Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant: Democratic Communists: Party and Class in South Africa and Kerala

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The twentieth century saw the rise and fall of Marxist practices. At the beginning of the century, the international communist movement was a growing social and political force inspired by emancipatory ideas, but by its end the movement has virtually disappeared. Today, the movement is mostly talked about in association with totalitarian and authoritarian regimes of the past. However, at least two twentieth century communist parties can lay claim to more democratic histories and hopeful futures: the South African Communist Party and the Community Party of India in Kerala. Both parties represent exceptions to the historical norms of twentieth century international communism. Yet, the two parties also differ: in Kerala the party developed a participatory democratic orientation, and in South Africa the party developed a representative democratic orientation. Through the comparative method, this project examines why the two parties diverged after having developed by the late 1950s broadly similar democratic commitments and orientations. Based on interviews with party leaders, activists, and members, and access to party papers, memos, correspondence, and reports, the investigator identifies the conditions that facilitate the growth and development of various types of democratic communism.