View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Birkbeck Institutional Research Online ORBIT - Online Repository of Birkbeck Institutional Theses Enabling Open Access to Birkbecks Research Degree output In defence of Marxism : Marxist theories of globalisation and social injustice and the evolution of post-socialist ideology within contemporary movements for global so- cial justice http://bbktheses.da.ulcc.ac.uk/184/ Version: Full Version Citation: Wood, Jared (2016) In defence of Marxism : Marxist theories of global- isation and social injustice and the evolution of post-socialist ideology within con- temporary movements for global social justice. PhD thesis, Birkbeck, University of London. c 2016 The Author(s) All material available through ORBIT is protected by intellectual property law, including copyright law. Any use made of the contents should comply with the relevant law. Deposit guide Contact: email In Defence of Marxism: Marxist theories of globalisation and social injustice and the evolution of post- socialist ideology within contemporary movements for global social justice. Page 1 of 290 In Defence of Marxism: Marxist theories of globalisation and social injustice and the evolution of post-socialist ideology within contemporary movements for global social justice. Jared Wood Birkbeck, University of London Doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) in Human Geography In Defence of Marxism: Marxist theories of globalisation and social injustice and the evolution of post- socialist ideology within contemporary movements for global social justice. Page 2 of 290 Declaration I declare that all the work contained herein this thesis is the candidates own. Signed: Jared Wood. In Defence of Marxism: Marxist theories of globalisation and social injustice and the evolution of post- socialist ideology within contemporary movements for global social justice. Page 3 of 290 Abstract The protests against the World Trade Organisation in Seattle in 1999 have been described, along with the development of World and European Social Forums (WSF/ESF), as the beginning of a new Global Movement for Social Justice (GMSJ). This movement has been argued to represent a ‘new type of politics’ with an unprecedented ideological and organisational character based on new fragmented power relationships that have undermined traditional class and national relationships and consequently have undermined the relevance of classical socialist theory. In place of nation state-based socialist strategies for delivering social justice, the GMSJ has been established on the principles of autonomy and an absence of representative structures of any kind. Often, these movements are described as (transnational) New Social Movements. This thesis challenges these concepts and argues they fall within a post-socialist orthodox approach to social science. It compares socialist concepts relating to power, class, nations and political organisation with post- socialist concepts, and in so doing, argues that post-socialist ideas have gained an orthodox status in a period when Stalinist models of (national) state planning have collapsed and social democratic parties have capitulated to the demands of globalised neo-liberal capitalism. Under such conditions, it has been possible for post-socialist theory to reflect observed failures of socialist movements and the thesis argues that underlying post-socialist theories of power, globalisation and a fragmentation of material power relations are often excessively abstract and unconvincing. These arguments are developed through the presentation of research into GMSJ activist organisations, part of the movements that affiliated to the London round of the ESF in 2004. In presenting analysis of in-depth interviews with participants and key organizational leaders, the thesis examines how the contemporary GMSJ remains sceptical that class based socialist theory can mobilise contemporary mass movements. However, it also develops a better understanding of how activists in this new global social movement reflect socialist theories relating to power, property relations and class in their conceptualisation of patterns of social injustice. Overall, the research suggests post-socialist theories have failed to provide a programme or strategy for building a mass In Defence of Marxism: Marxist theories of globalisation and social injustice and the evolution of post- socialist ideology within contemporary movements for global social justice. Page 4 of 290 movement for social justice. It argues that, contrary to often stated claims about its Marxist foundations, post-socialist ideology has not been able to outline the systemic foundations for another world. However, the research suggests that the central concepts of Marxist theory relating to power, property relations, class and political organisation nevertheless remain relevant to the GMSJ and that democratic socialist planning is the only coherent systemic alternative to capitalism that has been placed before the GMSJ. The thesis will argue that the GMSJ could help to develop an ideological alternative to global capitalism by engaging with a rich history of socialist theory. In Defence of Marxism: Marxist theories of globalisation and social injustice and the evolution of post- socialist ideology within contemporary movements for global social justice. Page 5 of 290 Table of Contents Declaration 2 Abstract 3 Contents 5 1 Introduction 10 2 In Defence of Marxism: Post-Socialist theory fails to explain Patterns Of Social Injustice or create the foundations of ‘Another World’. 