Influenced by the thought of
Karl Marx, Marxist sociology emerged around the
turn of the 20th century. The first
Marxist School of sociology was known as
Austro-Marxism, of which
Carl Grünberg and
Antonio Labriola were among its most notable members. Much of the development in the field occurred on the outskirts of academia, pitting Marxist against "
bourgeois" sociology. For some time, this division was reinforced by the
Russian Revolution that then led to the creation of the
Soviet Union. Soon, however, sociology found itself a victim of the
suppression of "bourgeois" science within the Soviet Union. While, after several decades, sociology was reestablished in the Communist states, two separate currents of thought evolved within Marxist sociology: •
Soviet Marxism: a
Marxist-Leninist school that developed under 20th-century Communism (primarily the Soviet Union) to serve state interests. The school was heavily influenced by Marx's theory of
historical materialism. •
Western Marxism: a Marxist school centered on the studies of Marxism in
the West. It would become accepted within Western academia during the 1940s, and would subsequently fracture into several different perspectives, such as the
Frankfurt School (
critical theory) Due to its former state-supported position, there has been a backlash against Marxist thought in
post-Communist states (e.g.
sociology in Poland). However, Marxist sociology is still dominant in sociological research that is sanctioned and supported by remaining Communist states (e.g.
sociology in China). == List of Marxist sociologists ==