lccip - cultural studies and & post-marxism

8/7/2019 LCCIP - Cultural Studies and & Post-Marxism

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Cultural Studies andPost-Marxism

Vishwendra Singh Parmar


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Understanding

Terms


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Cont

Cultural studies: A diverse field of studywhich examines culture through a varietyof academic theories

Materialism: There is nothing more thanthe material world (and anyone who claims

otherwise is either confused or wants toconfuse you for their own advantage)


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Capitalism

Capitalism refers to system of production based onhuman labor in which the power of labor iscommodified and exchanged for other commodities

For capitalism to work, the value of commodities which

the labor receives for labor power has to be less thanthe value of labor power itself, even though thesecommodities are produced by labor power

The difference between the two values is surplus from

which are derived both profit and additional capitalwhich is invested in production of more commodities


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Marxism

Refers to social, political andeconomic theory which is

based on the writings of Karl

Marx

(dictionary.cambridge.org)

Karl Heinrich MarxBorn on May 5, 1818 Philosopher, Political

Economist, Historian &Sociologist Founder of communism Died on March 14, 1883


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Communist Manifesto

Published by Marx and Engels

Originally drafted as a program for aninternational communist league

Became one of the most importantpolitical documents of all time

Left an incredible mark on humanprogress


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Key Demands

Abolition ofproperty in land andapplication of all rents on land topublicpurposes.

A heavy progressive or graduatedincome tax.

Abolition of all right of inheritance.

Confiscation of the property of allemigrants and rebels.


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Key Demands

Centralization of credit in the hands ofthe state, by means of a national bankwith state capital and an exclusivemonopoly.

Centralization of communication andtransport in the hands of the state.

Equal liability of all to labor.

Establishment of industrial armies,especially for agriculture.


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Key Demands

Extension offactories and instrumentsofproduction owned by the state, thebringing in cultivation of waste lands,

and the improvement of the soilgenerally in accordance with a commonplan.


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Key Demands

Combination of agriculture withmanufacturing industries; gradualabolition of the distinction between

town and country, by a more equabledistribution ofpopulation over thecountry.

Free education for all children in pu

blicschools. Abolition of children's factory

labor in its resent form.


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Three Parts of Marxism

Philosophical basis Derives much from Hegel

Neatly inverts the key central idea ofHegelian perspective

Theories ofpolitical economy Follow from the philosophical position

Theory of Surplus Value

Labor theory of Value Theory of revolution


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A Materialist World

our ideas do not make the world, theworld makes are ideas

the dialect made Marx and Engels

theories scientific free of mysticism and metaphysics but

describing something like a scientific

law (inevitably)


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Modernist Optimism

a view that underneath the haphazardand contingent ordinariness ofeveryday life were certain dynamicpower that while remaining hidden,controlled the way things changed anddetermine the future

materialistic and positivistic

believing in progress through anaccumulated of knowledge


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Class Struggles


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Class Struggle

active expression of class conflictlooked at from any kind of socialistperspective

Main class struggle Bourgeoisie

Proletariat


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Class

refers to the hierarchical distinctions betweenindividuals or groups in societies or cultures

social classes in capitalist societies

Bourgeoisie Petite Bourgeoisie

Proletariat

lumpenproletariat

landlords

peasantry and farmers


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2 Main ClassStruggles


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Bourgeoisie

those whoown means ofproduction

control the process ofproduction

buy labor power from proletariat

Their wealth depend on the work of theproletariat

exploit proletariat


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Proletariat

individuals who sell their labor power

add value to the products

do not own means ofproduction

labor power generates surplus valuegreater than the worker's wages


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Stages of

Development


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Stages of Development

Primitive Communism

Slave Society

Feudalism

Capitalism

Socialism

Communism


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Primitive Communism

as seen in cooperative tribal societies everyone would share in what wasproduced by hunting and gathering

noprivate property primitive society produced no surplus

few things that existed for any length oftime were held communally

there would have been no state


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Slave Society

when the tribe becomes a city-state.Aristocracy is born

Systematic exploitation of labour

Compelled to work for another held against their will from the time of

their capture, purchase, or birth

deprived of the right to leave, to refuse towork, or to receive compensation in returnfor their labour