23 2.1 Marxist Ideology Under Attack: Class, Identity, Power & Property Relations 24 2.1.1 Class and Identity 26 2.1.2 Power and Property 31 2.2 Nation and State 36 2.2.1 Time, Space and the Nation 38 2.2.2 The State as an Agent of Social Justice 43 2.2.3 Globalisation: The Highest form of Imperialism 48 2.3 The Role of the Political Party in Movements for Social Justice 51 2.3.1 Power and Party 54 2.3.2 Party Traditions in Radical Movements in Britain 56 2.3.3 The Party and the GMSJ 58 2.4. A Post Socialist Orthodoxy 63 2.5 Post-Socialism, Social Democracy and Marxism: Three Ideological’ Trends within the GMSJ 69 2.5.1 The limits of Post-Socialist Ideology 70 In Defence of Marxism: Marxist theories of globalisation and social injustice and the evolution of post- socialist ideology within contemporary movements for global social justice. Page 6 of 290 2.5.2 Social Democracy and the GMSJ 75 2.5.3 Latin America puts Marxism back on the Agenda 79 2.5.4 Harvey’s Defence of Marxism Wobbles 83 2.5.5 Can Marxism Appeal to the Democratic Aspirations of the GMSJ? 87 2.6 Conclusion: “Workers of the World Unite; You Have Nothing to Lose but your Chains” 90 3 In Defence of a Marxist Methodology 95 3.1 The Epistemology of Dialectical Materialism 98 3.2 Defining the Research Question 102 3.3 The Management of Subjectivity: Grounded Theory, Action Research and Dialectical Materialism 103 3.4 Data Collection 106 3.4.1 Locating the Thesis within Radical Literature 108 3.4.2 Access to Respondents and Empirical Data 111 3.4.3 Sampling 113 3.4.4 Ethics 118 3.4.5 Developing an Interview Technique through a Pilot Interview: The Topic Guide 120 3.5 Data Analysis 124 3.5.1 Coding and Thematic Analysis 125 3.5.2 Organisation and Presentation 126 3.6 Limitations 128 3.7 Methodological Conclusions 130 4 Property Relations, Power and Class 132 In Defence of Marxism: Marxist theories of globalisation and social injustice and the evolution of post- socialist ideology within contemporary movements for global social justice. Page 7 of 290 4.1 Property Relations and Production as Sources of Social Injustice 134 4.2 Power and Global Social Injustice 141 4.3 Multitude or Social Class? 146 4.4 Conclusion: The Power of the Organised Working class 154 5 Nation, State and Global Consciousness within the Global Movement for Social Justice 157 5.1 Nation States and the Global Scope of the GMSJ 160 5.1.1 Conceptualising Globalisation, Nations and Imperialism 160 5.1.2 The Social Democratic Nation State 165 5.1.3 The Global Consciousness and Scope of the GMSJ 167 5.1.4 Nation States and the GMSJ: Conclusions 172 5.2 The Internationalist Traditions of the Workers’ Movement 173 5.3 Radical Post-State Theories and Social Justice 179 5.4 Nation, State and GMSJ: Conclusion 182 6 Organising the Movement for Global Social Justice: The character of the European Social Forum (ESF) 185 6.1 ICT and new forms of organisation 186 6.2 Social Forums and the Political Party 191 6.3 The Labour Movement and the Social Forums 196 6.4 ESF: Clearing house, or parliament of the movement? 203 6.4.1 The Problem of Informal Power 209 6.5 Organising the Movement for Global Social Justice and The character’ of the European Social Forum (ESF): Conclusion 211 In Defence of Marxism: Marxist theories of globalisation and social injustice and the evolution of post- socialist ideology within contemporary movements for global social justice. Page 8 of 290 7 Another World is Possible: Systemic Alternatives to Neo-Liberal Globalization 215 7.1 Post-Socialism and Post-Ideology 216 7.1.1 Zapatismo: A Non-Ideological Model for 21st century Struggle 219 7.2 Social Democracy and the GMSJ 225 7.2.1 Classical Social Democracy 227 7.2.2 Social Democracy and the Nation State 231 7.2.3 Reforms as empirical demands 232 7.3 Revolution: Another World built on Socialist Planning 234 7.3.1 Legacy of the Soviet Monolithic State 236 7.3.2 Ideological Pick ‘n’ Mix 238 7.3.3 The Trotskyist Left 240 7.3.4 Socialism in the 21st Century – Venezuela and Bolivia 242 7.4 Conclusion: Systemic Alternatives to Neo-Liberal Capitalism 247 8 Conclusions 251 8.1 Property, Power and Class 253 8.2 Nation and State 255 8.3 The Political Party 257 8.4 The challenges facing three ideological traditions: Post Socialism, Social democracy and Marxism 258 8.4.1 Post-Socialism 259 8.4.2 Social democracy 260 8.4.3 Marxism 261 8.5 The Thesis: Achievements and Limitations 262 8.6 In Defence of Marxism 268 In Defence of Marxism: Marxist theories of globalisation and social injustice and the evolution of post- socialist ideology within contemporary movements for global social justice.