Beyond the interregnum: The prospects and problems of Socialist transformation.
Item
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Title
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Beyond the interregnum: The prospects and problems of Socialist transformation.
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Identifier
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AAI9605665
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identifier
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9605665
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Creator
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Smith, David Michael.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Joseph Murphy
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Date
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1995
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Political Science, General | History, Modern
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Abstract
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The collapse of communism, the decline of social democracy, and the abandonment of socialist aims by many Third World states and popular movements have led many scholars to believe that the socialist experience is over. This dissertation challenges the view that we are witnessing the "End of Socialism" and explores the prospects and problems of socialist transformation in the advanced capitalist societies. This work develops a critique of the prominent recent obituaries for socialism advanced by Francis Fukuyama, the postmodernists, the postmarxists, and Adam Przeworski. The dissertation argues that the contradictions and problems of capitalism are likely to lead to a rebirth of socialist movements. This work also critically assesses recent scholarly literature on socialist strategy and politics, focusing on the writings of Nicos Poulantzas, Ralph Miliband, Ernest Mandel, Ellen Meiksins Wood, Leo Panitch, Alex Callinicos, Raymond Williams, and Norman Geras. The dissertation develops a distinctive argument for a revolutionary and democratic process of socialist transformation in the advanced capitalist societies. This work defends the plausibility of such a process and discusses the political and ideological conditions for its success.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
