
The Challenges of the New Social Democracy
Social Capital and Civic Association or Class Struggle?
Haymarket Books (Publisher)
Published on 10. September 2024
Book
Paperback/Softback
226 pages
979-8-88890-244-8 (ISBN)
Description
In this important study, Raju J Das, Jamie Gough and Aram Eisenschitz provide a Marxist critique of new social democracy as the dominant contemporary strategy for local economic and social development.
In both the global North and South, new social democracy seeks to develop social capital, strengthen civil society, build not-for-profit enterprises, encourage self-help, and foster community ties. It seeks participatory forms of local politics to achieve a local class consensus. It promises to improve people's economic and social conditions in the face of neoliberal capitalism, and to empower them. The authors argue that this strategy is severely limited by, and internalizes, its capitalist environment. They show that social enterprise can be developed in socialist ways, and contribute to a local politics based in class struggle. But social capital cannot replace the struggle of the exploited and oppressed against capitalism and for a socialist society, a strategy which the authors outline for the local scale.
In both the global North and South, new social democracy seeks to develop social capital, strengthen civil society, build not-for-profit enterprises, encourage self-help, and foster community ties. It seeks participatory forms of local politics to achieve a local class consensus. It promises to improve people's economic and social conditions in the face of neoliberal capitalism, and to empower them. The authors argue that this strategy is severely limited by, and internalizes, its capitalist environment. They show that social enterprise can be developed in socialist ways, and contribute to a local politics based in class struggle. But social capital cannot replace the struggle of the exploited and oppressed against capitalism and for a socialist society, a strategy which the authors outline for the local scale.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Chicago
United States
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
Illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 226 mm
Width: 148 mm
Thickness: 14 mm
Weight
312 gr
ISBN-13
979-8-88890-244-8 (9798888902448)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Raju J Das is Professor at York University, Toronto. His research interests include Marxist political economy and social theory. His recent books are Marxist Class Theory for a Skeptical World, and Marx's Capital, Capitalism, and Limits to the State.
Aram Eisenschitz teaches at the Business School, Middlesex University, UK. His research interests include spatial political economy, urban planning and tourism. He and Jamie Gough are the authors of The Politics of Local Economic Policy and Spaces of Social Exclusion.
Jamie Gough taught at Sheffield University. His research interests include spatial political economy, local and national societies, theories of economic crisis, dynamics of the labour process, social reproduction, and poverty. He is author of Work, Locality and the Rhythms of Capital.
Aram Eisenschitz teaches at the Business School, Middlesex University, UK. His research interests include spatial political economy, urban planning and tourism. He and Jamie Gough are the authors of The Politics of Local Economic Policy and Spaces of Social Exclusion.
Jamie Gough taught at Sheffield University. His research interests include spatial political economy, local and national societies, theories of economic crisis, dynamics of the labour process, social reproduction, and poverty. He is author of Work, Locality and the Rhythms of Capital.
Content
Acknowledgements
List of Figures and Tables
1?Introduction
??Raju J. Das, Jamie Gough and Aram Eisenschitz
2?Associationism: the New Social Democracy from Below
??Jamie Gough
3?Social Capital and Class: a Critical Theoretical Examination
??Raju J. Das
4?Social Capital in the Spaces of Civil Society
??Raju J. Das
5?Social Capital at the Zone of Interaction between the State and Civil Society
??Raju J. Das
6?The Social Economy and Socialist Strategy
??Aram Eisenschitz and Jamie Gough
7?Rooting Working Class Struggle in Locality, and Taking It beyond
??Jamie Gough and Aram Eisenschitz
Index
List of Figures and Tables
1?Introduction
??Raju J. Das, Jamie Gough and Aram Eisenschitz
2?Associationism: the New Social Democracy from Below
??Jamie Gough
3?Social Capital and Class: a Critical Theoretical Examination
??Raju J. Das
4?Social Capital in the Spaces of Civil Society
??Raju J. Das
5?Social Capital at the Zone of Interaction between the State and Civil Society
??Raju J. Das
6?The Social Economy and Socialist Strategy
??Aram Eisenschitz and Jamie Gough
7?Rooting Working Class Struggle in Locality, and Taking It beyond
??Jamie Gough and Aram Eisenschitz
Index