marxist feminism Flashcards
what are marxist feminists?
- marxist deminists believe social class affects the life chances of women and it is a key factor in the relationship between men and women
- they are heavily influenced by Marxist theory but believe that it is necessary to combine these views with a feminist approach to hilight the way in which capitalism is an economic system that leads to the oppression of women
- they argue that the family is a patriarchal institution and that womens position in the family, as wives and mothers, results in them being exploited by capitalism
- gender inequalities in society are maintained because women are encouraged to accept the sominant ideology that the nuclear family is a natural family form and that any inequaliries and differences between men and women in society are fair and legitimate becaus ecapitalism is presented as a meritocratic system
how do marxist feminists suggest women play a central role in benifiting capitalism through reproduction?
- they reprofuce the enxt generation of workers and socialise them into norms and values that benefit capitalism by encouraging the children to be obedient and hard working
- boys are brainwashed to believe that their role is to become breadwinners and girls learn that their primary role is as housewives
- the family socialises its members into accepting traditional gender roles and the view that it is natural for men and women to get married and engafe in seperate roles and jobs in the home
- an attitude that is passed down from generation to generation
- for marxist feminists such as family ideology supports patriarchy since it suggests that men and women should have different roles in the family and society that lead to the subordination of women to men
how do marxist feminists suggest women play a central role in benifiting capitalism through unpaid domestic work?
- women soothe the stresses and frustrations of proletariat men after a hard day at work
- ansley (1976) sees women as acting as a safety valve and talks of women as being the takers of shit as husbands return home having been exploited at work and take their frustrationa dn anger out on their wives
- she contends that when wives play their traditional role as takers of shit they often absorb their husbands legitimate anger and frustration at their own powerlessness and oppression
- with ebery worker provided with a sponge to soak up his possibly revolutionary ire, the bosses rest more secure
- Ansley therefore demonstrates the important role that women play in maintaining capitalism
how do marxist feminists suggest women play a central role in benifiting capitalism through emotion work?
- Benston (1972) argues that a wife keeps her husband in good running order y feeding and caring for him and that this is essential to the smooth running of capitalism
- in addition the fact that a man must provide for his wife and children means that he is less likely to challenge the capitalist system
- Benstin believes that the unpaid domestic labour of women helps to support the capitalist system
- she contends that id women were paid a wage from their work, there would have to be a massive redistribution of wealth
- Benston is highly critical of the nuclear family and womens role within it and sees it as a stabilising force in capitalist society
what does Feeley (1972) say about families teaching children passivity?
- feeley (1972) argues that the family teaches children to submit to a form of parental authority that is patriarchal
- she claims that they emerge from family life precinditioned to accept their place in the capitalist hierarchy of power and control
- she believes that the family is designed to teach passivity not rebellion
what dies Brugel (1979) say about women as a reserve army of labour?
- Brugel (1979) argues that that the family is central to womens oppression and points to they way that the ruling class use women to join the workforce when needed and send them back to the role of full time housewife when not required
- Marxust feminists claim that the situation faceb by women in the rectent economic recessions experienced in the UK and elsewhere shows that women are the ones most affected by redundancies, low pay and job insecurity
why have marxist feminists been criticised for focusing on social class?
-marxist feminists tend to be criticised for placing too much emphasis on social class and not paying attention to ther factors that may impact on womens lives such as ethncity or age
how have postmodernists criticised marxist feminists?
-postmodernst thinkers are also critical of the focus on class as they believe that it is no longer a significant social division
how have radical feminists criticised marxist feminists?
- radical feminists are critical of the emphasis on capitalist exploitation
- they argue that patriarchy is a more significant form of exploitation that predates capitalism and has existed in all known societies, not just capitalist ones
how have theorists criticised marxist feminists?
-some theorists have questioned the usefulness of Marxist feminism as it relies on a revolution to bring about change and that does not seem to be happening
