themselves the Johnson-Forest tendency after its two leading intellectuals. The members of the Johnson-Forest tendency never earned any long time academic positions, and, perhaps for that reason, their work never gained any wider recognition.
Today, academic discussions on the relationship between race and class often take place in traditions dominated by an influence of the heritage from structural and post-structural traditions. In comparison, the works of the Johnson-Forest tendency comes out as quite original. Due to their dialectical analysis, rooted in Hegel, they were able to reveal, not only what they were against, but also what they were for. Their discussions on alternatives to capitalism was therefore not abstract speculations, but actually grounded in a philosophic logic.
Furthermore, in light of today’s anti-racist uprisings, which has turned even more focus to the question on the nature of the relationship between race and class, the works of the Johnson-Forest tendency on this issue is of interest as it potentially could contribute with inspiration to a new analysis. In this thesis, I will examine whether this is the case or not. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9029844
- author
- Grahn, Jonas LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- SOCM04 20201
- year
- 2020
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Race and class, Johnson-Forest tendency, Hegelian Marxism
- language
- English
- id
- 9029844
- date added to LUP
- 2020-09-24 11:14:31
- date last changed
- 2020-09-24 11:14:31
@misc{9029844,
abstract = {{When critical scholars coming from different academic disciplines, such as sociology, gender studies, or Black studies, meet and discuss today, discussions sometimes take the form of whether recognition of particular identities or redistribution of material resources is of most importance. In this thesis, my aim is to explore resources that could contribute to moving beyond this framing of the question, which inevitably implies that one always would need to step back in order for the other to move forward. I recently came across the works of the Johnson-Forest tendency from the 1940s in the US, which combines social dialectics with a Marxist analysis in which particular identities are at the very center of their analysis and considered the basis for revolution. There is not much available literature on the Johnson-Forest tendency, and therefore I will devote this thesis to a detailed investigation of their works. I will start by outlining biographical and contextual background to their works. Then I will take a closer look on some of their writings on the relationship between race and class, and then look a hitherto unexplored correspondence between the members of the Johnson-Forest tendency, which one of the members later claimed was of major importance for their development. Finally, connecting back to the discussions mentioned above, and in light of the current #BlackLivesMatter-demonstrations, I will evaluate what relevance the works of the Johnson-Forest tendency have for an analysis of the relationship between race and class today.}},
author = {{Grahn, Jonas}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{The Intersections of Race and Class-Based Social Movements under Fordism: Rediscovering a Neglected Form of Critical Social Analysis}},
year = {{2020}},
}