Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Lepaio Condemns Afl-Cio Leadership’S Bullying Affiliates On International Affairs, The Editors

Class, Race and Corporate Power

A statement from the Labor Education Project on AFL-CIO International Operations (LEPAIO) reprinted with permission.

The LEPAIO condemns the AFL-CIO’s leadership for bullying affiliates on international issues, and especially regarding the current Israel and Gaza war. LEPAIO, an organization of labor unionists and supporters, has long challenged the AFL-CIO’s international leadership “labor imperialism” in its international operations.

Academia, Marxism, And Sociology: A Warning From "The History Man", Tom Brass

Class, Race and Corporate Power

An essay by Tom Brass which examines how popular culture formed the negative image of sociology as taught at the 1960s new universities by portraying it as following Marxist fashion and thereby failing to anticipate the shift to the anti-Marxism of the cultural turn. It concludes by considering why and how such academic fashion is constructed and reproduced, and examines implications for the kinds of hegemonic trends encountered in social science publications.

The Working Class And Ecological Crisis - An Interview With Victor Wallis, Victor Wallis

Class, Race and Corporate Power

Raju Das and Robert Latham interview Victor Wallis about his work and the environmental crisis of capitalism.

Labour Power Matters And Capitalist Racism - An Interview With Ken C. Kawashima, Ken C. Kawashima

Class, Race and Corporate Power

Raju Das and Robert Latham interview Ken C. Kawashima about his work and lessons for workers involved in the struggle today.

The Profits Of (The Critique Of) Patriarchy: On Toxic Masculinity, Feminism, & Corporate Capitalism In The Barbie Movie, Bryant W. Sculos

Class, Race and Corporate Power

This article explicates the political, social, economic, and cultural contribution of Barbie (2023). Through a critical and normative analysis of four different prominent reviews of the film, this essay explores the quality of discourse surrounding Barbie, with particular emphasis on its feminist critique of toxic masculinity and lack of a coherent criticism of capitalism.

The Liberal Ideology Of Oppenheimer, Ronald W. Cox

Class, Race and Corporate Power

The Oppenheimer film centers its narrative too closely to the great man myth of history. As a result, powerful themes such as the politics, economics and morality of the U.S. decision to use two atomic bombs in World War II are diluted by a rigid focus on a singular personality.

What Does Working Class Voter Really Mean?, Ronald W. Cox

Class, Race and Corporate Power

Understanding how class interests are articulated in U.S. elections has a problematic history in the social sciences as a result of a poor conceptualization of class. Recent scholarly articles by political scientists contribute to this problem by promoting a narrative that the two U.S. political parties are undergoing "realignment" of class interests. This article challenges that narrative by critiquing the way that class is defined and measured, arguing that Weber should be replaced by Marx.

Cambridge Analytica: Military Psy-Ops Privatized, Adam D. Hernandez

Class, Race and Corporate Power

This article argues that Cambridge Analytica was developed and operated with the primary objective of pushing far-right nationalist leaders who promoted neoliberal policies in favor of economic elites. Its origins, primary means of funding, and even its techniques were the results of its status as a subsidiary of SCL Group, a firm well entrenched within the military industrial complex and right-wing politics. Furthermore, an examination of many of its most prominent operations shows a long trail of support for right-wing ideologies. The case study of Cambridge Analytica contrasts the narrative that privately-contracted disinformation companies are fringe, mercenary entities. Rather, the …

Explaining The Proliferation Of U.S. Billionaires During The Neoliberal Period, Rob Piper

Class, Race and Corporate Power

This article explains the proliferation of U.S. billionaire wealth during the neoliberal period (1980 to the present). Using the work of scholars, investigative journalists, and government researchers, it examines descriptive evidence from the past forty years of the economic, social, and political trends associated with the capital accumulation that led to so much wealth being concentrated with so few individuals. It further creates a theoretical framework of institutional factors (or “drivers”) that help to understand how these trends link together to provide a comprehensive explanation for the increase of billionaires in comparison with other economic gauges like GDP, income distribution, …

Critical Political Science Cancels Its Participation In The 2023 Apsa Conference, The Editors

Class, Race and Corporate Power

Press release from the Caucus for a Critical Political Science (CCPS) announcing the decision of the CCPS Coordinating Council regarding the 2023 APSA Conference and the UNITE HERE LOCAL 11 struggle. Republished by the editors of Class, Race and Corporate Power in solidarity with CCPS and UNITE HERE 11.

Sociology: A Guide To Action Or To Analysis In The Global Climate Change Crisis? A Call For Action By The Social Sciences And The Humanities, Kim Scipes

Class, Race and Corporate Power

The debate over the purpose of sociological research has historically been one between Marx and Weber: is sociology’s role to analyze society (ala Weber) or to change it (Marx)?

The issue of climate change and environmental destruction is one that has been relegated to the margins of Sociology, being seen as an “environmental” issue. The changes we’ve seen so far, however, show how this has had and is having a major impact on human beings and, at least in the United States, is having a major impact on the culture of the country, both in general and specifically on different …

"White Malice: The Cia And The Covert Recolonization Of Africa" By Susan Williams, (Public Affairs Press, 2021). A Review Essay, Kim Scipes

Class, Race and Corporate Power

Africa has long been looked at by outsiders as a continent that is hopelessly mired in corruption and incapable of social and economic development. This especially pertains to sub-Saharan Africa, overwhelmingly populated by black people, thus fitting the trope of white supremists that black people cannot successfully govern themselves.

This book by Susan Williams annihilates the lie. Williams details the impact of stealing millions of people for enslavement, the subsequent colonization of the continent by Western European powers and then, after the decolonization of a number of these countries, the recolonization of the continent by the United States operating explicitly …

Banshees Of Late Capitalism: War, Ecology, & Alienation, Bryant W. Sculos

Class, Race and Corporate Power

This review essay explores the concepts of war, ecology/human-nonhuman relations, and alienation through a critical analysis of McDonagh's The Banshees of Inisherin (2022).

Class (Aaa) Conflict: 100 Years Of Exploitation, G. Nelson Bass Iii, Ronald W. Cox

Class, Race and Corporate Power

Major League Baseball continues to operate with an antitrust exemption courtesy of a 1922 U.S. Supreme Court ruling. That exemption is especially relevant for how MLB officials establish the conditions and terms that govern the relationship between major league teams and their minor league affiliates. Recently, the formation of advocacy groups such as Minor League Advocates has led to several lawsuits against MLB’s violations of state labor laws through the terms of their minor league player contracts, which pay players well below state minimum wage levels. These lawsuits are posing challenges to the legal validity of the antitrust exemption. This …