RE: [Marxism] Mark Lause on sociology as "unscientific" and "bourgeois"

["Mark Lause" <MLause@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Perhaps, Jurriaan's reactions assume that I am hostile to social
analysis.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  I have only
questioned the sources of what he's presented to us and the assumptions
of those compiling the sources.  Personally, I think Jurriaan has
contributed much to the understanding of this list about many aspects of
the modern world, but he's done himself no honor by this puerile
non-response to a straightforward proposition.

To repeat my entirely unoriginal and pedestrian observation: (1) the
formally structured, self-described "social sciences" as managed and
directed through governments, universities and the other major
institutions of power and culture in a bourgeois society are bourgeois;
and, (2) the "social sciences" are not "scientific" in the sense that
chemistry, physics, etc. are.

Jurriaan responds that it's not worth much thought because: (1) it is
"fucking crap," and; it comes from me, as an educated person, which he
demonstrates by supplying the particulars of my employment.  (In fact,
these are outdated particulars, but I'm sure the FBI already has the
full skinny on what I do.)

Years ago, when I was an autoworker, I used to wear my union button when
I went to earth day celebrations and environmental demonstrations.
Invariably, someone would say something like, "But, dude, you make the
cars that pollute everything."  Making cars doesn't negate an auto
workers concerns about the impact of the industry and concern about the
impact of the industry doesn't mean that we trash mechanized
transportation and get in touch with our inner pedestrian.

In the same way, there is no contradiction between being a professor and
being skeptical of ideological assumptions, approaches, and assertions
that come out the other end of the academic assembly line.  My doing so
is certainly at least as intellectually honest as repeating statistics
and ignoring requests to clarify what they mean.

Jurriaan's analogies are simply inverted.  He says my position is "no
better than if the AFL-CIO were to announce that nobody can form a
union, unless they join the AFL-CIO."  More, my argument is "George W.
Bush purging the theory of evolution from the science curriculum,
because it conflicts with the Bible."   In reality, I am not the arbiter
of what it and is not "sociology" or "social science," am I?  I am, in
fact, questioning those assumptions and Jurriaan is taking offense that
I question them.

It is a very revealing failing.

When it comes to class, ignoring POWER--and who really has power--is a
basic flaw.  Frankly, I think that this is a common ground for those who
tend to quote uncritically either social science and governnment
statistics and or what Marx wrote.

Solidarity!
Mark L.




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