Marxist Feminism

Question 1

What is the cause women’s subordination in capitalist society?

Answer 1

Their role as homemaker makes them economically dependent

Question 2

Examples of functions that women’s subordination performs

Answer 2

A reserve army of labour e.g. WWI

Ansley- they absorb anger caused by workers’ exploitation (cause of DV)

Reproduce the labour force

Question 3

What does Barrett argue?

Answer 3

More emphasis must be put on women’s consciousness and motivations and the role of ideology in maintaining oppression

Question 4

What is the ideology of familism?

Answer 4

The idea that the nuclear family and its division of labour is natural/normal which keeps women subordinate

Question 5

What must be overthrown in addition to capitalism?

Answer 5

Ideology of familism. To free the sexes of restrictive stereotypes and uneven division of labour

Question 6

Mitchell’s criticism

Answer 6

Uses Freud’s psychoanalytic theory to argue that even if capitalism is overthrown, patriarchal ideology would be difficult to overcome because it is so deeply engrained

Question 7

Positive of marxist feminism

Answer 7

Demonstrates a greater understanding of the importance of structural factors than liberal feminists

Question 8

Hartmann’s criticism

Answer 8

Fails to explain why women, and not men, do domestic labour because Marxism is sex blind