Marxist feminism

where do Marxists feminists see women’s oppression rooted

capitalism.

for Marxists feminists, where does women’s subordinate position come from

women’s subordination in capitalism comes from their primary role ad unpaid homemaker which places them in a dependent economic position in the family.

what functions does women’s subordination perform for capitalism

• women are a source of cheap, exploitable labour

• women are a reserve army of labour

• women reproduce the labour force

• women absorb anger

explain the functions that women’s subordination performs for capitalism- women are a source of cheap, exploitable labour

women are a source of cheap, exploitable labour for employers. they can be paid less because it is assumed they will be partially dependent on their husbands earnings

explain the functions that women’s subordination performs for capitalism- women are a reserve army of labour

women are a reserve army of labour that can be moved into the labour force during economic booms and out again at times of recession. they can be treated ad marginal workers in this way because it is assumed their primary role is the home

explain the functions that women’s subordination performs for capitalism- women reproduce the labour force

through their unpaid domestic labour, both by nurturing and socialising children to become the next generation of workers and by maintaining and servicing the current generation of workers- their husbands. they do this at no cost to capitalism.

explain the functions that women’s subordination performs for capitalism- women absorb anger

women absorb anger that would otherwise be directed at capitalism. Ansley described women as ‘takers of shit’ who soak up the frustration their alienated husbands feel.

where do marxists feminists thus argue women’s interests should lie

the overthrow of capatalism

what do some Marxist feminists argue must be taken into account other than economic factors

non- economic factors must also be taken into account if we are to understand and change women’s position

who mainly argues about the non-economic factors

Michele Barrett

what does Michele Barrett say about the non-economic factors

we must give more emphasis to women’s consciousness and motivations, and the role of ideology in maintaining their oppression

whats an example of Barretts argument

for example, why do women live and marry in the conventional nuclear family when this is precisely what oppresses them?

According to Barrett the answer is ‘familism’

what is the idea of ‘familism’

this ideology presents the nuclear family and its sexual division of labour (where women perform unpaid domestic work) ad natural and normal

the family is portrayed as the only place where women can attain fulfilment, through motherhood, intimacy and sexual satisfaction,

what does Barrett argue in regards to the overthrow of capitalism

the overthrow of capitalism is necessary to secure women’s liberation but is not sufficient

what else must we overthrow according to Barrett

the ideology of familism that underpins the conventional family and its unequal division of labour.

why does Barrett want to overthrow the ideology of familism

it would free the sexes from restrictive stereotypes and ensure domestic labour was shared equally

why do some feminists take the analysis of ideology further

to explain why women seem to freely accept oppressive family and marital relationships. these writers often draw in non-Marxist and even non-sociological ideas.

whats an example of some feminists that takes the analysis of ideology further

Juliet Mitchell uses Freud’s psychoanalytic theory to argue that ideas about femininity are so deeply implanted in womens unconscious minds that they are very difficult to dislodge

whats the implications of Juliet Mitchells analysis

even after the overthrow of capitalism, it would still be hard to overcome patriarchal ideology because it is so deeply rooted

whats a criticism of marxist feminism

fails to explain women’s subordination in non-capitalist societies. as women’s subordination is also found in non-capitalist societies, it cannot be explained solely in terms of the needs of capitalism

what is dual system feminism

duel system feminists have sought to combine the key features of Marxists and radical feminists in a single theory

what two systems are referred to in dual system feminism

• an economic system: capitalism

• a sex- gender system: patriarchy

who is an example of patriarchal capitalism

Dual system feminists like Heidi Hartmann

what do dual system feminists like Heidi Hartmann see capitalism and the patriarchy as

two interwined systems that form a single entity ‘patriarchal capitalism’

what do dual systems feminists mainly argue

like radical feminists, these theorists accept that patriarchy is universal, but they argue that patriarchy takes a specific form in capitalist societies.

from a dual system feminist perspective how do we understand women’s subordination

by looking at the relationship between their position both in the domestic division of labour (patriarchy) and in paid work (capitalism)

whats an example for dual system feminism

e.g. domestic work limits women’s availability for paid work- but the lack of wok opportunities drives many women into marriage and economic dependence on a man. thus the two systems reinforce each other

what does Sylvia Walby argue

that capitalism and patriarchy are intertwined. however, she argues that the interests of the two are not always the same

how does Syliva Walby describe the difference between capatalism and patrarchy not always being the same

they collide over the exploitation of female labour. while capitalism demands cheap female labour for it workforce, patriarchy resists this, wanting to keep women subordinate to men within the private domestic sphere.

whats more powerful in the long run- capitalism or patriachy

capitalism so patriarchy adopts a strategy of segregation instead: women are allowed into the capitalist sphere of paid work, but only in low status ‘women’s’ jobs, subordinate to men

why is Wallby’s approach useful

shows how the 2 systems interact and structure one another, without assuming that their interests always coincide.

what does Anna Pollert argue instead of Walbys view

that patriarchy is not actually a system in the same sense as capitalism, which is driven by its own internal dynamic of profit making. by contrast Pollert argues ‘patriarchy’ is merely a descriptive term for a range of practices such as make violence and control of women’s labour