Bringing Capitalism Back for Critique by Social Theory

320 Pages·2002·19.69 MB·English

by  Jennifer M. Lehmann

EDITOR
Jennifer M. Lehmann
University of Nebraska
(Sociology and Women's Studies)
ASSOCIATE EDITORS ASSISTANT EDITORS
Timothy Luke Gregory .J Rosenboom
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and University of Nebraska (Sociology)
State University (Political Science)
Susan L. Wortmann
Raymond Morrow University of Nebraska (Sociology)
University of Alberta (Sociol?gy)
Lawrence Hazelrigg
Florida State University (Sociology)
EDITORIAL BOARD
Robert .J Antonio Norman K. Denzin
University of Kansas (Sociology) University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign (Sociology)
Stanley Aronowitz
City University of New York-
Nancy Fraser
Graduate Center (Sociology)
New School for Social Research
(Political Science)
Molefi Asante
Temple University
Robert Goldman
(African-American Studies)
Lewis and Clark College (Sociology
and Anthropology)
David Ashley
University of Wyoming (Sociology)
Mark Gottdiener
Harry F. Dahms State University of New York at
Florida State University (Sociology) Buffalo (Sociology)
iiv
viii
Douglas Kellner Steven Seidman
ytisrevinU of soL-ainrofilaC Angeles State University of New York at
)yhposolihP( Albany )ygoloicoS(
Lauren Langman Steven Turner
Loyola University )ygoloicoS( ehT University of South Florida
)yhposolihP(
John O'Neill
York University )ygoloicoS( Christine Williams
ehT University of Texas at Austin
Moishe Postone )ygoloicoS(
ytisrevinU of Chicago (History)
Lawrence Scarf
enyaW State ytisrevinU
(Political Science)
LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS
Richard Harvey Brown Department of Sociology,
University of Maryland, USA
Harry F. Dahms Department of Sociology,
Florida State University, USA
Lauren Langman Department of Sociology,
Loyola University, USA
eirelaV .L Scatamburlo-D'Annibale Department of Sociology,
University of Windsor, Ontario, Canada
David Norman Smith Department of Sociology,
University of Kansas, USA
Susan Thistle Department of Sociology,
Northwestern University, USA
Elliot B. Weininger Department of Sociology,
City University of New York -
The Graduate Center, USA
Philip Wexler Warner School of Education and
Human Development,
University of Rochester, USA
Paul Zarembka Department of Economics,
State University of New York at
Buffalo, USA
xi
INTRODUCTION
Current Perspectives in Social Theory was founded in 1980 by Co-Editors Scott
G. McNall and Gary N. Howe. The Associate Editors included Alan Sica,
Richard Applebaum, Jeffrey Halley, John Stewart, and Jonathan Turner. The
volume contained articles by, among others, John O'Neill, Paul Piccone, Charles
Tilly, Mayer Zald, Stanley Aronowitz, David L. Harvey, and Janet Saltzman
Chafetz. 1
The Co-Editors explicitly state that their intention was to represent "diverse
theoretical traditions, representing ... significant points in a sociological field
marked by increasing differentiation and antagonism." They did not plan to
include solely their own theoretical perspectives; however neither did they plan
to include "a representative cross-section of sociology." Rather, they included
"works which indicate the problems of sociological theorizing," This was their
response to a "prevailing crisis in the social sciences" (p. ix). In subsequent
decades, the Editors, Associate Editors, members of the Editorial Board, and
authors, continued to be of the highest calibre; the topics remained a broad
spectrum of crucial issues in social theory and social reality; theoretical perspec-
tives were always distinctive in their diversity. There are few eminent
sociologists, social theorists, social theories, or vital theoretical issues that are
not represented in these pages.
Ben Agger, Robert Antonio, Stanley Aronwitz, Seyla Benhabib, Richard
Harvey Brown, Norman K. Denzin, Nancy Fraser, Mark Gottdiener, David
Harvey, Douglas Kellner, Timothy Luke, John O'Neill, Lawrence Scarf, Alan
Sica, Jonathan Turner, and Edward Tiryakian have been mainstays of the
publication, as editors and contributors, since its inception. Clearly, this is a
diverse group of scholars, with diverse theoretical orientations. Further under-
scoring the theoretical and disciplinary diversity, there have been contributions
by Paula England, Jack Gibbs, Douglas Heckathorn, H. A. Giroux, Nancy
Hartsock, Edith Kurzweil, Paul Piccone, Charles Tilly, Bryan Turner, Stephen
Turner, Laurel Richardson, Kathryn B. Ward. In fact, eminent scholars and
