Citizens and Classes: Political Isolation and Class Formation

Contrary to frequently expressed hopes and expectations, there is a recurring argument by some theorists in the Marxian tradition that the typical structures and processes of capitalist democracy actively obstruct the political organization of workers as a class. This essay brings together various a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Critical sociology 1990-07, Vol.17 (2), p.3-33
Main Author: Sitton, John F.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
CAPITALISM
Capitalist Societies
Class Formation
MARXISM, COMMUNISM
Marxist Analysis
POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY
POLITICAL THEORY
SOCIAL STRATA, CLASS DIVISION
Working Class
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Summary:Contrary to frequently expressed hopes and expectations, there is a recurring argument by some theorists in the Marxian tradition that the typical structures and processes of capitalist democracy actively obstruct the political organization of workers as a class. This essay brings together various aspects of this argument, especially as developed in the works of Lukács, Pashukanis, Poulantzas, Przeworski, and Katznelson. The thesis ultimately calls into question the sense in which "classes" exist under conditions of capitalist democracy, the usefulness of focusing on "class formation" as a vehicle for socialist theory, and the electoral road to socialism in general.
ISSN:0896-9205
1569-1632
DOI:10.1177/089692059001700201