Marxism and Class, Gender and Race Rethinking the Trilogy

MARXISM AND CLASS, GENDER AND RACE: RETHINKING THE TRILOGY Published (2001) in RACE, GENDER amp; CLASS, Vol. 8, No. 2, pp. 23-33, special issue on Marxism and Race, Gender amp; Class. It is posted here with permission of Jean Belkhir, Editor Introduction A taken for granted feature of most social science publications today, especially those about inequality, is the ritual critique of Marx and Marxism in the process of introducing theoretical alternatives intended to remedy its alleged failures. This practice became popular in early feminist literature: Marx and Marxists were criticized for not developing an in-depth analysis of the oppression of women, their economism, class reductionism, and sex blind categories of analysis.†¦show more content†¦I intend critically to examine, from the standpoint of Marxist theory, the arguments for race, gender and class studies offered by some of their main proponents, assessing their strengths and limitations and demonstrating, in the process, that Marxism is theoretically and politically necessary if the study of class, gender and race is to achieve more than the endless documentation of variations in their relative salience and combined effects in very specific contexts and experiences . Race, Gender amp; Class as a Social Science Perspective Long before the popularization of the Race, Gender amp; Class (RGC) perspective, I suspect that most Marxist sociologists teaching social stratification were already adept practitioners. For many years, for example, the Section on Marxist sociology of the American Sociological Association included in its annual program a session on Class, Gender and Race. I certainly called my students attention, in twenty nine years of teaching social stratification and other subjects in which inequality matters, to the fact that everybody s lives are affected by class, gender and race/ethnic structures (in addition to age and other sources of inequality). We are, in Marx s terms, an ensemble of social relations (Marx, 1994: 100, emphasis added), and we live our lives at the core of the intersection of a number of unequal socialShow MoreRelatedThe Changing Social Position Of Children And How It Can Be Researched2266 Words   |  10 Pageschildren and how it can be researched will be described and explained in relation to gender. It will look at the approaches of Functionalists, Feminists, Marxist, the dominant framework, Social construction, Interactionism and it will focus on how these approaches impact on children also in relation to gender. Abbott (2006, p.75) states that education is a central part to an understanding of the manifestation of gender. This is because through school and meeting other students, they develop an identityRead MorePostmodernism and Identity in Haruki Murakami’s Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World2797 Words   |  12 PagesGatekeeper explains it best, saying, â€Å"From now on you are the Dreamreader. You no longer have a name†(Murakami, 39). While this could be a nod to American hard-boiled fiction, it is also an obvious nod to the brand of philosophy created by Karl Marx, Marxism. The Marxist definition of identity says that the consciousness of each human is based on their social position, instead of their social position being based on their consciousness. This is an interesting route for Murakami to take, especially given

