Class Struggle Research Articles

The National Democratic Front of the Philippines’ Draft Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms: Issues and Prospects

This article critically interrogates the development agenda articulated in the draft Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms (CASER) of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP). The NDFP represented communist insurgents who, in 2017, were negotiating the Philippine government a framework for implementing socioeconomic reforms in the context of peace talks between two sides engaged in an armed conflict for the last five decades. The document pushed for a state-led agrarian reform and sovereign industrialization and offered an alternative development pathway to delinking, favoring working peoples’ rights over monopoly capitalist profits. CASER also represented significant adjustments in articulating the insurgents’ “national democratic” program to address recent issues and developments. The document, however, has the drawback of being silent on some significant challenges of delinking. CASER also needs to account for qualitatively changed conditions and shifting terrains of class struggle brought on by capitalism’s neoliberal phase since the late 1970s.

Confronting multiple global crises: a political economy approach for the twenty-first century

ABSTRACT The purpose of this paper is to develop a political economy approach able to examine the multiple, global crises of our times, a crisis of global capitalism, a crisis of global labour relations, a crisis of global gender relations, a crisis of global race relations and a crisis of global ecology. Based on the philosophy of internal relations, I make three claims in this paper. First, we need a historical materialist approach to comprehend the historical specificity of capitalism. Second, we need an expanded conceptualization of capitalist accumulation, understanding that capitalist reproduction depends not only on the exploitation of wage labour in the sphere of production, but equally on different forms of expropriation in the sphere of social reproduction. Third, to reveal the internal relations between these different crises, we need to focus on class struggle in our analysis, defining both class struggle and labour movement broadly when doing so.

<b>The Scars of Memory, the Trap of Desire, and the Mirror of Class: An Interpretation of Social Allegories in Bong Joon-ho's Films</b>

Bong Joon-ho's films are renowned for their profound revelation and critique of South Korean social realities. This paper interprets the social allegories in Bong Joon-ho's films, such as Parasite, Memories of Murder, Snowpiercer, The Host, and Mother, through the lens of the scars of memory, the trap of desire, and the mirror of class. The films touch upon the collective "scars of memory" of the Korean people, demonstrating the historical causes and social impact of the "Han" cultural psychology through metaphors and representations of historical traumatic events. Employing Lacan's psychoanalytic theory, this paper analyzes the "trap of desire" – the alienation of characters in the context of capitalism, revealing the anxiety and loss of the lower class in the pursuit of the "ideal self." Furthermore, these films construct a "mirror of class" that reflects the solidification of social hierarchy and the disparity between the rich and the poor in South Korean society by depicting the living conditions of different classes. Bong Joon-ho's cinematic allegories are not only artistic representations of social issues in South Korea but also provide profound insights into understanding the universal problems of class conflict, human alienation, and historical memory in contemporary society.

Unveiling social realities: A Marxist analysis of Rene Eune Ponte’s balak

The research employs the Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) framework within the Marxist literary approach to examine selected balak (poetry) from Rene Eune Pueblos Ponte's collection Hagawhaw sa Salibagjaw. Ponte, a prominent cultural figure in the Bohol School of Living Traditions, Bohol, Philippines captures the socio-political realities of his community through poetry. The study focuses on five balak selected based on Marxist criteria, emphasizing their reflection on class struggle, ideology, and socio-economic disparities. Using CDA, the research dissects the linguistic and thematic elements of the balak, revealing how language conveys power dynamics and class ideologies. The analysis identifies recurring Marxist themes: alienation, corruption, poverty, inequality, and social injustice. These themes illustrate Ponte’s critique of systemic oppression while resonating with broader socio-political conditions in the Philippines. Findings demonstrate that Ponte’s balak are cultural artifacts encapsulating collective struggles and aspirations. His poetic imagery and stylistic devices articulate the lived experiences of marginalized communities, fostering critical consciousness among readers. The study bridges literary analysis with societal critique, emphasizing the relevance of Marxist literary criticism in understanding regional literature. Ponte's verses become a vehicle for collective introspection, offering insights into the poet's and his community's societal challenges. This research contributes to appreciating Boholano literature by providing insights into societal issues embedded in local poetic traditions. It advocates for including regional literary works in the curriculum, enriching cultural understanding and critical thinking while shedding light on enduring societal issues in the Philippines that resonate with the Marxist themes found in Ponte's poetry.

