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Marxism and Popular Politics: The Microfoundations of Class Conflict

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2020

Daniel Little
Daniel Little*
Affiliation:
Colgate University, Hamilton, NY 13346, U.S.A.
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Extract

A particularly important topic for Marxist theory is that of popular politics: the ways in which the underclasses of society express their interests and values through collective action. Classical Marxism postulates a fundamental conflict of interest among classes. It holds that exploited classes will come to an accurate assessment of their class interests, and will engage in appropriate collective actions to secure those interests. The result is a predicted variety of forms of underclass collective action: boycotts, rent strikes, tax and food riots, rebellion, and revolution. Underclass members of society instigate and support such protests because it is in their material class interest to do so. It will emerge, however, that this account is too schematic to provide a basis for explanation of popular politics. The microfoundations approach to Marxist theory will prove useful in this context because it directs us to some of the resources needed to provide a more adequate account of popular collective action.

Type
II Methodology and Microfoundations
Information
Canadian Journal of Philosophy Supplementary Volume , Volume 15: Analyzing Marxism , 1989 , pp. 163 - 204
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 1992

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