Topic 4:
Socialism and Feminism
Series 1: Start at the beginning
In our fourth and final topic is Series 1, we’re looking at Socialism and Feminism. What have socialism and feminism got to do with each other - aren’t they entirely different? What’s a girl-boss, a neo-liberal, a socialist, a capitalist? Someone please explain!!!
This month we’ve decided to give you a few quick guide-to pieces, rather than a deep dive into the work of any particular theorist. Get in touch if you’d like us to go deeper into this topic in the future!
Read: explainer article
Listen: podcast episode
Dictionary definitions
With special thanks to Sheila Rowbotham…
“Rowbotham is one of Britain’s most important, if unshowy, feminist thinkers, and a key figure of the second wave.” – Melissa Benn, Guardian
Sheila Rowbotham, who helped start the women’s liberation movement in Britain, is known internationally as an historian of feminism and radical social movements (Verso Books). We were really grateful to hear her insight in our podcast - our team has been really influenced by her work. Find out more about her and her written works on her Verso Books biography page.
Daring to Hope by Sheila Rowbotham
Key Figure: Silvia Federici
In our explainer, we briefly mentioned feminist theorist and activist Federici, but we thought we should give her some air-time of her own.
Silvia Federici is a well-known Marxist feminist, and a really influential figure in thinking around anti-capitalist feminism.
She wrote a short book in 1975 called Wages Against Housework, which considers the relationship between women’s liberation and capitalism, particularly speaking about housework.
She’s also well known for her book Caliban and the Witch: Women, the Body and Primitive Accumulation.
She wrote it after having been engaged in the Wages for Housework campaign, which argued women should be paid for their ‘domestic’ - your hoovering, dishes, your ‘hi-honey-I’m-home,-where’s-my-dinner’ cooking. For many years, the burden of housework has - subtly or less subtly - been carried by women. By argue that it deserved a wage, the campaign was arguing that it was real and meaningful labour.
Check out Pluto Press’ interview with Federici about the campaign.
“Wages for Housework changed how we see women’s work forever. In this blog, Louise Toupin and Silvia Federici discuss the campaign, examining its trajectories and its relevance for the revolutionary feminist movement today.”
More from Federici…
Articles and interviews from the Verso Books website.
Reached the end and still have questions? There’s buckets of theory you can get stuck into, check out the podcast pages for our references and recommendations. We always love being asked questions too (though no promises we know the answers). Leave us a comment, drop us a DM, or send us an email.