crucial issues of the social theory from the fields of Communication, Economics,
Education, English, History, Philosophy, Political Science, and Women's
Studies, as well as Sociology, found their places in Current Perspectives in
Social Theory.
xi
xii INTRODUCTION
This was the state of Current Perspectives in Social Theory, when I was
honored to become its Editor in 1995. Its levels of significance and quality
were both fortunate and formidable for me. I felt obligated and committed to
maintaining the significance, quality, and diversity that have been its hallmarks.
It was no easy task to find high calibre scholars to submit or contribute arti-
cles; to review manuscripts; to serve on Editorial Boards. So I learned the fine
art of soliciting this work, as well as to rely on the renowned scholars already
involved with the journal, to solicit others to write and review manuscripts, and
continue doing so themselves. Although this remains a challenge, I quickly
formulated another, equally daunting challenge for my Editorship.
I concluded that Current Perspectives was lacking diversity in several key
areas.
First, cultural diversity was clearly problematic. The editors and contributors
and topics were European, Eurocentric, and, predominantly male. This was not
the intention of anyone on the journal. These are attributes of "social theory"
in the United States in general, in sociology in particular. I have attempted to
actively solicit editors, contributors, and topics from other cultural perspectives
and about other cultural issues - specifically, from and about subordinate
cultures - African Americans, Indigenous Peoples, women, and alternative
sexualities - gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transsexual - and people from other
areas of the global economy. I have achieved a degree of success, but there is
much work to be done before the journal has more diversity, and through
diversity, attract more diversity. The appearance of being a Eurocentric journal
by and about the dominant culture - discourages participation by subordinate
-
cultures, just as, for example, the appearance of being "conservative" i.e.
advocating traditional nuclear families, prevents feminists from working with
"marriage and family" journals.
Secondly, I felt that the critical theory published in the journal, like most
critical theory, dealt primarily with domination - a Weberian, anti-Marxist, and
essentially liberal paradigm ("social forces versus individuals") that leaves class
out of "race, class, and sex" and economics out of inequality - to the
detriment of critical theories of race, sex, and capitalist global hegemony - all
subjects of interest to critical theory. It is my belief that Marx, economics, and
class must be brought back in to critical theory. In addition, I believe that social
structures should be recognized by critical theory, in order to understand them,
and, as Marx says, change them. I am encouraged by the articles in the present
volume, which was not planned as a thematic issue, but ultimately found the
best work submitted to be in the Marxist vein. This echoes a trend: a recon-
sideration of Marx - and Althusser, as well as Gramsci - reflected in recent
work by Antonio Callari and David F. Ruccio (editors), Jacques Derrida, bell
noitcudortnI xiii
hooks, Rhonda F. Levine and Jerry Lembrecke, Patrick McGuire and Donald
McQuario, Ken Post, Robert Paul Resch, Gayatri Chakravorti Spivak, and
Cornell West/
Thus, I am working toward the inclusion of more diverse theories, theorists,
and topics as against exclusion. Theory is difference, contradiction, conflict,
struggle, and argument, the broader the better. I echo the founders of Current
Perspectives in Social Theory in their introduction to the series, twenty-one
years ago:
eW make no attempt ot select papers consistent with ruo nwo laciteroeht concerns dna
.sevitcepsrep Rather, eht concern is ot make elbissecca a variety of work based in quite
esrevid theoretical traditions, representing what ew consider ot be significant points in a
lacigoloicos field marked by increasing noitaitnereffid dna antagonism .p( ix).
NOTES
.1 These lists of scholars, like others noted here, are non-inclusive samples, designed
to represent the themes under discussion, and not to represent all of the outstanding
scholars involved with the journal.
.2 Again, this is a non-inclusive list, but hopefully a representative sample.
Jennifer M. Lehmann
Editor