Darkness At Noon By Arthur Koestler - 2221 Words

Darkness at Noon, written by British novelist Arthur Koestler in 1940, is a criticism of Stalinism and the methods used by the Communist Party in the USSR. The novel was set in 1938 during the Stalinist Great Purge and Moscow show trials. Even though the story depicts actual occurrences, it does not specifically name either Russia or the USSR, but the characters do have Russian names while other generic terms are used to depict individuals and associations. For instance, the Soviet government is alluded to as the Party and Nazi Germany is alluded to as the Dictatorship. Joseph Stalin, a terrorizing dictator, is represented by Number One. The novel is a strong and moving picture of a Communist revolutionary caught up in the terror†¦show more content†¦It is important in the understanding of â€Å"anti-vivisection morality† and â€Å"grammatical fiction† to also understand the Russia in which Rubashov was living. In the 1930s, Russia was a communist country fol lowing principles based on the ideas of Karl Marx. Marx believed that at some point in time, all societies end up being communist which can only be accomplished through revolution. In the early 1900s, Russian was governed by the Bolshevik party led by Vladimir Lenon. Stalin came into power after Lenin died and shortly thereafter, he began executing all those who he believed posed some kind of threat to his power. In Darkness at Noon, this is exactly what happened to the protagonist, Nicolas Rubashov. He was an elite in the Party and was there as â€Å"Number One† rose to power and later became a victim during the Moscow purges. The power that â€Å"Number One,† in reality Stalin, wielded, had been seen before and since his time in leaders such as Cuba’s Castro and North Korea’s Kim II Sung. Both followed similar paths to Stalin in eliminating all opposition and threats to their power. â€Å"Number One,† like Stalin, got rid of anyone who coul d possibly threaten him and take over. With that thought in mind, we are back to looking at how Arthur Koestler portrayed the character of Rubashov as a vehicle to illustrate the struggle between the ideas of the party and of the individual. The conspicuous disagreement of the Communist Party is the contention betweenShow MoreRelated`` Darkness At Noon `` By Arthur Koestler2081 Words   |  9 PagesNovel name as â€Å"Darkness at Noon† is Written by a British novelist Arthur Koestler. For the first time, this novel was published in 1940. The novel situated in 1938 amid the Stalinist Great Purge and Moscow reveal trials. In spite of being initiated on genuine occasions, the novel does not title either Russia or the USSR, and tends to utilize non-specific terms to depict individuals and associations: for instance, the Soviet government is alluded to as the Party and Nazi Germany is alluded to asRead MoreThe Failure Of The Communist Movement1347 Words   |  6 Pages years w ent by and Russia only saw the significant decrease of Soviet citizens caused by forced famine and liquidation. The failure of the communist movement can be seen in its flaws of its ideology. Arthur Koestler depicts and explains the fundamental flaw of communism, in his work Darkness at Noon, as the first person singular, simply known as â€Å"I†. The philosophy of Stalinist’s perfect soviet society are ruined because of this â€Å"grammatical fiction.† What is â€Å"Grammatical Fiction†? 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Darkness at Noon, a novel detailing the infamous Moscow Show Trials, conducted during the reign of Joseph Stalin is Arthur Koestler’s commentary upon the event that was yet another a ttempt by Stalin to silence his critics. In the novel, Koestler expounds upon Marxism, and the reason why a movement that had as its aim the â€Å"regeneration of mankind, should issue in its enslavement†Read MoreEssay on Guilty Betrayal in Arthur Koestlers Darkness at Noon1381 Words   |  6 PagesGuilty Betrayal in Arthur Koestlers Darkness at Noon Arthur Koestlers Darkness at Noon depicts the fallacious logic of a totalitarian regime through the experiences of Nicolas Salmanovitch Rubashov. Rubashov had fought in the revolution and was once part of the Central Committee of the Party, but he is arrested on charges of instigating attempted assassinations of No. 1, and for taking part in oppositional, counter-revolutionary activities, and is sent to a Soviet prison. Rubashov, in hisRead MoreDarkness at Noon Essay2101 Words   |  9 PagesMarkovic Western Heritage 26 March 2012 Darkness At Noon Many critics consider Arthur Koestlers novel, Darkness At Noon, to be one of the most insightful literary works regarding the qualitative attributes and characteristics of a totalitarian regime. Because of Koestlers personal experience as a Fascists prisoner under Franco, one can understand and appreciate the deep connecting parallels between Nicholas Rubashov, the protagonist, and Arthur Koestler, the author. At the time when this novelRead MoreLangston Hughes Research Paper25309 Words   |  102 Pagescongenial, and they spent many hours playing poker, telling adventure stories, and singing songs in foreign languages. In December, after the freighter became iced in, Hughes read Samuel Butlers The Way of All Flesh, Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness, and other classic novels. During this time, he wrote fifteen poems, among them, My People, and Three Poems of Harlem, about jazz music, street women, and emotion-charged religion. In a poem entitled F.S. Hughes expresses sadness that a friend

