Faith Agostinone-Wilson - Böcker

Applicable for both qualitative and quantitative researchers who work within a critical theory paradigm, Dialectical Research Methods in the Classical Marxist Tradition utilizes Marxist principles in aiding the design of inquiry whether at the undergraduate or graduate levels. Included in the text are issues related to social justice, what distinguishes Marxist research from other liberal-left paradigms, how mainstream research is used to support imperialism, re-evaluating ethics, and various forms of data collection. As a point of intellectual inspiration, the text will introduce both familiar and lesser-known names of those engaged in dialectical materialist inquiry past and present. Readers are first introduced to the features of Marxist research, followed by an overview of how research is currently used in academia and industry. Next, the text presents descriptions of dialectical research from both qualitative and quantitative traditions so that readers can access a sampling of existing inquiry. Finally, various forms of data collection and design considerations are laid out in an accessible manner, so that readers can begin to formulate their own research proposals.

Applicable for both qualitative and quantitative researchers who work within a critical theory paradigm, Dialectical Research Methods in the Classical Marxist Tradition utilizes Marxist principles in aiding the design of inquiry whether at the undergraduate or graduate levels. Included in the text are issues related to social justice, what distinguishes Marxist research from other liberal-left paradigms, how mainstream research is used to support imperialism, re-evaluating ethics, and various forms of data collection. As a point of intellectual inspiration, the text will introduce both familiar and lesser-known names of those engaged in dialectical materialist inquiry past and present. Readers are first introduced to the features of Marxist research, followed by an overview of how research is currently used in academia and industry. Next, the text presents descriptions of dialectical research from both qualitative and quantitative traditions so that readers can access a sampling of existing inquiry. Finally, various forms of data collection and design considerations are laid out in an accessible manner, so that readers can begin to formulate their own research proposals.

Using a range of critical perspectives, On the Question of Truth in the Era of Trump closely examines notions of “truth in crisis” leading up to and after the election of Donald Trump. The authors explore how truth is constructed along the lines of race, social class, and gender as filtered through the self-referential characteristics of social media in particular. The authors assert that the US left has shown itself inadequate to the task of confronting right wing ideologies, which have only intensified since the 2016 election, resulting in increased mobilization of white supremacist and nationalist groups. Whether underestimating Trump by downplaying the threat of his candidacy during the primaries, trivializing the concerns of women and minorities as “identity politics,” or rushing to prioritize the free speech rights of the far-right, left academics and the media have found themselves unable to use their traditional arsenal of evidence, rational discourse, and appeals to diversity of viewpoints.The authors assert that political resistance to the right is not a matter of playful use of signs and symbols or discourse alone and has to be fought directly and in solidarity. At this point, it is clear that Trump and his supporters have not just deployed relativism as a form of strategy, but have fully weaponized it against their perceived enemies: women, immigrants, minorities, LGBTQ people along with educational, scientific, and journalistic institutions. It is hoped that this in-depth, critical dissection of truth in the current political reality will assist in the project of resistance.Contributors are: Faith Agostinone-Wilson, Mike Cole, Jeremy T. Godwin, Jones Irwin, Austin Pickup, Daniel Ian Rubin, and Eric C. Sheffield.

Using a range of critical perspectives, On the Question of Truth in the Era of Trump closely examines notions of “truth in crisis” leading up to and after the election of Donald Trump. The authors explore how truth is constructed along the lines of race, social class, and gender as filtered through the self-referential characteristics of social media in particular. The authors assert that the US left has shown itself inadequate to the task of confronting right wing ideologies, which have only intensified since the 2016 election, resulting in increased mobilization of white supremacist and nationalist groups. Whether underestimating Trump by downplaying the threat of his candidacy during the primaries, trivializing the concerns of women and minorities as “identity politics,” or rushing to prioritize the free speech rights of the far-right, left academics and the media have found themselves unable to use their traditional arsenal of evidence, rational discourse, and appeals to diversity of viewpoints.The authors assert that political resistance to the right is not a matter of playful use of signs and symbols or discourse alone and has to be fought directly and in solidarity. At this point, it is clear that Trump and his supporters have not just deployed relativism as a form of strategy, but have fully weaponized it against their perceived enemies: women, immigrants, minorities, LGBTQ people along with educational, scientific, and journalistic institutions. It is hoped that this in-depth, critical dissection of truth in the current political reality will assist in the project of resistance.Contributors are: Faith Agostinone-Wilson, Mike Cole, Jeremy T. Godwin, Jones Irwin, Austin Pickup, Daniel Ian Rubin, and Eric C. Sheffield.