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Radical Inheritance: Political Memory and Identity in Modern American Far-Left Families
Volkova, Elynna
Volkova, Elynna
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Research project
Date
2026
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Committee member
Department
Anthropology
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https://doi.org/10.34944/rfev-rj10
Abstract
The American political atmosphere has become increasingly polarized and right-leaning over the past three decades. The extreme left has been mostly delegitimized in this public sphere until very recently. With almost half of young people holding a positive view of socialism and the continued use of communist and anarchist iconography among leftist groups, it is relevant to ask: how does far-leftism reproduce itself in the mecca of global capitalism, and how is it experienced by the individual under our current circumstances? I examine this question through the lens of the family. Through semi-structured interviews with eight adults aged 18-35 whose parent(s) identified as socialists, communists, or anarchists, the project explores political subjectivity and historical memory within families whose values frequently conflict with American societal norms. Thematic analysis suggested that interviewees developed critical worldviews by witnessing parental activism, internalizing historical narratives of injustice, and contemplating political comments attached to everyday symbols. Some who were simply oriented towards equality and justice in their upbringings became radicalized by recent political crises. Activist parents fostered feelings of political agency and soft and hard activist skills in their children, while children of non-activist parents expressed affects stemming from positions of powerlessness. A sense of historical continuity helped some interviewees ground their identities and practices—others were oriented towards the immediacy of the moment. All of these individuals’ political journeys were highly personal, drawing cultural capital and affective orientations from their individualized contexts to make sense of, and act in, a tumultuous atmosphere.
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Livingstone Undergraduate Research Awards website: https://sites.temple.edu/livingstone/2026-livingstone-undergraduate-research-award-in-the-social-sciences/
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