Göran Therborn received his Fil. Dr. from Lund University in 1974, marking the start of an academic career focused on the intersection of state apparatuses and class structure. His research spans the post-Marxist tradition, addressing how ideology functions within subjects and the evolving nature of social inequality in the twenty-first century.
Academic Appointments and Institutional Background
Born in 1941 in Kalmar, Sweden, Therborn completed his gymnasium studies in his hometown in 1960 before attending Lund University. Throughout his career, he held faculty positions at several institutions, including Lund University, the University of Gothenburg, and Uppsala University. He also served as a faculty member at Radboud University between 1982 and 1988 and held a role as a Residential Fellow at the Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study in Uppsala during the autumn of 1987. Currently, he is recognized as a professor of sociology at the University of Cambridge.
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Therborn’s scholarship frequently appears in the New Left Review and centers on the mechanisms of political power. His 1980 publication, The Ideology of Power and the Power of Ideology, provides a material matrix of ideologies while examining ideological domination and the constitution of classes. He has consistently addressed the future of Marxist theory, notably in his 2008 work From Marxism to Post-Marxism?, which provides a history of Marxist thought’s trajectory.
Sociological Monographs and Research Themes
His bibliography includes diverse studies on global social dynamics. Early works like Science, Class & Society (1976) and What Does the Ruling Class do When it Rules? (1978) established his analytical framework. Later research expanded into comparative sociology, covering topics such as unemployment patterns, family structures in Between Sex and Power (2004), and European development in European Modernity and Beyond (1995). More recent outputs include The Killing Fields of Inequality (2013), Cities of power (2017), and Inequality and the Labyrinths of Democracy (2020).
Public Recognition
In 2019, Therborn was awarded the Lenin Award in Sweden. In his acceptance remarks, he characterized the honor as an intentional provocation directed at the established bourgeoisie and market structures, as well as a critique of political passivity regarding social rights.
Fast facts
- Born: 1941, Kalmar, Sweden
- Citizenship: Sweden
- Education: Lund University
- Current Primary Institution: University of Cambridge
- Notable Award: Lenin Award (2019)
- Primary Fields: Sociology, Political Science
Questions readers ask
What is the focus of Therborn's 1980 book?
It examines ideological change, the ideological constitution of classes, and ideological domination, building upon the work of Louis Althusser.
Where has Göran Therborn taught?
He has held positions at Lund University, the University of Gothenburg, Uppsala University, Radboud University, and the University of Cambridge.
Achievements
- Held posts at Lund University, University of Gothenburg and Uppsala University
