Oct, 1998

No. 014 REINVENTING SOCIALISM
Distributed as part of the Red Feather Institute RADICAL PEDAGOGY Series. The Red Feather Institute, 8085 Essex, Weidman, Michigan, 48893.

Cost:  5 to 20 pts. Generic pts.  Payoff:   Variable Quality Points.
Limit: 5 people may 'buy' this assignment.

FINAL FIELD ASSIGNMENT       DUE: 3 DEC 92
LEFT WING & LIBERAL ATTRACTORS ONLY

REINVENTING SOCIALISM:  The promise of socialism has fueled many of
the great struggles for equality at home and abroad in the last 100
years.  Socialists stand for those who have been victims of the
structures of domination:  racism, gender privilege, class
advantage, and the repression of human sexuality.  Yet everywhere,
especially in America, socialism is dead or in serious trouble. 
Your final field assignment, if you chose to take it is to reinvent
Socialism for the 21st Century.

     Assume you are advisor to Ms. Pat Schroeder, A Democratic
candidate for president.  Use one or more of the concepts below to
help formulate policy for her 1995 campaign in any of the social
institutions below using basic socialist values to justify your
recommendations.  Make specific policy recommendations in the areas
below in such a way as to bring progressive conservatives and those
with an abiding religious sensibility into the Democratic party.

BASIC VALUES:  

A.   Praxis:  autonomy, sociality, creativity, rationality
B.   Social justice:  housing, health care, education, safety, 
C.   Communism:  worker ownership and democratic self management of
     the means of production.
D.   Solidarity:  concern for oppressed minorities at home and
     abroad.

BASIC CONCEPTS:  Price: 5 points each.  You may use from 1 to 8 of
these concepts depending upon how many points you need to spend the
450 points you have left.

1.  SOCIALIZATION
2.  ORGANIC SOLIDARITY
3.  CONFLICT THEORY
4.  DRAMATURGICAL ANALYSIS
5.  CRIME
6.  SUBSTANTIVE RATIONALITY
7.  STRATIFICATION
8.  CLASS CONSCIOUSNESS
9.  SEXUALITY
10. POWER
11. RACISM
12. PATRIARCHY

POLICY PROBLEMS WITH WHICH TO DEAL:

EDUCATION      ENVIRONMENT         INEQUALITY     CORPORATE
CRIME     JOBS      CAPITAL FLIGHT      HEALTH CARE    SEXISM    
ABORTION  

INSTRUCTIONS:  1/2 PAGE LIMIT ON EACH POLICY RECOMMENDATION.  THE
PAPER IS TO BE TYPED, SPELL CHECKED AND CAREFULLY EDITED. Up to 5
Quality Points per Policy.