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Feudalism

aristocracy is the ruling class Merchants develop into capitalists derived from the Latin word feodum

composed of a set of reciprocal legal andmilitary obligations among the warriornobility

revolving around the three key concepts

lordVassals

fiefs


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Capitalism

ruling class, who create and employ thetrue working class

Economic system in which the private

ownershipofproperty is protected by law mode ofproduction characterized by

predominant private ownershipof the meansofproduction

distribution and exchange in a mainly market economy


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has been dominant in the Westernworld since the end offeudalism

provided the main, but not exclusive,

means of industrialization throughoutmuch of the world

Capitalism


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Socialism

Dictatorshipof the Proletariat

workers gain class consciousness

share the belief that capitalism unfairly

concentrates power

achieved via class struggle and aproletarian revolution which represents

the transitional stage between capitalismand communism


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Communism

classless and stateless society

socioeconomic structure and politicalideology

based on common ownershipof themeans ofproduction and property ingeneral


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The Prophecy

Revolution would be preceded by aseries of intensifying crisis

Goods would be produced which the

impoverished proletariat could notafford tobuy

More workers would be forced out of

work because their labor was notneeded


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The Prophecy

This would drive wages down further

Lessen the ability ofpeople tobuy theproducts of capitalism

Enterprises would collapse and beswallowed by larger organization in thecentralization of capital


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Class Status and

World View


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Class

Identity of a social class is derived fromits relationship to the means ofproduction.

Social Classes in CapitalistSocieties

ProletariatBourgeoisie

very wealthy Bourgeoisie

Petit Bourgeoisie

Lumpenproletariat

Landlords

Peasantry and farmers


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Revolution


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Capitalisms Role

Capitalism: constitutes necessary and

progressive step toward ultimatehuman liberation

> Cause:

* Capitalists are alienated fromtheir true human nature


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Capitalisms Role

Capitalism cannot resolve the internalcontradiction between its forces ofproduction and its relation of production

> Forces of production: actualmaterial methods of productionpreviously in a given society

>Relations ofProduction: humanside of the production process


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Forces of production promises socialwealth but relation of productionremains unchanged.

In short, capitalism produces the meansof human liberation but prevents its

realization


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Rise ofRevolutionary Consciousness

in the boom and bust cycle of capitalism:

1. Poor becomes progressively poorerand their lives more intolerable.

2. Simple contrast with the bourgeoisie

becomes too flagrant to be ignoredbecause proletarian ranks have swelled.


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Proletariat Victory

to experience indignities of starvationwages for years leads to outrage

It becomes clear that capitalists are nothonorable benefactors

working class matures and becomes militant

workers realize that their agonies are intrinsicto capitalist exploitation and that they will

never be free unless capitalist system issmashed


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Proletariat Victory

Revolutionary moment arrives when theproletariat concludes that their bourgeoisiemasters must be overthrown

from sporadic, unsynchronized strikes, theywill turn to well-orchestrated, economy-widework stoppages and boycotts

when repressive powers of the state are

wielded against themworkers will be driventoward armed resistance

In the end, the many will prevail over the few


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Proletariat

individuals who sell their labor power

add value to the products

do not own means of production labor power generates surplus value

greater than the worker's wages


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Proletariat as Universal

Embodiment of everything that is wrongwith capitalism

very being refutes the bourgeoisies claimto have created a just and human society

they do not wish to merely alleviate theirown suffering

their aim is to abolish themselves as aclass

because their degradation is limitless, andtheir dehumanization total, their aims areuniversal as well


