Socialist Fundamentals Series
The Socialist Fundamentals Series creates a shared vocabulary and understandings as the basis for debate, solidifies knowledge of socialist fundamentals, and enables members to make informed strategic and tactical decisions. Join us each month as we work through the curriculum
East Bay DSA Socialist Fundamentals Sessions and Readings
Session 1: The Communist Manifesto
- The Communist Manifesto (1848) by Karl Marx and Freidrich Engels
- Themes and key concepts/ topics: Capitalism, Socialism/communism, class struggle
Session 2: Introduction to Key Socialist Concepts
- Chapters 4-7 of The Point is To Change It by John Molyneux
- Themes and key concepts / topics: materialism, idealism, mode and relations of production, class
Session 3: Class and Labor Struggle
- Excerpts from Intro and Chapters 1,2, and 4 of Joe Burns Class Struggle Unionism
- Themes and key concepts: the labor movement, socialist work in unions
Session 4: Social Reproduction and Socialist Feminism
- Social Reproduction Feminisms by Tithi Bhattacharya, Sara R. Farris and Sue Ferguson (excerpt from SAGE Handbook of Marxism)
- Excerpt from Genora Dollinger Interview on the 1936-37 General Motors Sit-Down Strike]
- Themes and key concepts / topics: Socialist Feminism and Gender Oppression, social reproduction
Session 5: Black Reconstruction and the General Strike
- Excerpt from W.E.B. Du Bois Black Reconstruction (Chapters 1, 2, 4)
- Themes and key concepts / topics: US History, racism and racial oppression from a materialist perspective
Session 6: Racial Ideology in the US
- Excerpts from Chapters 1, 3, and 5 of Mistaken Identity by Asad Haider
- Themes and key concepts / topics: the social history of race and racism, How to fight against racism in an era of identity politics
Session 7: Ecosocialism
- What Every Environmentalist Needs to Know About Capitalism by John Bellamy Foster and Fred Magdoff
- Part 3 of Red Nation by Nick Estes
Session 8: Fascism
- What is fascism? (excerpt by Ernest Mandel)
- “Let's Measure the Far-Right Threat Seriously” by Cihan Tuğal
Session 9: Capitalism with Californian Characteristics
- Golden Gulag Chs.1-2 by Ruth Wilson Gilmore
- Themes and key concepts/topics: Accumulation and surplus, neoliberalism, mass incarceration in California
Session 10: Imperialism
- On imperialism by Paul Le Blanc, Imperialism by V.I. Lenin (excerpts from From Marx to Gramsci, .ed Le Blanc)
- Excerpts from Neocolonialism by Kwame Nkrumah
- Themes and key concepts / topics: Neocolonialism, imperialism
Session 11: Building Independent Working Class Organization
- Democracy is About People Having Power by Mike Parker (article published on The Call)
- Key themes/concepts: workers’ power is derived from the independent organization of the working class; DSA's role in the socialist movement and labor; Role of (future) socialist or workers’ parties in the US