The Theory of Socialist Feminism - Essay Example

Running head: Socialist feminism Socialist Feminism Insert Insert Insert 1 March 2012 Socialist Feminism Introduction Socialist feminism is a branch of the entire feminism that focuses on both the private and public areas of the lives of women. Socialist feminism argues that women’s liberation needs to focus on economic and cultural aspects, which form the core areas that contribute to oppression of women in the society. The core aspects focus on the theories of Marxist feminisms and radical feminism in a broad context. Marxist feminism alludes to oppression of women as a result of the capitalist system while radical feminism places much emphasis on patriarchy and the role of gender dimensions in causing oppression of women in their daily works of life. The theory however rejects the claim that patriarchy is primarily the only factor in radical feminism’s contributing to oppression of the women in its totality. Socialist feminism theory asserts patriarchy as an indirect source rather than a primary source of oppression with regards to women’s financial dependence on men. The financial dependence is made worse by the capitalist system, where wealth is unevenly distributed and thus further subjecting women to male supremacy. It is in this context that women’s oppression comes in as a rather more complex aspect of the society, rather than just patriarchy in itself. Socialist feminism asserts these complexities to be the result of social, political, and economic injustices that women must be freed from. Socialist Feminism Although socialist feminism adopts the criteria of Marxism, it goes further to describe the oppression of women as not only an economic aspect, but also a social and psychological aspect. The theory’s description transcends economics as a primary source of oppression to women and adopts a broad context of political, social, and economic injustices. The theory focuses on women in their day-to-day life experiences, both in the private and public spheres such as prostitutes, being victims of economic injustices with regards to class distinctions brought about by corruption in the society. The aspect of class oppression in a capitalist society justifying individuals on the basis of material things degrades a particular group of people by objectifying their existence. The capitalist system is rather referred to as a materialistic society that categorizes women in particular class irrespective of their human nature as equal contributors of the society (Cody, 2006, p.86). The socialist feminism materialistic point of view draws its concepts from the Marxist theory, which relates the plight of women to material aspects. The socialist feminism puts into consideration how gender and sexism division of labor is determined by the dynamics of the economic system from the historical era to the current situation where conditions are expressed through patriarchal and capitalist relations. Both Socialist feminism and Marxist theories assert to challenges as emanating from class and class struggle, although the feminist theory goes beyond economic aspects as the only determining factor of the challenges that women go through. Gender oppression not only results from class to class oppression, but also adopts a broader context of contributors from the social structures that existed in the historical era and that still appear in complex forms in the modern day social structures. Historical era social structures were more inclined to the household structures, where women assumed their husbands class irrespective of their gender differences. Social structures have been transformed from the historical era social structures to the modern day social structures, where classes in which women belong to are no longer dependent on those of their husbands, but the trends of the capitalist system in general. Although men still play a role in oppression of women with regards to the financial supremacy they have over women in the modern day capitalist society, the role ceased to be in the form of husband-to-wife relationship. Socialist feminism not only focuses on capitalist social relations and resulting sexual oppression as the driving force behind women’s problems, but also highlights patriarchy as a system of interaction affecting women from basic relationships. Moreover, capitalism and patriarchy have worked interactively in reinforcing each context for each aspect to operate effectively with the necessary control, irrespective of the impact these interactions may have on women (Hennessy & Ingraham, 1997, p.97). The patriarchal relationship has taken a more complex influence on oppression of women as opposed to financial dependency in the ancient household structures. Patriarchal socialist relations have been assumed to form its complexities and influences on social feminism during the transformation of the agrarian society into the industrial capitalism system, where production shifted from the household level to the factory level. Although male supremacy was more evident in the household production setting, the current capitalism state forms the basis of socialist feminism with regards to patriarchal capitalist complexities (Hennessy & Ingraham, 1997, p.67). Socialist feminism asserts to women oppression in the social structural context as a combination of class exploitation and male dominance in the modern day capitalist society. Although men seem to have a wider financial supremacy over women, the capitalist society is characterized by a tiny minority group of individuals, which owns a majority of wealth at the expense of the majority groups of people irrespective of gender. However, socialist feminist asserts to such economic inequality as having a more severe impact on women, rather than the majority lower class individuals as a whole. Oppression of women therefore emanates from general class exploitation where tiny minority owners of wealth garner power in a bid to make lustful profits. Dynamics and complexities of economic inequality largely contributing to oppression of women base their arguments on the context of praxis as a Marxist concept. Praxis refers to the human ability to consciously change and alter the environment so as to meet their needs. The socialist feminism theory holds that praxis is a concept that applies to all societies on the basis of humanity, with specific norms of gender extending towards the woman’s private life. The needs of the woman are therefore to liberate herself from oppression, seeking to change the typical functions and roles of a woman in the society towards those that a less inclined to oppression. The typical role of a woman in a society revolves around child bearing and household management, which subjects her to aspects more inclined to oppression by the man and the society in general with regards to financial dependence on men. The feminist theory therefore seeks to modify the woman’s place in the society, considering the fact that sexuality does not limit one’s capabilities as a human being. Arguments in totality see capitalism as a major contributing factor to oppression of women in the modern day society. Socialist feminism alludes to women’s oppression as a more severe example of capitalist system that evidently oppresses the lower class citizens who provide labor to the minority owner of wealth who control power in their favor. However, capitalism, as a contributing factor, is intertwined to factors such as male dominance, imperialism, and racism that collectively