IV ISA Forum of Sociology (February 23-28, 2021)

JS-17

Alienation and the Reactionary Right

Abstract Submissions Closed

RC48 Social Movements, Collective Actions and Social Change (host committee)
RC36 Alienation Theory and Research

Language: English

Session Type: Oral

In his now classical Escape from Freedom, Eric Fromm, one of the first scholars influenced by the 1844 Manuscripts and the 18th Brumaire of Louis Napoleon, attempted to understand the socio-historical basis of alienation. He did so primarily in terms of the anxieties of freedom that included the breakdown of stable communities, uncertainty over status, powerlessness, and the thwarting of self-realization that disposed people to authoritarianism, domination, subordination, and a projection/expression of aggression. For Fromm, authoritarianism was a major factor underlying the embrace of fascism by large segments of the German population, primarily the lower middle classes, some of the working classes, and, indeed, some of the industrial elites. Fast forward to today, when a period of slow but sure trends toward more progressive values has been followed in the last decade by a number of right wing movements, mobilizations, and political victories in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and even Southeast Asia. How do the legacies of Marx, Critical Theory, a number of studies of history, and social psychology help us understand the various right-wing mobilizations, authoritarian populisms, and ethno-religious nationalisms that seem so virulent today? Moreover, this tradition of emancipatory critique suggests, despite the gloom, doom, and pessimism so prevalent, that democratic, inclusive, and tolerant postcapitalist society is possible. This session will be an attempt to further explore the relationships of alienation to the many right wing movements of today and address contesting these movements, while also imagining that “a better world is possible.”