The role of specific identities – Peter Drucker: Difference between revisions
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Introduction | Introduction | ||
Introducing the reporter: his national, ethnic and sexual identities | Introducing the reporter: his national, ethnic and sexual identities | ||
Place of the report in the session: closely linked to earlier reports (crisis, working class, women, imperialism) and later reports (strategy in different regions) | Place of the report in the session: closely linked to earlier reports (crisis, working class, women, imperialism) and later reports (strategy in different regions) | ||
Central question: relationship between class-consciousness and other identities | Central question: relationship between class-consciousness and other identities | ||
(Multiple) crises and people’s impulse to take refuge in (pre-existing) identities; forms of resistance and forms of reaction | (Multiple) crises and people’s impulse to take refuge in (pre-existing) identities; forms of resistance and forms of reaction | ||
Central principles: self-organization and self-emancipation | Central principles: self-organization and self-emancipation | ||
Motto of the report: citation from Lenin | Motto of the report: citation from Lenin | ||
Difficulties of the report: enormous diversity of religious, national, ethnic and sexual identities — and of the participants here! | Difficulties of the report: enormous diversity of religious, national, ethnic and sexual identities — and of the participants here! | ||
Objective analysis and lived experience, collective and individual: for the discussion | Objective analysis and lived experience, collective and individual: for the discussion | ||
Three interlinked parts: intersectionality; nationalism/ethnicity; religion | Three interlinked parts: intersectionality; nationalism/ethnicity; religion | ||
Part 1. Intersectionality | Part 1. Intersectionality | ||
Conceptual tool developed by feminists of colour | Conceptual tool developed by feminists of colour | ||
Multiple (double, triple) oppressions | Multiple (double, triple) oppressions | ||
Oppressions are not additive — they constitute one another (and so do dominations) | Oppressions are not additive — they constitute one another (and so do dominations) | ||
Every class identity or national identity is always, intrinsically gendered and sexual | Every class identity or national identity is always, intrinsically gendered and sexual | ||
Brenner’s Marxist adaptation: capitalist restructuring and relative privilege | Brenner’s Marxist adaptation: capitalist restructuring and relative privilege | ||
Sexual oppression and intersectionality | Sexual oppression and intersectionality | ||
Women’s oppression and LGBT oppression: a global struggle (Nadia) | Women’s oppression and LGBT oppression: a global struggle (Nadia) | ||
Gay identity and homonormativity in imperialist countries: dual significance of same-sex marriage | Gay identity and homonormativity in imperialist countries: dual significance of same-sex marriage | ||
Transgender, MSMs, class and imperialism | Transgender, MSMs, class and imperialism | ||
International queer resistance? | International queer resistance? | ||
Towards an inclusive, working-class-led, internationalist rainbow of movements | Towards an inclusive, working-class-led, internationalist rainbow of movements | ||
Autonomy and unity: a dialectical relationship in the formation of class-consciousness | Autonomy and unity: a dialectical relationship in the formation of class-consciousness | ||
Part 2. Nations and ethnicity | Part 2. Nations and ethnicity | ||
What’s at stake politically | What’s at stake politically | ||
National liberation and anti-capitalist revolution in the 20th century: Yugoslavia, China, Cuba, Vietnam, Nicaragua | National liberation and anti-capitalist revolution in the 20th century: Yugoslavia, China, Cuba, Vietnam, Nicaragua | ||
Contemporary national struggles: Kashmir, Mindanao… | Contemporary national struggles: Kashmir, Mindanao… | ||
… and workers’ movements fragmented by national conflict | … and workers’ movements fragmented by national conflict | ||
Nationalism and internationalism: a contradiction of capitalism | Nationalism and internationalism: a contradiction of capitalism | ||
Capitalist classes need national markets and a national state | Capitalist classes need national markets and a national state | ||
At the same time, capital needs to expand beyond national markets | At the same time, capital needs to expand beyond national markets | ||
Limits of Marx and Engels’ understanding in the Communist Manifesto | Limits of Marx and Engels’ understanding in the Communist Manifesto | ||
A national working class? Labour market segmentation today | A national working class? Labour market segmentation today | ||
Rules of thumb for our positions on national conflicts | Rules of thumb for our positions on national conflicts | ||
Abstract internationalism is not enough | Abstract internationalism is not enough | ||
Oppressor nations and oppressed nations | Oppressor nations and oppressed nations | ||
The right of self-determination — even for ethnic groups that are not ‘nations’ | The right of self-determination — even for ethnic groups that are not ‘nations’ | ||
