Re: [xmca] Polls are closed: Manfred Holodynsk's article is choice

[Martin Packer <packer@duq.edu>]

No one can provide me with the definition of "project"?

Brecht, let me return to the material you copied from your doctoral thesis. Let's take the opening sentences:

On Apr 1, 2013, at 2:47 AM, Brecht De Smet <Brechttie.DeSmet@UGent.be> wrote:

> "The historical process of capital accumulation and proletarianization
> on a world scale has created forms of wage labor and exploitation that
> constructed the modern working class as a passive Object of history.
> Persons who can freely dispose of their labor power, but who do not
> possess their own (sufficient) means of production are forced into the
> activity-system of modern wage labor.[1][1] Their activity of wage labor
> is born out of necessity, and oriented towards the goal of reproducing
> their natural and social life. 

What we find here is your explication of a "historical process" that has constructed (I'd say 'constituted,' but let that pass), a class of persons. Not simply a crowd (I recall your previous critique!), but a class, which I presume you would agree is not simply an aggregate of individuals. As a result, you suggest, the actions of individuals who find themselves to be members of that class (I presume they didn't choose to be working class?) are constrained - people are "forced" to sell their capabilities in order to obtain a wage in order to eat in order to live. Their goal - "reproducing their natural and social life" - is not intrinsic to their activity - "wage labor" - because, as you say, the goal exists prior to the activity, and to a great degree the activity undercuts the goal - for many it's hard to eat and live under the conditions of exploited labor.

All of this is, IMHO, a great analysis! You take into account the social world in which people act, and how it constrains their activity, you take into account the history of this world, you take into account the necessity of reproduction. I just don't see that any of this is built on "project" as a unit of analysis!

But probably I'm confused...

Martin


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