Difference Between Feminism And Marxism

1998 Words8 Pages
Introduction Currently in the western sphere, we live in an era where women have emancipated to full legal equality, yet economic inequality is still as prevalent as it was during the period of first-wave feminism. A clear division still exists between the ideological preferences of genders and social classes; Working class and men preferred women to be identified “with her activities at home” while middle class and women preferred to be identified “with the same sphere her husband does, and to have equal amount of power in the marriage” As a result, women have disproportionality taken the dual role of domesticity, as well as entering themselves into the formal labor market. This second shift stands today as criticisms of the dominant discourse…show more content…
Throughout the era, feminist ideologies from the Radical, to the Liberal, to the Marxist and Socialist, seem to result in a never-ending proliferation of class divisions among women. As this essay aims to tackle the issue of economic inequalities women still face even in our modern era, it is important to acknowledge the transitions of theories in regards to feminist ideals throughout the centuries, especially in relation to capitalism, as it is a dominating political economic system in our western period still today. The question of whether feminism and Marxism are compatible or whether one dominates another has been asked and answered so many times. Many theoretical works during the 19th and 20th century are dedicated to Marxist, Marxist-Feminist and Socialist-Feminist analysis of women’s subordination. However these emancipatory theories pertain to an assumption that there are essential differences between feminism and Marxism, followed by attempts to bridge the gap (e.g. emergence of…show more content…
This significantly differs to the Radical Feministic perception of the sole role of patriarchy as being the oppressor of women in society. Rather, socialist feminists assert that women are unable to do so due to their domestic roles as well as the financial dependence on men. Socialist feminists arose from theories of both Marx and especially Engels’ work of “The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State” to provide a powerful argument in bridging a gap between gender subjugation and class

More about Difference Between Feminism And Marxism

Open Document