De-democratization and the politics of knowledge: Unpacking the Cultural Marxism narrative

David Paternotte (Université libre de Bruxelles) and Mieke Verloo (Radbound University)
De-democratization and the politics of knowledge: Unpacking the Cultural Marxism narrative

The politics of knowledge matter to the current wave of de-democratization in Europe. Building on social complexity theory (Walby 2009), this paper highlights the dynamics between epistemic configurations and contemporary politics. Focusing on academic institutions, and taking gender studies as an illustration, this paper shows that actors opposing (social) sciences and academia not only aim to dismantle existing institutions of knowledge production, but also promote a new politics of truth. In this, the Cultural Marxism master frame operates as a diagnosis and a prognosis frame providing the base for attacks on academia and for a strategy of profound transformation of the realm of knowledge in Europe.

The seminar will take place online
To join us on GMeet: https://meet.google.com/rfe-echw-kyr