Focusing on the need for socialist consciousness, this book serves as a guide for militant organizers in the U.S. It emphasizes the dual role of these individuals as both activists and educators, equipping them to engage in various campaigns effectively. The chapters explore themes in Marxist educational praxis and draw on historical movements to inform contemporary practices. Additionally, two appendices offer practical tactics for studying, discussing, and teaching revolutionary ideas, enhancing the training of future revolutionary educators.
As the crises of imperialist capitalism deepen, Ford's pedagogy of the encounter serves as a crucial tool for bridging the gap between our current reality and a communist future. This work is a compelling call for resistance, intricately combining Ford's innovative theoretical insights with his activist experiences on the streets and picket lines. The book urges action and provides a framework for engaging in the class struggle through pedagogies that inspire revolutionary change.
Derek R. Ford, an organizer and political theorist, introduces new Marxist pedagogical concepts aimed at advancing the class struggle. He posits that the Marxist goal of establishing the dictatorship of the proletariat and achieving a classless society requires an educational praxis that fosters disinterpellative encounters. By creatively interpreting the works of Marx, Althusser, Glissant, and others, Ford delineates two dialectical pedagogical processes—inquiry and presentation—exploring their political interrelations through various theorists and contexts.
This book not only sheds light on the historical, political, spatial, technological, and sonic dimensions of our struggle but also proposes new pedagogical methods for reading, writing, listening, and learning. These methods aim to facilitate encounters that can lead to an alternative social formation and, under the Party's guidance, a new mode of production.