A Du Boisian Sociological Imagination: The Black Radical Tradition, Marxism and Du Boisian Sociology.

W. E. B. Du Bois is finally recognized as one of the founders of sociology, a social theorist, and a methodological innovator. The recognition of Du Bois' work is accompanied by the emergence of a contemporary Du Boisian sociology. This sociology takes inspiration from the work of Du Bois, but it does not limit itself to his work. It aims to bring into sociology the work of scholars that so far have been confined to the margins of the discipline, among them, Franz Fanon and Stuart Hall. Yet, as Du Bois work gets increasing visibility, important debates emerge. One of these debates concerns Du Bois' relation to Marxism, and the relationship between Du Boisian sociology to Marxist sociology. Marxist sociologists argue that Du Bois' late work, as well as the work of Franz Fanon and Stuart Hall, belongs in the Marxist tradition. In this essay I argue that while Du Bois, Fanon, and Hall were sympathetic to Marxism, their work cannot be encapsulated within the Marxist tradition. The question of the human was central to their thought. Moreover, for them colonialism and racism structure identity, lived experience and politics under capitalism in ways that are not reducible to class and class conflict. The Marxist appropriation of their work diminishes its originality and precludes the discipline from questioning the coloniality of its historical silences and its epistemic limits.

Back to class? The populism of the ‘Gilets jaunes’

ABSTRACT Mobilizing Laclau’s earlier conceptualization of populism as the politicization of class struggle and its overlap with Poulantzas’ relational theory of the capitalist state, this paper proposes to see populism as the struggle for the reconstitution of popular and class antagonisms, and as partly determined by anti-populism – concerned with the repression of these antagonisms. I use Michael Bray’s account of populism as a ‘symptom’ of repressed class antagonisms to argue that the relations structuring the capitalist state both determine populism and are rendered visible through populism. I present the Gilets jaunes protests (2018–2019) as a case in point not only of the populist struggle for unveiling such relations, but also of the anti-populist efforts at keeping them invisible – reminiscent of Poulantzas’ identification of the construction of a ‘people-nation’, the atomization of the body-politic, and the separation between mental and manual labor as the key mechanisms ensuring the reproduction of the capitalist state.

Peace and Harmony

Abstract In 1 Clement 20, addressing Corinthian Christians, Clement of Rome deliberately appealed to the Stoic topos of peace and harmony to navigate class conflicts. Viewed in the social and philosophical context of ancient Corinth, similarities in the conceptual background of this topos are observed. This study goes beyond the above assumption by recognizing recurrent echoes of the OT’s creation accounts and cosmic order in 1 Clement 20. Peace and harmony were likely associated with the attributes of—and believed to have emanated from—the biblical God. Thus, Clement advocated for unity by appealing to the cosmic order of God’s creation.

The pied piper of Hamelin: A Marxist critique of labor exploitation and class struggle

The pied piper of Hamelin: A Marxist critique of labor exploitation and class struggle

Gender, Caste, and Love Laws in The God of Small Things: Contradictions and Trauma in a Post-Colonial Panorama

