Interrogating Inequality

Perceptive and thoughtful essays on the future of socialism and Marxism

After opening with an account of the author's awakening to Marxism, this book goes on to review its central principles as a social science, paying particular heed to feminist concepts and the meaning of inequality. It concludes by exploring possible futures under capitalism and socialism.This lively new collection from one of America's leading sociologists covers a wide range of theoretical problems of interest to radical social scientists and political activists.

The book opens with a fascinating autobiographical essay exploring the challenges and benefits of being a Marxist scholar in the present era. Following this is a discussion of various issues in class analysis, with particular attention being paid to two overarching themes: class and inequality, and the relationship between class and power.

The second section of the book engages the problem of socialism as a possible future to capitalism. Wright attempts to clarify the conceptual status of socialism, and discusses why certain reforms such as basic income grants may ultimately require the introduction of some form of socialism for their full realization.

Interrogating Inequality concludes by examining the general problem of Marxism as a tradition of radical social theory. Three issues in particular are discussed: the central principles of "analytical Marxism" as a strategy for reconstructing Marxism as a social scientific theory; the relationship between Marxism and feminism as emancipatory social theories; and the prospects for Marxism in the aftermath of the collapse of communist regimes.