Democratic Socialist Party collection

Collection

Identifier: HLL-2019-014

Staff Only

Content Description

The Democratic Socialist Party Collection, 1995-2002, undated comprises discussion and information bulletins that reflect the activities and political sentiments of the Democratic Socialist Party, as well as syllabi and study guides related to the Party's education initiatives.

Dates

1995-2002, undated

Language of Materials

Collection material is in English.

Conditions Governing Access

There are no access restrictions on this collection.

Conditions Governing Use

All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Archives and Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical materials and not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

Biographical / Historical

The Democratic Socialist Party (DSP), originally called the Socialist Workers Party of Australia (SWP), was an Australian political party that was founded in 1972 by members of the Socialist Youth Alliance. The SWP was affiliated with the 4th International as well as the American Socialist Workers Party until 1986 when the SWP transitioned away from Trotskyist ideology towards Leninism. In the 1990s the SWP was re-named the Democratic Socialist Party (DSP), and in 2001 it changed its name to the Democratic Socialist Perspective, when it became an internal tendency within the Socialist Alliance. In 2010, the Democratic Socialist Perspective voted to merge completely into the Socialist Alliance, effectively ceasing its function as an affiliate organization. The Party believed in the importance of organizing the working class as a way to meet their goal of replacing capitalism with socialism. Although labor unions rely on collective action and solidarity, the Party believed that unions alone were incapable of organizing workers for revolutionary action, and therefore a revolutionary socialist party was needed that could support and strengthen unions through promoting trade union democracy and class consciousness. The Party sought to educate workers about exploitation and oppression under capitalism by disseminating various publications and through various other educational initiatives.

Bibliography:

Program of the Democratic Socialist Party. Doug Lorimer Archive, Socialist Alternative. https://www.sa.org.au/node/4008#3

Recoba, Alvaro. “An Outline History of a Chameleon Party : a history of the Democratic Socialist Party of Australia.” Revolutionary Democracy, Vol. 8, No. 2, September 2002. https://www.revolutionarydemocracy.org/rdv8n2/dsp.htm

Extent

.83 Linear Feet

2 boxes

Additional Description

Abstract

This collection contains discussion and information bulletins and various education materials that reflect the political sentiments and educational activities of the Democratic Socialist Party (DSP). The DSP began as the Socialist Workers Party of Australia in 1972, changed its name to the Democratic Socialist Party in the 1990s and then to the Democratic Socialist Perspective in 2001, and merged with the Socialist Alliance in 2010.

Arrangement

The collection is alphabetically arranged in one series.

Custodial History

The Democratic Socialist Party Collection was donated to the Holt Labor Library in San Francisco, California between 1992 and 2019, and was acquired by the Gerth Archives and Special Collections at California State University, Dominguez Hills, in 2019.