We identify the fundamental elements of reality and their simultaneous co-existence in Aymenem, a village in the Kottayam district of God’s Own Country, Kerala, where the post-colonial novel The God of Small Things is set. Arundhati Roy’s seminal work portrays those tumultuous times when India was plagued with socio-political malpractices such as poignant post-colonial legacies, pollical chaos, social discrimination, casteism, racism, class conflict, gender issues, patriarchy, and economic inequality – only to name a few. In this study, we seek to analyze individualistic perspectives, but also the collective effect of these fundamental elements of the societal irrationalities through the lens of post-colonialism, nature’s roleplay, casteism, gender, and contradiction. Not only do we briefly review the noteworthy reports and scholarly publications along these lines, but also report our contribution in the form of a holistic analysis of the individual-collective behavior, interpersonal and human-nature relationships presented in the novel. Finally, we also discuss our perspectives on the innate conflict, inner chaos, and contradictions at a time when we almost near three decades of the publication of the masterpiece family drama novel, The God of Small Things.

Delayed induced bifurcations and chaos in a class struggle model

Abstract In this paper we consider a class of struggle models describing the dynamics of labor income and employed population, generalizing the Goodwin model of qualitative studies of economic growth by considering time delays. The resulting model displays a more complex behavior than the original Goodwin model, with periodic and non-periodic oscillating solutions and chaotic behavior evidenced by a positive largest Lyapunov exponent. Chaos occurs above a critical value of the delay, with an intricate dependency on its value, with alternation between non-chaotic and chaotic regimes. This complex dynamics is closer to what is observed in real-world data than the smooth oscillations of the original Goodwin model, as expected since real economic systems do not respond instantaneously to a change in a relevant variable.

EXPLORING THE TANTRIC FIGURE IN SANGHARSH: A CINEMATIC INTERPRETATION

This article delves into the multifaceted depiction of the Tantric figure in the film Sangharsh (1999), focusing on its cultural, cinematic, and popular dimensions. It would primarily examine the presentation of the antagonist figure, Lajja Shankar Pandey who is portrayed as a Tantric practitioner engaging in human sacrifice to gain immortality and supernatural powers. By analysing the films narrative and portrayal of character, this study scrutinizes the cultural significance of the Tantric cult, and its representation as a source of fear and fascination. Also, it tries to connect this figure to its Western counterpart—the blood-sucking vampire who represents the cultural conflicts of class, power, and gender. Exploring similar aspect, this article would also focus on how the films depiction of Tantra aligns with broader cinematic trends in India, where mysticism and spirituality are often intertwined with moral and ethical dilemmas. Eventually, the article argues that Sangharsh presents a layered interpretation of the Tantric figure, blending cultural aspects and its cinematic dramatization to explore themes of power, mortality, and the supernatural.

Идегей: историческая личность и ее оценка в отечественной историографии

The purpose of the study is to show the dynamics of the assessment of the personality of the ruler of the Golden Horde Idigey in Russian science of the imperial and Soviet periods. Research materials: historical works of Russian historians who touched upon the assessment of the personality of Idigey in the 1840s – 1960s. Results and novelty of the study: it is shown that the process of studying the history of the Golden Horde and its political history was complex and tortuous. This was especially true of the personality of Idigey, as well as the folk epic dedicated to him. Since the beginning of the study of this epic, historians have become interested in the historical personality himself, the relationship of his fate with the hero of the epic. In Russian science, his personality did not attract much attention. The emerging Tatar historical science accused Idigey of extreme ambitions, considering him the culprit of the campaigns of Aksak-Timur and the collapse of the Golden Horde. In the first half of the 20th century. historians and folklorists were influenced by the ideas of class struggle and tried to present him as a folk hero fighting against feudal oppression, which was undoubtedly a distortion of the facts. In 1944, by a decree of the Central Committee of the CPSU(b), the Golden Horde was recognized as a parasitic state, and Idigey was recognized as the most "insidious and predatory Horde ruler." Since that time, such a point of view has become decisive and uncontested for almost half a century, which froze Russian science in understanding this period of history.