Indigenous struggles: sovereignty and autonomy | Indigenous struggles: sovereignty and autonomy | ||
In Latin America: from the Comintern (Mariateguí) to Nicaragua and 1992 | In Latin America: from the Comintern (Mariateguí) to Nicaragua and 1992 | ||
Chiapas, Bolivia, Ecuador: national sovereignty and indigenous autonomy | Chiapas, Bolivia, Ecuador: national sovereignty and indigenous autonomy | ||
Internationalism and identities: towards a new internationalist culture | Internationalism and identities: towards a new internationalist culture | ||
Part 3. Religion | Part 3. Religion | ||
Basics of Marxist approach to religion (Achcar) | Basics of Marxist approach to religion (Achcar) | ||
Religion as alienation, and oldest form of ideology | Religion as alienation, and oldest form of ideology | ||
Ideology of gender and sexual roles — almost always of women’s subordination | Ideology of gender and sexual roles — almost always of women’s subordination | ||
Tension in Marxist tradition between ‘withering away’ and anti-religious struggle | Tension in Marxist tradition between ‘withering away’ and anti-religious struggle | ||
Intersection between religion, colonialism and racism — Muslims as oppressed minority (in Europe!) | Intersection between religion, colonialism and racism — Muslims as oppressed minority (in Europe!) | ||
Varieties of religious politics | Varieties of religious politics | ||
Religion is never politically monolithic | Religion is never politically monolithic | ||
From liberation theology in e.g. Brazil and Nicaragua (Löwy Notebook) … | From liberation theology in e.g. Brazil and Nicaragua (Löwy Notebook) … | ||
… to Saudi fundamentalism (Achcar’s Theses) | … to Saudi fundamentalism (Achcar’s Theses) | ||
Many complex intermediate cases (e.g. Iran and Hizbullah) | Many complex intermediate cases (e.g. Iran and Hizbullah) | ||
Abortion, same-sex sexualities and Catholicism (under a new pope) | Abortion, same-sex sexualities and Catholicism (under a new pope) | ||
Armed globalization (see Alex’s report on imperialism), ‘war on terror’ and the Islamic world | Armed globalization (see Alex’s report on imperialism), ‘war on terror’ and the Islamic world | ||
Alliance of fundamentalisms: US Protestant, Israeli Jewish, Indian Hindu — and Saudi Muslim | Alliance of fundamentalisms: US Protestant, Israeli Jewish, Indian Hindu — and Saudi Muslim | ||
‘Anti-Crusader’ Islamic fundamentalism / Islamophobia: ‘clash of barbarisms’ | ‘Anti-Crusader’ Islamic fundamentalism / Islamophobia: ‘clash of barbarisms’ | ||
Muslim immigrants in Europe — at the heart of European working classes | Muslim immigrants in Europe — at the heart of European working classes | ||
The explosive issue of the Islamic headscarf | The explosive issue of the Islamic headscarf | ||
LGBTs in Islamic countries: a special case (similarities and differences between Arab region, South Asia, Indonesia) | LGBTs in Islamic countries: a special case (similarities and differences between Arab region, South Asia, Indonesia) | ||
Age-old Mediterranean tradition: beyond gay and straight? | Age-old Mediterranean tradition: beyond gay and straight? | ||
Imperialism as champion of women and LGBTs? Afghanistan and Iraq | Imperialism as champion of women and LGBTs? Afghanistan and Iraq | ||
Hybrid identities, combined struggles: Lebanon and Palestine | Hybrid identities, combined struggles: Lebanon and Palestine | ||
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1. In major national struggles in your part of the world, is independence the central demand? Autonomy? Something else? Why? | 1. In major national struggles in your part of the world, is independence the central demand? Autonomy? Something else? Why? | ||
2. Do women’s and sexual liberation in your country require a direct confrontation with religion? With religious fundamentalism? Or more subtle tactics in dealing with believers? If so, what tactics? | 2. Do women’s and sexual liberation in your country require a direct confrontation with religion? With religious fundamentalism? Or more subtle tactics in dealing with believers? If so, what tactics? | ||
3. To what extent is working-class struggle directly central to an anti-capitalist strategy in your country? To what extent are other axes key? How are class and other axes linked? | 3. To what extent is working-class struggle directly central to an anti-capitalist strategy in your country? To what extent are other axes key? How are class and other axes linked? | ||
Latest revision as of 12:00, 17 December 2013
Ecosocialist School 2013 The crisis and intersecting identities, national and religious Peter, 1 December
Introduction Introducing the reporter: his national, ethnic and sexual identities
Place of the report in the session: closely linked to earlier reports (crisis, working class, women, imperialism) and later reports (strategy in different regions) Central question: relationship between class-consciousness and other identities
(Multiple) crises and people’s impulse to take refuge in (pre-existing) identities; forms of resistance and forms of reaction
Central principles: self-organization and self-emancipation
Motto of the report: citation from Lenin
Difficulties of the report: enormous diversity of religious, national, ethnic and sexual identities — and of the participants here!
