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Professors Murphy and Choi use postmodern philosophy to expose an important source of racism and cultural domination. They examine foundationalism, which they see at the core of the Western intellectual tradition and which is shown to foster a metaphysics of domination. By contrast, postmodernism undermines this root of racism.
They demonstrate that foundationalism is not needed to support identity, institutions, or political order. Indeed, they assert that true pluralism is possible once foundationalist approaches to knowledge and order are set aside. Special attention is directed to two current modes of discrimination: institutional racism and symbolic violence. Murphy and Choi provide an intriguing look at ways to undercut the justification for racism and other threats to cultural difference. This volume will be of particular interest to scholars and other researchers in the areas of race relations, cultural studies, and political theory.
List of contents
Introduction: What Makes This Work Postmodern?
The Sociological Tradition and Race Relations
Postmodernism: Theoretical Considerations
The Decentering of Identity
Knowledge, Intelligence, and the Life-World
Radical Pluralism and Social Order
Institutions and Institutionalized Discrimination
Symbolic Violence and Social Control
Race and Democracy
Index
About the author
JOHN W. MURPHY is Professor of Sociology at the University of Miami.
JUNG MIN CHOI is Assistant Professor of Sociology at Barry University.
Both have written extensively and are the coauthors of several books, including
The Politics and Philosophy of Political Correctness (1992) and, with K. Callaghan,
The Politics of Culture, (1995), both published by Praeger.