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Dictatorshipof the Proletariat

turns the table on what had been thedictatorship of the bourgeoisie

for Marx, this would be more human and

less dictatorial than its predecessor

1. Role of the great majority over the few minority

2. Coercive only in order to serve broad interests of

humanity

3. explicitly a transitional stage


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DAWN OF COMMUNISM

arrives when the workers:>take control of the means of production

>humanize the relation of production

>unleash the forces of production allowingthem to work without impediment for thegeneral good

release of the forces of production for the

destructions of capitalism will make for aquantum leap in human material abundance


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WITHERING OFTHE STATE

results when a super-abundant, classlesssociety would be a society without dissensionor coercion

> State would lose its functions

>State would lack anyone torepress

>in place would only be theadministration of things for the general

good

proletariat will have abolished itself andcreated a universal society


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FUTURE COMMUNIST SOCIETY

Marx ideal communist society isdemocratic in a radical sense

work, though it would still be

necessary, would no longer be drudgery possessiveness would disappear as its

cause, scarcity was overcome

conception of cooperative publicownership will be a communistalternative to private ownership


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FUTURE COMMUNIST SOCIETY

No longer would individuals beappendages to their social belongingsand social statuses

family would be replaced by new formsof human association

>equality, free choice, love, andhuman need are decisive

there will be a creation of internationalworking-class unity


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Analysis

Although Marxism is an alternative for capitalism wasa great idea, we still found this not good. Our reason isthat if the country which is not that advanced wouldgrasp this concept and apply this; we would also have a

hard time. The equality in democracy that we havetoday could be means of having the will to achievesomething. If communism would be applied in thePhilippines, then, most ofus would just be dependentsince we could still have something for our living dueto the equal distribution of resources.


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Cont

Critical materialist analysis, which takes socialchange as its object

Marxism is materialist, the account of socialformation it develops are rooted in the principle

that the social world is produced and that theproduction is socially organized

Marxism is critical because it undermines theview that social formation is natural or are

given by god


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Cont

catur varnam mayam sristamguna-karma vibhagasah

tasya kartaram api mam viddhyakartaram avyayam LordKrishna

Translation: The four different

categories (varnas) ofPeople were created from me(Parmatma) Based on the threegunas (attributes/forces)And their influence onperforming of karma But, even

though I am the source of thecreation (creator) Know me as anon-doer (akarta) (Because Iam completely non-attached) ~Bhagavad Gita (4:13)

The Varna System


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Cultural Studies & Post-Marxism

The Problem: Marxism is not stable and unifiedobject which could simply be applied to the study ofculture

Post-Marxism: The critical approach of Marxism is

also aimed at Marxism itself. post Marxism is simplya term with which to categorize this process. Theterm is needed in order to differentiate a criticalmaterialist approach from a dogmatic approachwhich tends to regard Marxism as canonical

The chapter focus on direction within post-Marxism,which is within shouting distance of cultural studies


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Shouting at Post-Marxism

The relation between cultural studies and Marxism: Culturalstudies has never been submerged within Marxism but remainswithin shouting distance of it ~ StuartHall

It will take the distinguishing characteristics of cultural studiesto be its engagement with a post-Marxism which emphasises

the analysis of the relations between culture and politics withindeterminate historical conditions ultimately derived fromcapitalism

As distinct from the original positions of Marx and Engels, postMarxism is concerned with developing a materialistunderstanding of the increasing complexity of social relationsand the place of production within them

The significance of the political dimension of culture emergesfrom the analysis of such complex relations


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Culture and Politics in post-Marxism

The relation between culture and politicswithin cultural studies is dependent upon thedirection within post-Marxism that has soughtto develop the political dimension of Marxism

The proponents are united to a certain extentby a common emphasis on the ways in whichculture is constitutive of relations of powerwhich may become political (e.g. The rise ofFascism in Italy after WWI, drawing supportfrom working class as well as industrialcapitalism)


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Post-Marxism in cultural studies

Decline of political value of the classicalworking class and emergence of newforms of social protests to the structural

transformation of capitalism Further development of a materialist

analysis of social formation would haveto begin from political dimension ofculture


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