Objective analysis and lived experience, collective and individual: for the discussion
Three interlinked parts: intersectionality; nationalism/ethnicity; religion
Part 1. Intersectionality
Conceptual tool developed by feminists of colour
Multiple (double, triple) oppressions
Oppressions are not additive — they constitute one another (and so do dominations)
Every class identity or national identity is always, intrinsically gendered and sexual
Brenner’s Marxist adaptation: capitalist restructuring and relative privilege
Sexual oppression and intersectionality
Women’s oppression and LGBT oppression: a global struggle (Nadia)
Gay identity and homonormativity in imperialist countries: dual significance of same-sex marriage
Transgender, MSMs, class and imperialism
International queer resistance?
Towards an inclusive, working-class-led, internationalist rainbow of movements
Autonomy and unity: a dialectical relationship in the formation of class-consciousness
Part 2. Nations and ethnicity
What’s at stake politically
National liberation and anti-capitalist revolution in the 20th century: Yugoslavia, China, Cuba, Vietnam, Nicaragua
Contemporary national struggles: Kashmir, Mindanao…
… and workers’ movements fragmented by national conflict
Nationalism and internationalism: a contradiction of capitalism
Capitalist classes need national markets and a national state
At the same time, capital needs to expand beyond national markets
Limits of Marx and Engels’ understanding in the Communist Manifesto
A national working class? Labour market segmentation today
Rules of thumb for our positions on national conflicts
Abstract internationalism is not enough
Oppressor nations and oppressed nations
The right of self-determination — even for ethnic groups that are not ‘nations’
Indigenous struggles: sovereignty and autonomy
In Latin America: from the Comintern (Mariateguí) to Nicaragua and 1992
Chiapas, Bolivia, Ecuador: national sovereignty and indigenous autonomy
Internationalism and identities: towards a new internationalist culture
Part 3. Religion
Basics of Marxist approach to religion (Achcar)
Religion as alienation, and oldest form of ideology
Ideology of gender and sexual roles — almost always of women’s subordination
Tension in Marxist tradition between ‘withering away’ and anti-religious struggle
Intersection between religion, colonialism and racism — Muslims as oppressed minority (in Europe!)
Varieties of religious politics
Religion is never politically monolithic
From liberation theology in e.g. Brazil and Nicaragua (Löwy Notebook) …
… to Saudi fundamentalism (Achcar’s Theses)
Many complex intermediate cases (e.g. Iran and Hizbullah)
Abortion, same-sex sexualities and Catholicism (under a new pope)
Armed globalization (see Alex’s report on imperialism), ‘war on terror’ and the Islamic world
Alliance of fundamentalisms: US Protestant, Israeli Jewish, Indian Hindu — and Saudi Muslim
‘Anti-Crusader’ Islamic fundamentalism / Islamophobia: ‘clash of barbarisms’
Muslim immigrants in Europe — at the heart of European working classes
The explosive issue of the Islamic headscarf
LGBTs in Islamic countries: a special case (similarities and differences between Arab region, South Asia, Indonesia)
Age-old Mediterranean tradition: beyond gay and straight?
Imperialism as champion of women and LGBTs? Afghanistan and Iraq
Hybrid identities, combined struggles: Lebanon and Palestine
Conclusion: the workers’ party as a tribune of all the oppressed (Lenin)
Questions for discussion:
1. In major national struggles in your part of the world, is independence the central demand? Autonomy? Something else? Why?
2. Do women’s and sexual liberation in your country require a direct confrontation with religion? With religious fundamentalism? Or more subtle tactics in dealing with believers? If so, what tactics?
3. To what extent is working-class struggle directly central to an anti-capitalist strategy in your country? To what extent are other axes key? How are class and other axes linked?
Reading Materials
PDF [1]
- Lenin, "The discussion on self-determination summed up" Collected Works Volume 22, pp.355-356
- Johanna Brenner, "Intersectionality from a Marxist Perspective" From: Women and the Politics of Class
Monthly Review Press,New York 2000
- Peter Drucker, Self-organization, self-emancipation and identity: What can we learn from indigenous peoples, blacks and lesbigays?
- K. Marx, excerpts from Chapter II From: The Communist Manifesto, 1848
- Michael Löwy, Chapter 5 from 'Fatherland or Mother Earth'
- Gilbert Achcar, Marxists and Religion - yesterday and today
- Peter Drucker, Arab sexualities
- Fourth International, "Excerpts of the resolution Role and Tasks of the Fourth International" , 2010 World Congress
Further readings
- Fourth International, On Lesbian/Gay Liberation