work against the interests and rights of women. Male dominance in the society seems to oppress the place of a woman in an indirect manner with regards to failing to honor a woman’s role in the family, irrespective of equal performance outside the family setting. Patriarchal and capitalism interactive relations work hand in hand in oppressing the woman’s place in the society, both in the public and in private. Moreover, Socialist feminism theory clearly brings out the burden that women go through as opposed, to the burden that men go through in consideration of the distinctive differences that are evident in work and experiences of men and women throughout their lifespan (King, 1994, p.79). The place of a woman within and outside the family setting should honor and recognize the extra burden that the society has placed on a woman as compared to a man. Argument tendencies focus a woman’s capabilities and importance in production being equally contributive as those of a man, and thus, male dominance should cease to exist if equality is to remain relevant. Gender equality on the basis of production rules out the relevance of male dominance, which has continually oppressed the place of a woman as a non-equal contributor. The society’s worth places emphasis on equality of production roles both in the household and the public, and therefore, a woman’s child bearing and household management role should not be overlooked, since it equally contributes to the society as much as men do. Failure of the interaction between the capitalists and male dominance in the society to recognize the unique role of women forms the basis of oppression of women in the society. The political influences have failed to recognize the plight of women in the male dominated capitalist societies with regards to policies. Socialist feminism theory bases its arguments on laws and priorities of the capitalist society where tendencies seem to favor protection of property over the rights of the women as equal contributors of the society as men. The tendencies have forced women into subordination to men within the nuclear family setting where capitalism is upheld. Although economic and social systems seem to be largely contributing to the oppression of women, political advances fail to recognize the need to take corrective measures. Socialist feminism recognizes political aspects as driving force behind the women’s plight, considering that policy formulation depends on individuals holding political power (Radical Women, 2001, p.48). Feminism Movement Feminism is a demand for respect to rights of women as individuals equal to and autonomous from men. Socialist feminism focuses women’s equality and autonomy in both the private and public spheres of a womans life, with liberation arguments being based on means to end oppression of women in both cultural and economic spheres of the society. However, socialist feminism movement broadens its approach to encompass Marxist feminism where capitalism contributes to women’s oppression alongside radical feminism, where patriarchy and gender plays an equality-damaging role in oppression of women. New movement groupings have brought about widespread debates between Marxist feminism and radical feminism with regards to their fundamental contributions to social inequality. Movements seek to put in place inclusive considerations of elements of Marxism with respect to the significance of labor and class distinctions while incorporating the point of view of radical feminist. The inclusive point of view asserts to subordination of women by not only the uprising of class-based societies, but also psychoanalytic feminisms. Broad aspects of movement’s points of view concern the social construction of gender, which tend to perceive sexual oppression as an effect resulting from psychological aspects that may have been the result of several influencing factors. Among the more complex social factors, unequal economic distribution status is highlighted as major contributing factor to oppression of women. Economics is seen as a driving force behind social structures and psychological functions that influence oppression of women. Socialist feminism seeks to focus on not only the economic influences and gender structures in isolation, but also both aspects as mutually responsive elements in oppression of women. More so, the socialist feminism theory alludes to Marxist feminism as relations of hierarchical class that results into ultimate inequalities where coercive power and sexual oppression seem to work against women. Arguments roll back to unequally distributed wealth and monetary resources as being the main sources of oppressive power against women, with further complication resulting from male dominance as opposed to women (Beasley, 1999, p.60). Feminism movement seeks to eradicate oppression in its entirety from male dominance and economic injustices to political influences against these forces. Generally, oppression of women lies in the contemporary society in the context of its political, social, and economic foundations. Therefore, contemporary society in which structures and norms of education, parenting, work, and sexuality have been built upon need to be transformed, if women oppression is to be completely eradicated. Social feminism seeks to eradicate stereotypes, with respect to sexual division of labor categorizing men and women in a manner that is not justifiable. Movements advocate for the society to respect and value the position of women in all works of life, irrespective of traditionally implied fields of women and men. Women need to be free from gender and economic constraints right from the family level, irrespective of male domination. More so, women’s goals, livelihoods, and personalities must be freed from oppression and rendered autonomous just like those of men. Through feminism, women advocating for autonomy are seen to transform the normal social structures from the family level. Conclusion Socialist feminism seeks to liberate women from discrimination, and more specifically, oppression on the basis of economic and cultural aspects. It focuses on liberating women with regards to Marxist feminism and radical feminism, which alludes to oppression of women as a result of the existing capitalist system and patriarchy. The theory asserts to discrimination of women as a result of both capitalism and patriarchy among other influencing factors collectively, rather than each factor in isolation. Oppression and discrimination of women comes in as a rather more complex aspect of the society, rather than just capitalism and patriarchy. Socialist feminism brings to light a more broad approach of social, political, and economic injustices against women that needs the transformation of the society as a whole. The theory shifts focus of discrimination of women from a more simplistic approach of male dominance to a more explanatory and complex issue. References Cody, W.K. (2006). Philosophical and Theoretical Perspectives for Advanced Nursing Practice. Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Inc. Beasley, C. (1999). What is Feminism? An Introduction to Feminist Theory. SAGE Publications Ltd. Hennessy, R. & Ingraham, C. (1997). Materialist Feminism: A Reader in Class, Difference and Women’s Lives. Routledge. King, K. (1994). Theory in Its Feminist Travels: Conversations in U.S Women’s Movements. W.W. Norton and Company Inc. Radical Women. (2001). The Radical Women Manifesto: Socialist Feminist theory. Seattle, WA: Radical Women. Read More