PPE Notes Sociological Theory Notes
Notes on ideology, class, and methodology. Including summaries of Bourdieu, Durkheim, Weber, Zizek, Marx and Giddens....
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Heidi Hartmann - The Unhappy Marriage of Marxism and Feminism: Towards a More Progressive Union (1979)
Marxism, though insightful regarding the laws of historical development, is sex-blind
Feminism reveals the systemic character of relations between men and women, but has been blind to history and insufficiently materialist
We need an appropriate synthesis of the two, not a relationship in which Marxism is dominant
Marxism and the Woman Question
Marxist analysis explore the relationship of women to the economic system, rather than the relationship of women to men, assuming that the latter will be explained by the former
Why does theorists’ Marxism so dominate their feminism?
partly because Marxism has such explanatory power over so many aspects of capitalist society - the structure of production; the generations of a particular occupational structure, the nature of the dominant ideology
but although Marxism can explain the existence of positions in capitalist society, it cannot explain who will fill them (e.g. men/women)
Radical Feminism and Patriarchy
Women’s discontent is a response to a social structure in which women are systematically dominated, exploited, and oppressed
women have an inferior position in the labour market, the emotional structure of marriage is male-centred, women’s psyche is understood as neurotic
According to radical feminists, male character traits are the search for power and domination, egocentricity, individualism, competitiveness and pragmatism
females are nurturing, artistic and philosophical
the fact that this has not been true of all history shows that feminism is blind to history
in spite of this, patriarchy is incredibly resilient and has dominated in one form or another form most human history
Towards a Definition of Patriarchy
Patriarchy is a set of social relations with a material base which, although hierarchical, creates an interdependence/solidarity among men that enables them to dominate women
hierarchies work through those at the top buying off those below with power e.g. in patriarchy men are bought off with control over women
The material base of patriarchy is men’s control over women’s labour power
this is achieved by the exclusion of women from access to production resources (e.g. good wages) and restricting women’s sexuality
these can both be achieved through monogamous heterosexual marriage
women are controlled, exploited, dominated both ‘personally’ (i.e. in the family setting) and ‘publicly’ (i.e. in employment)
just as class society is reproduced by schools, work places, consumption norms etc, so patriarchal relations are reproduced
children are raised by women defined as inferior to men
churches, schools, sports, clubs, unions, armies, factories, offices, health centres, the media all reproduce patriarchal relations
hence the material base of patriarchy rests on all the social structures that enable men to control women’s labour
Men exercise their control through receiving personal service work from women, not having to do housework or raise children, having access to women’s bodies for sex, and feeling and being powerful
The current, crucial elements of patriarchy are
heterosexual marriage
female childbearing/housework
women’s economic dependence on men
the state
other institution e.g. church, clubs, schools etc
The hierarchy and interdependence among men are systemic
The Partnership of Patriarchy and Capital
The is a strong and healthy relationship between patriarchy and capital, though it is not a necessary relationship
there are ways in which the two might conflict e.g. men want their women to stay home and do housework, whilst capitalists want women in the labour force
Industrialisation and the Development of Family Wages
Originally after industrialization women and children were in the labour force, which drove down men’s earnings
working men opposed this, because reduced their economic control over women, and reduced the sexual division of labour in the...
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Notes on ideology, class, and methodology. Including summaries of Bourdieu, Durkheim, Weber, Zizek, Marx and Giddens....
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