New Books in Sociology Agustín Santella and Adrián Piva, "Marxism, Social Movements and Collective Action" (Palgrave Macmillan, 2023)
Feb 16, 2026
Agustín Santella, sociologist and U. of Buenos Aires professor who researches Marxist theory and social movements. He discusses building a Marxist theory that links class antagonism to diverse protests. Short takes cover gaps in classical Marxism, the New Left shift, neoliberal individualization, and rethinking labor, reproduction, informal and care work.
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Two Core Problems For A Class-Struggle Theory
- A theory of class struggle must explain both the passage from class antagonism to class formation and the variety of collective action forms.
- Agustín Santella argues Marxism lacks intermediate categories to connect class theory with diverse struggles.
Classics Gave Pieces, Not A Unified Theory
- The classical Marxist generation developed fragmentary concepts about economy, state, and party but didn't produce a unified theory of class struggle.
- Santella calls those contributions substantial yet insufficient for a systematic mobilization theory.
New Left Emphasized Theory Over Strategy
- The 1960s Western Marxists focused more on methodology and general theory, widening Marxist inquiry beyond party strategy.
- Santella suggests both generations’ work provides a starting point to reconnect theory and politics.
