Socialist Studies (E-Journal) / Études Socialistes
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The Conceptual Politics of Democracy Promotion: The Venezuela Case
Full text linkIn 1970 Giovanni Sartori articulated what he saw as the greatest challenge to political science in an increasingly globalized worldconceptual stretching. Sartori was referring to the traveling of western concepts eastward and proposed the use of a conceptual ladder to help inform the decisions political scientists make regarding the concepts they wish to travel. This paper seeks to push the boundaries of Sartori’s critique beyond academia to include policy; a subject where a dynamic and informative relationship between academia and policy should exist, but are instead faced with a one-dimensional arrangement. In that vein, this paper consists of three main parts. The first employs a brief historiography of the conceptual debate between, largely, Schumpeterian and Dahlian definitions of democracy where two main schools of thought will be sketched. The second evokes Venezuela\u27s recent political history to illustrate how the United States Government has, at different times, employed various definitions, and standards, of democracy to describe the Venezuelan regime. The third seeks to establish how American oscillation between standards erodes the value reference point of democracy and draw out the implications of this. In particular, the third part unpacks what this erosion should mean moving forward for academics engaged in the conceptual politics of democracy. In sum, the instrumentalizing of the ambiguity of the concept—democracy—by oscillating between Schumpeterian and Dahlian standards devalues the concept. And unless the academic debate regarding democratic theory begins to account for this devaluation, democracy may well be emptied of its substance.
In Search of Penal Labour Citizenship: Prisoner-Workers Organize for Labour Rights in Canada
Full text linkDo Canadian federal prison-workers have a right to unionize? This key question is investigated in a case study approach to an attempt, by prison-workers, to organize a union in a Canadian federal penitentiary in British Columbia. The authors analyze prisoner-workers penal labour citizenship position via-a-vis the State’s conceptualization of prison-workers as non-employees and difficulties in finding the appropriate Canadian jurisdiction to hear their case
Ideas in Context: a Conversation with Frank Cunningham
Full text linkModerated by Elaine Coburn, Harry Glasbeek, Meg Holden, Charles Mills and Frank Cunningham presented a symposium on Frank\u27s book Ideas in Context May 29, 2021 for the Society of Socialist Studies. Now shared here in written form, the symposium includes what may have been the last contribution of Charles Mills, a friend of half of a century to Frank, known for his generosity of spirit and his trenchant theorizing of racial justice (Mills 1997)
Remembering Frank Cunningham
Full text linkFriends and colleagues of Frank Cunningham share their tributes in celebration and remembrance of Frank\u27s scholarly and political contributions over a remarkable lifetime. The collection is dedicated to Frank and to his wife, Maryka Omatsu. Includes contributions from: Joseph Carens, Carol Gould, Michael Wade Donnelly, Melissa Williams, Ian Angus, Yoshikazu Nakatani, Esteve Morera, Edward Andrew, Seth Klein, Marjorie Griffin Cohen, Mario Reale, Peter H, Russell, Derek Allen, Kennedy Stewart, Michal Bodemann, Richard Stren, Igor Shoikhedbrod, Nicolas Blomley, Wayne Sumner, Ronald Beiner, Richard Sandbrook, Ingrid Leman Stefanovic, Philip Resnick, and Harry Glasbeek. Tributes were collected by Elaine Coburn and production by Sean Cain of Better World Communications
Class in Finance Capital
No full textABSTRACT: Class relations specific to finance capital arise among people in their struggles of life, defined within the broad bounds of the economies they help to form. Eras of economic and social transition from foraging to farming and fishing, through industry and now finance capital define classes, their relations, redefinition and renewal
A Tribute to Dorothy E. Smith
Full text linkA Review Essay by Himani Bannerji about the life and work of Dorthy E. Smith
Reflections on the Struggle Against the Free Trade Agreement (FTA), Three Decades On
Full text linkDr. William K. Carroll responds to questions posed by the Editors regarding his reflections on the struggle against the FTA, three decades on
Reflections on the Struggle Against the Canada-US Free Trade Agreement (TFA), 30 Years Later
Full text linkThe implementation of the Canada-US Free Trade Agreement (CUSFTA) in January 1989 marked a decisive moment in the rise of neoliberalism as a political project in Canada. While the left, and socialist political economists in particular, played a central role in galvanizing opposition to the agreement and contributed in no small part to the demise of the Conservative government in 1993, the free trade agenda continued to move forward through the 1990s. This Special Issue revisits the history of struggles against free trade in Canada with two aims in mind: first to remember the coalitions through which opposition was organized, the mobilization of socialist critiques by activists and intellectuals, and the key events leading up to the adoption of the agreement. Second, drawing from this history to make sense of how things have changed over the past 30 years, as right-wing nationalists have increasingly taken the lead in opposing free trade, while neoliberals have sought to rebrand their project as ‘progressive’. How can those on the left effectively confront the project of free trade today while at the same time challenging both far-right nationalism and neoliberal globalization