The mistress and harp of burma Free Essays

In Japanese Literature, stories have often depicted what greatly influenced the prevalent period of common life and social sentiment. In the two books written by Japanese authors in two separate periods of Japan’s history, a transition is clearly seen through literature often expressed in superb storytelling. In Ogai Mori’s â€Å"The Wild Geese†, human struggle is greatly influenced by tales of love in the midst of Japan’s industrialization boom. We will write a custom essay sample on The mistress and harp of burma or any similar topic only for you Order Now Writers depict and assimilate the concepts of free-thinking which brought romance and human emotion to the limelight. The familiarity of the reforms established during the period for which Ogai’s novel was actually written apparently brought forward the chance to openly discuss Japan’s so-called evil customs and traditions in a bid to strengthen the imperial rule. Okada, as one of the main characters clearly narrated how he felt that a woman should be only a beautiful object, something loveable, a being who keeps her beauty and loneliness no matter what the situation she is in (Ogai, 20). In the same page, Okada added that this sentiment is brought about under the influence of habitual reading of old Chinese love stories. There is therefore a clear view in principle that establishes a need to disregard culture and ideas that wrongly adapted the old Oriental ways which often restricted free-thinkers to intellectually prosper. In Toyoda’s movie, â€Å"The Mistress†, adapted from Mori Ogai’s The Wild Geese, oriental values was the main discussion with aims to expose the ancient cultural standards that stand in the way of personal freedom. In Otama we see the oppressed and marginalized people driven and deceived without any hope of being uplifted from the moral and restrictive bounds that society places upon them. The simplistic adventure of romance in a plot heightens into limelight the realities of life and the prevailing social views of the middle class which somehow voices out a need for reform in the Meiji Restoration period. Several decades later after Japan was able to stand on its own two feet, Japan experienced a wartime defeat that brought home sad stories of soldiers taken as prisoners of war. Takayama’s â€Å"Harp of Burma† showed pacifism as the main aim of both novel and on film. â€Å"We have to be ready for hardship, for all we know, we may die here in Burma. If that time comes, let us die together†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , (Takeyama, 33). Such poignant words relay veiled patriotism whose desire for peace in an armistice agreement with their British captors aims to relay the evils of war. Written during a period where wartime horrors still stayed afresh in the minds of the Japanese people, there was not an ounce of blame or an aim to proclaim the evils of their captors. Its sincere inward idea was just to dwell on the problems the war brought to everyone involved. In retrospect, The Harp of Burma establishes a deeper humanistic connection to modern day events where peace is the common desire of mankind. The movie through cinematic effect exceeds sensory reflection that somehow created a link to present day situations around the world where wars and battles are fought. Although Ogai’s novel discussed social issues on a road to recovery, the pressing need for peace exceeds in meaning and connection through the Harp of Burma that was successfully portrayed in film. Seeing the ravages of war makes a good reflection how one favors such madness that resulted in tragedy and death. As an anti-war film, it even exceeded the points portrayed in its novel where suffering is presented as a result of too much desire. As a challenge to survival, the movie â€Å"Fires on the Plain† declares a clearly made manifestation of human woes compared to the movie of the same title, â€Å"The Burmese Harp†. Both movies however adapted Takeyama’s novel The Harp of Burma that depicted a deep sense of longing for the fatherland while emphasizing compassion in the midst of survival and atrocities. As a human interest film, â€Å"Fires on the Plain† arouses a relative connection through artistic performance of reality in full color for young viewers to understand how wars wreak and break even the strongest heart. Works Cited Mori, Ogai trans. Ociai, Kingo and Goldstein, Sanford (1959). The Wild Geese. Boston: Tuttle Publishing Takeyama, Michio trans., Howard Hibbett ( 1966). Harp of Burma. Boston: Tuttle Publishing.       How to cite The mistress and harp of burma, Essay examples

The Story of One Hour free essay sample

Kate Chopin’s the story of one hour depicts a women’s disillusion of newly gained freedom. After reading the story for the first time, the surprising ending fools everybody and many of us don’t think the whole story makes sense. However, after thinking about it over and over and have a look at the background, I get to know how this story makes sense. Therefore, I’ll explain my findings bit by bit. She was a lady with heart disease, and we know that from the very first line. It’s quite lucky she didn’t collapse at the point of knowing the bad news. Probably it was due to the great care taken by her sister and friends. So the story can go on and we also have it on our mind that her heart can fail her at any time. The sudden death afterwards was reasonable. After knowing her husband’s death, she cried herself into exhaustion. We will write a custom essay sample on The Story of One Hour or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page What she did was quite normal, and any of us could have done that way after knowing the death of our beloved ones. We all have no question about this part. Here comes the mystery and what confuses us most. What had happened when she locked herself in the room? The author uses much space on it. There are many details which make readers dull and impatient. Most of us would pass it over as fast as we can for it’s a torture when someone isn’t in the mood. â€Å"There stood, facing the open window, a comfortable, roomy armchair. † She decided to give it a break, and she looked through the window. The outside world wouldn’t change no matter what was happening to you. Moreover, it seemed that everybody had a life, of their own. The crying of the peddler and the notes of a distant song reached her gently, and the sky was blue all the way. Then, her mind began to wander. She found that the sudden death of her husband wasn’t that bad and she longed for freedom more than anything else. In old days, women were only affiliated to their families and husbands. Once married, there was no freedom at all. She might have loved her husband, but this love was overshadowed by her love for freedom at the moment. One may have the prejudice that women live for love, but they don’t. One can’t make a greater mistake than that. Women live for lots of things, and freedom is undisputedly among them. â€Å"Free! Body and soul free! † this was the crying from bottom of her heart. Unfortunately, her husband came back home, safe and sound. However, she couldn’t come back any more. She was ready for her new life and descended the stairs like a goddess of victory. And her fragile heart eventually failed her. The end of the story.