Marxism, Ideology and Literature

The contemporary world projects a perplexing picture of political, social and economic upheaval.In these challenging times the conventional wisdoms of orthodox social thought whether it be sociology, economics or cultural studies become inadequate.This series focuses on this intellectual crisis, selecting authors whose work seeks to transcend the limitations of conventional discourse.Its tone is scholarly rather than polemical, in the belief that significant theoretical work is needed to clear the way for a genuine transformation of the existing social order.Because of this, the series will relate closely to recent developments in social thought, particularly to critical theory --the emerging European tradition.In terms of specific topics, key pivotal areas of debate will be selected-for example, mass culture, inflation, problems of sexuality and the family, the nature of the capitalist state, natural science and ideology.The scope of analysis will be broad: the series will attempt to break the existing arbitrary divisions between the social studies disciplines.Its aim is to provide a platform for critical social thought (at a level quite accessible to students) to enter into the major theoretical controversies of the day.