Development and Class Struggle: The Political Economy of Labour Precarity in South African Forestry

In this paper, we draw on a Marxist framework to discuss the significance of labour precarity for contemporary South African capitalism. We argue that the rise in precarious employment constitutes a deliberate strategy by capitalists to weaken the bargaining power of workers and re-assert their control over production through economic coercion. The paper focuses on forestry workers, who have experienced major restructuring characterised by chain subcontracting where pseudo-entrepreneurs employ precarious workers squeezed by a task-based payment system. We explore the failure of unions to resist the rise of precarity but disagree with authors who dismiss the working class as a horizon for progressive transformation. Hoping for benevolent top-down intervention to mitigate precarity ignores the uneven, dialectical character of capitalist development, whose engine remains class struggle. The weakness of labour’s resistance to capitalist strategies not only undermines workers, but the progressive character of capitalism itself.

<b>GUERRA E POLITICA NE “LE QUATTRO RAGAZZE WIESELBERGER” DI FAUSTA CIALENTE</b>

The novel Le quattro ragazze Wieselberger (The Four Wieselberger Girls), published in 1976 and winner of that year's Strega Prize, is the later work of Fausta Cialente, an important 20th century Italian writer. In it, autobiographical memoirs merge with accounts of the history and politics of the 'short century', in which the dramas that crossed it are analysed: imperialism, racism, wars, totalitarianism and class conflicts. Special attention is paid by the writer to the indifference and greed of the bourgeoisie of her time and the place of women in the working world. In this novel, the soul of the scholar merges with that of the chronicler. Cialente was a cosmopolitan intellectual with a very special life, characterised by frequent travel and feeling like a foreigner everywhere. Today, in Italy, there is renewed interest in this writer, whose novels have recently been republished. This essay dwells on the more non-fiction part of The Four Wieselberger Girls, analysing significant passages in which the author examines the historical situation of her time.

Performative resistance and aestheticized conflicts: Barbie’s ambivalent feminist practice

This article examines the film Barbie as an embodiment of the ambivalence of Western popular feminism. The article argues that Barbie demonstrates two forms of ambivalence – performative resistance and aestheticized conflicts. Defining performative resistance as the tendency of cultural products to articulate progressive ideas while integrating oppressive ideologies into their world-building and diegesis, the article focuses on three aspects of performative resistance demonstrated in the film: its simultaneous celebration and critique of consumerism and normative feminine beauty, its ambivalent attitude toward the patriarchal logic of domination and its inclusion of people with disabilities and people of color as part of its ableist and postracial ideologies, showing that the film’s progressive statements often conceal its incorporation of oppressive ideologies. Defining aestheticized conflicts as cultural products’ representation of conflicts and power struggles in a pleasing and appealing manner to create a happy and harmonious atmosphere, the article examines the aestheticization of diegetic conflicts between Barbies and Kens, among Kens, between capitalists and consumers, and between capitalists and workers, finding that the film’s exposure of conflicts paradoxically contributes to their weakening, and downplays both gender and class conflicts. Through a textual and critical discourse analysis of Barbie, the article hopes to show that regressive elements in Western popular feminist discourses can be intimately intertwined with progressive ideas and often reinforce, reproduce and perpetuate themselves by masquerading as progressive, suggesting that Western popular feminism may be entering a new phase in which structural problems are increasingly obscured by their exposure.

Fighting for the True Path of Revolution: The Communist Party of El Salvador (PCS) during the Sixties

The Salvadoran Communist Party (PCS) underwent great internal tensions throughout the 1960s, which led to its fracture at the end of the decade. Conventionally, these tensions have been explained as the result of internal differences related to the party’s position on the armed struggle. In contrast, this article shows that the internal dynamics of the party in this period can be explained by a series of disputes with a strong class component, which involved the two factions competing for the leadership of the organization. On the one hand, there was a workers’ faction in favor of proletarianizing the leadership of the party and deepening the class struggle through the work of the trade unions, and on the other, a sector of intellectuals that supported the political-electoral struggle, with the prospect of gradually accumulating forces. The reversal of the liberalization process experienced under the Salvadoran authoritarian regime since the early sixties, together with the party’s position on the war against Honduras, aggravated the internal contradictions of the organization, leading to its rupture in 1970.

