WELCOME
- to the Home Page of the Radical Caucus of the Modern Language Association.
Call to April 19, 2003
Symposium of Radical Caucuses: Radical Academics - What Is To Be Done?At the 1998 MLA Convention, the annual meeting of the Radical Caucus discussed a draft Manifesto, the main ideas of which had been determined at the 1997 meeting a year earlier. After discussion, a volunteer committee met to amend the draft according to suggestions agreed upon at that meeting. Here is the draft, as of December 29, 1998:
| The Radical Caucus was founded in the late 60s, with the mission of
bringing a radical, class-based, left consciousness and praxis to the MLA. In the late 60s
and early 70s it was instrumental in raising anti-war politics very sharply in the
organization; two of its members served as presidents of the MLA in this period. Over the
years the RC has sponsored sessions on working-class issues; and before multiculturalism
and feminism gained their present popularity, the RC was dedicating sessions to issues of
race and gender. We believe that class analysis is indespensible for literary and cultural
study, as well as to assess progressive trends in the academy, such as anti-sexism and
anti-homophobia. The RC has of late been reactivated as a presence in the MLA in a more activist mode. RC members played roles in passage of various resolutions over the past several years. We have sponsored a number ofresolutions and motions defending Affirmative Action; sponsored an important resolution against workfare -- one which unfortunately failed before the MLA Delegate Assembly, but which provided the opportunity to raise an anti-capitalist, class analysis of racism strongly before a large number of MLA members. We take a strong stand in support of unionization for teaching assistants and adjuncts, and have sponsored a number of resolutions and motions urging the MLA to take a stand supporting unionization and condemning institutions which super-exploit academic labor. RC members were instrumental in getting a resolution supporting the Yale Graduate Assistants strike passed by the MLA Delegate Assembly in 1996. It is becoming clearer to many that the world trend of sharp attacks on the working classes (from corporate "downsizing" to mass, racist incarceration of disenfranchised workers) will not spare any worker; now that the veil of economic "disinterest" has fallen, we can see the profit motive hard at work in the universities and colleges. The RC understands that only a large, organized movement will halt this trend. At our 1997 MLA general meeting the more than 50 members present voted to make an anti-capitalist critique the "bottom line" of any analysis we present to the MLA. We stand for a class analysis of both economic and ideological issues in our profession, inhigher education generally, and in society at large. We stand for carrying forth struggle within the MLA, and not simply abandoning it to bureaucrats concerned with its "respectability" among elite groups and to those who are led by ideologies which apologize for, or ignore, class exploitation and the ways in which this poisons literary culture and academic life, and discriminates against non-white and working class students. We call on all interested students and teachers to join us in our work to bring the vital political issues of our time to the MLA and to our professions. |
http://chss.montclair.edu/~furrg/rcpage.html | furrg@mail.montclair.edu | last modified 14 Mar 03