On Being Holier-Than-Thou: A Critique of Curry Malott's "Pseudo-Marxism and the Reformist Retreat from Revolution"

Autor/in	McGrew, Ken
Titel	On Being Holier-Than-Thou: A Critique of Curry Malott's "Pseudo-Marxism and the Reformist Retreat from Revolution"
Quelle	In: Journal for Critical Education Policy Studies, 9 (2011) 2, S.14-42 (29 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1740-2743
Schlagwörter	Stellungnahme; Political Attitudes; Marxian Analysis; Social Class; Postmodernism; Criticism; Social Systems; Critical Theory + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Political attitude; Politische Einstellung; Marxism; Marxismus; Social classes; Soziale Klasse; Postmoderne; Kritik; Social system; Soziales System; Kritische Theorie
Abstract	In the May 2011 edition of this journal, Curry Malott contributed an essay review of Jean Anyon's "Marx and Education" (2011). The author would summarize Mallot's critiques of her book as follows: (1) she didn't write the book that he wanted her to write; (2) she didn't cite the authors that he wanted her to cite; and (3) her work is anti-Marxist because her take on the literature isn't identical to his. While his intention was to expose her book as undermining Marxist analysis even as she sought to support it, Malott's essay is actually more successful as an example of the dangers of sectarianism and of the tendency on the Left to purge those viewed as not sufficiently conforming to orthodoxy in their positions. In this article, the author examines the problems in Malott's essay. While some of Malott's (2011) criticisms of "Marx and Education" (Anyon, 2011) merit consideration, at least as drawing attention to the need for greater clarity of language and position, they tend towards gross overstatements of the significance of any errors she may have made. This overreaching seems to occur primarily because he draws conclusions as to the meaning and implications of written statements in the book that are not reasonable given what Anyon actually wrote, misrepresents the positions of various critical scholars in the effort to support his arguments, and makes arguments and reaches conclusions that are not logical or consistent. More troubling than this, however, is that Malott leaves the impression that he believes there is some sort of unified vanguard of Marxist educational scholars, consisting of himself and others who read Marx correctly, and claims the right to cast out as enemies of Marxism anyone who might deviate from their views. (Contains 27 footnotes.) (ERIC).
Anmerkungen	Institute for Education Policy Studies. University of Northampton, School of Education, Boughton Green Road, Northampton, NN2 7AL, UK. Tel: +44-1273-270943; e-mail: ieps@ieps.org.uk; Web site: http://www.jceps.com
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10