User:Sennalen/sandbox/Marxism

The term "cultural Marxism" has been used in academic contexts to signify various strands of Western Marxism, including cultural studies and critical theory. However, the term "Cultural Marxism" is also used by purveyors of the anti-Semitic Cultural Marxism conspiracy theory. Parts of the conspiracy theory make reference to actual thinkers and ideas that are in the Western Marxist tradition,  but they severely misrepresent the subject. Conspiracy theorists exaggerate the actual influence of Marxist cultural analysis, including claims that Marxist scholars aimed to infiltrate governments, mind-control populations,  and destroy Western civilization. Since there is no such movement, Joan Braune has argued it is not correct to use the term "Cultural Marxism" at all.

Cultural Marxism includes diverse thinkers with conflicting ideas, but conspiracy theorists instead treat them as interchangeable parts of a coherent movement.