Jurisdiction, Legal Form, and the Transition to Capitalism Debate: Recovering Agency and Discontinuity

Abstract The increased interest in law and capitalism has not translated into an engagement in legal scholarship with the transition-to-capitalism debate. This article contributes a critique of commercialisation approaches to the history of capitalism and law from a Political Marxist perspective. It argues that combining jurisdiction and legal form provides a more flexible conceptual architecture to account for early-modern juridical practices. Conceptually, this enables an encounter between the structural and subject-centred commodity-form theory of law (cftl) and the more granular, agentic, and class-centred Political Marxist approach. Empirically, exploring two key institutions – property and sovereignty – provides an opportunity to focus on their jurisdictional dimensions driven by specific class struggles and agencies. These reflect, through the concept of jurisdiction, the ruptures and discontinuities of the transition, while form analysis accounts for the more continuous and structural processes of key institutions shaping the apparent linearity of law.

The Influence of Historical Events on Victorian Literature

Victorian literature serves as a rich reflection of the 19th century’s transformative historical events, including the Industrial Revolution, the expansion of the British Empire, social reform movements, and challenges to traditional religious beliefs. This article explores how authors such as Charles Dickens, Elizabeth Gaskell, Rudyard Kipling, Charlotte Brontë, Thomas Hardy, Alfred Lord Tennyson, and Matthew Arnold addressed themes of industrialization, colonialism, class conflict, and spiritual doubt. Through their works, Victorian writers critiqued societal norms, highlighted inequalities, and grappled with the shifting moral and intellectual landscape of their time. Their literature remains a vital lens through which to understand the complexities of the era and its enduring relevance today.

Main Themes of Charles Dickens’ Works And Different Critical Approaches To Them

This article explores the central themes that pervade the works of Charles Dickens and examines various critical approaches to understanding his literary contributions. It identifies key motifs such as social inequality, the impact of industrialization, the struggles of the poor, and the complexities of human nature. The article delves into Dickens’ portrayal of moral development, justice, and redemption, alongside his critique of Victorian society. By analyzing these thematic and critical frameworks, the article offers a comprehensive view of Dickens as both a social commentator and a master storyteller, revealing the enduring relevance of his works in contemporary literary discourse. This article analyses the main themes of the works of Charles Dickens, focusing on recurring topics such as social injustice, the effects of industrialization, class struggles, and human complexity. It highlights Dickens' exploration of moral growth, redemption, and the harsh realities faced by the impoverished in Victorian society. Additionally, the article surveys various critical approaches—including historical, feminist, Marxist, and psychoanalytic perspectives—that offer diverse interpretations of Dickens’ works. By engaging with these themes and critical lenses, the article underscores the continued relevance of Dickens’ works and their significance in understanding both the past and contemporary social issues.

The Brontë Sisters and the Critical Realism of English Literature

This article explores the distinctive critical realism in the works of the Brontë sisters—Charlotte, Emily, and Anne—highlighting their significant influence on English literature. Through an examination of major novels like Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, the article demonstrates how the Brontës combined unflinching depictions of social and psychological realities with moral critique, challenging literary conventions of their time. Their exploration of gender, class, and identity, particularly the complex portrayals of female autonomy and class struggles, marked a departure from the romanticized ideals of the Victorian era. Additionally, the Brontës’ innovative narrative techniques, such as unreliable narrators and non-linear structures, transformed the novel form, paving the way for modernist experimentation and feminist literary movements. By engaging with the intellectual currents of the 19th century, the Brontës crafted works that continue to resonate across generations, shaping both literary criticism and broader cultural discourses. Their legacy, defined by a commitment to social critique and emotional depth, underscores the enduring relevance of their critical realism in the ongoing evolution of literature.