ABSTRACT
AS WE POINTED out in the last chapter, Marxist theory has exercised a major influence on the development of radical theories of schooling. In many respects, this influence has been part of a wider revival of Marxist thought that has been going on in the United States, Europe, and other sections of the world.1 On the surface, this Marxist revival has generated not only various “new” readings of Marx’s work; it has also essentially developed into the production of a plethora of discourses, many of which have been used to redefine the way radicals view a host of academic disciplines, not to mention Marxist theory itself. What becomes evident even to the casual observer is that the notion of a unifying and homogeneous Marxist discourse belongs to history. Success breeds its own problems. One needs to consult a consumer’s guide to keep abreast of the latest Marxist offerings that tumble out from the publishing houses and university symposiums. As one surveys the offerings, the theoretical landscape appears cluttered with structural Marxism, hermeneutical Marxism, phenomenological Marxism, feminist Marxism, semiotic Marxism, postMarxism, along with standbys such as Marxist-Leninism, Trotskyism, and so forth.
