Christopher Phelps, an Associate Professor of American history, and Robin Vandome, a Professor in American Studies, lead a discussion on the allure of Marxism in America. They explore the historical and contemporary intersection of Marxist thought with issues of gender, race, and activism. Mara Keire delves into the feminist sex wars of the 1980s, challenging narratives around sexual violence. Andrew Hartman connects Marx's influence to American liberalism, revealing how socialist ideas evolve throughout American history, even in times of resistance.
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insights INSIGHT
Marxism and Current Politics
Marxism's relevance in the US is a complex issue, influenced by factors like Occupy Wall Street and Trumpism.
These movements highlight the tension between socialist resurgence and extreme right-wing politics.
insights INSIGHT
Book's Origin and Scope
The edited collection, "Marxism and America," explores the relationship between Marxism and US political culture.
It stemmed from a symposium and includes diverse perspectives on the topic.
insights INSIGHT
Tensions within Marxism
The book examines tensions within Marxism, like orthodoxy vs. heterodoxy and class vs. identity.
It also explores the historical debate on Marxism's compatibility with American exceptionalism.
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In this book, Cedric Robinson critiques Marxism and its reliance on determinism, introducing the theory of racial capitalism and tracing the roots of Black radical thought. The book is divided into three parts: 'The Emergence and Limitations of European Radicalism', 'The Roots of Black Radicalism', and 'Black Radicalism and Marxist Theory'. Robinson argues that all capitalism is structured by racialism, producing inequalities among groups, and he examines the lives and works of key Black radical thinkers such as W. E. B. Du Bois, C. L. R. James, and Richard Wright. The book challenges traditional Marxist and European historiography, highlighting the significance of Black resistance and the Black radical tradition in understanding modernity, nationalism, and capitalism[1][2][5].
A People's History of the United States
1492-present
Howard Zinn
The Black Jacobins
Toussaint L'Ouverture and the San Domingo Revolution
C. L. R. James
Written by C.L.R. James in 1938, 'The Black Jacobins' is a pioneering historical work that recounts the Haitian Revolution of 1791–1804. The book places the revolution in the context of the French Revolution and highlights the leadership of Toussaint L'Ouverture, who rose from being a slave to a prominent figure espousing the French Revolutionary ideals of liberty and equality. James's work challenges conventional historiography by emphasizing the agency of the enslaved and their role in shaping their own history. It also explores the broader implications of the Haitian Revolution, linking it to the destruction of European feudalism and the global struggle against colonialism and slavery[1][4][5].
Marxism and America New Appraisals
Marxism and America New Appraisals
New Appraisals
Christopher Phelps
Robin Vandome
This edited collection explores the complex and often paradoxical relationship between Marxism and American society. It examines the historical trajectory of Marxist thought in the US, considering its influence on various social movements and intellectual currents. The book delves into the tensions between orthodox and heterodox interpretations of Marxism, and how these have shaped American political discourse. It also analyzes the intersection of Marxism with other social categories such as gender, race, and sexuality, offering a nuanced understanding of American Marxism's evolution. The collection challenges traditional narratives of American exceptionalism, demonstrating the significant, albeit often understated, impact of Marxist ideas on the nation's history.
Sidney Hook
Sidney Hook
Christopher Phelps
If the United States has been so hostile to Marxism, what accounts for Marxism's recurrent attractiveness to certain Americans? Marxism and America: New Appraisals (Manchester University Press, 2021)sheds new light on that question in essays engaging sexuality, gender, race, nationalism, class, memory, and much more, from the Civil War era through to 21st century cultures of activism. This book is an invaluable resource for historians and theorists of US political struggle.
We discussed the impetus behind the book and its broader scholarly context, before turning to Mara's chapter ("Class, commodity, consumption: theorizing sexual violence during the feminist sex wars of the 1980s") and finally Andrew's chapter ("Rethinking Karl Marx: American liberalism from the New Deal to the Cold War"). We hope you enjoy our conversation as much as we enjoyed recording it!
Catriona Gold is a PhD candidate in Geography at University College London, researching security, subjectivity and mobility in the 20-21st century United States. Her current work concerns the US Passport Office; she has previously published on US Africa Command and the 2013-16 Ebola epidemic. She can be reached by email or on Twitter.
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