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Barbara Erenreich, “What Is Socialist Feminism?”

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Barbara Erenreich, “What Is Socialist Feminism?” You are a woman in a capitalist society. For good reasons, then, women are You get pissed off: about the job, about the considering whether or not “socialist bills, about your husband (or ex), about the feminism” makes sense as a political theory. kids’ school, the housework, being pretty, For socialist feminists do seem to be both not being pretty, being looked at, not being sensible and radical—at least, most of them looked at (and either way, not listened to), evidently feel a strong antipathy to some of etc. If you think about all these things and the reformist and solipsistic traps into which how they fit together and what has to be increasing numbers of women seem to be changed, and then you look around for some stumbling. words to hold all these thoughts together in To many of us more unromantic types, the abbreviated form, you almost have to come Amazon Nation, with its armies of strong- up with ‘socialist feminism.’ limbed matriarchs riding into the sunset, (Barbara Erenreich, “What is Socialist is unreal, but harmless. A more serious Feminism?”) matter is the current obsession with the Great Goddess and assorted other objects From all indications a great many women of worship, witchcraft, magic, and psychic have “come up” with socialist feminism phenomena. As a feminist concerned with as the solution to the persistent problem transforming the structure of society, I find of sexism. “Socialism” (in its astonishing this anything but harmless. variety of forms) is popular with a lot of Item One: Over fourteen hundred women people these days, because it has much to went to Boston in April, 1976 to attend a offer: concern for working people, a body of women’s spirituality conference dealing in revolutionary theory that people can point to large part with the above matters. Could not (whether or not they have read it), and some the energy invested in chanting, swapping living examples of industrialised countries the latest pagan ideas, and attending that are structured differently from the United workshops on bellydancing and menstrual States and its satellites. rituals have been put to some better and For many feminists, socialism is attractive more feminist use? because it promises to end the economic Item Two: According to reports in at least inequality of working women. Further, for one feminist newspaper, a group of witches those women who believe that an exclusively tried to levitate Susan Saxe out of jail. If feminist analysis is too narrow to encompass they honestly thought this would free Saxe, all the existing inequalities, socialism then they were totally out of touch with the promises to broaden it, while guarding realities of patriarchal oppression. If it was against the dilution of its radical perspective. intended to be a light-hearted joke, then why isn’t anyone laughing? turned inside out. It’s not surprising that working class and counter revolutionary”. All smorgasbord of tasty principles—a menu Reformism is a far greater danger to a socialist brand of feminism seems the Old Left groups are uneasy with the idea designed to appeal to practcally everyone. women’s interests than are bizarre psychic to be a source of revolutionary sanity that any women outside the “proletariat” But when “socialist” feminists serve up games. I know that “reformist” is an epithet to many women who don’t want to be are oppressed at all. The working class, of the independent women’s movement that may be used in ways that are neither witches, primitive warriors, senators, or course, is a marvellously flexible concept: as the main dish, and when they say honest nor very useful—principally to small capitalists, but who do want to in the current debates on the Left, it ranges class oppression is just one of several demonstrate one’s ideological purity, or to end sexism while creating a transformed from point-of-production workers (full stop) oppressions, no more important than any say that concrete political work of any type society. Anarchist feminism could provide a to an enormous group that takes in every other, then (as its Marxist critics say) it is no is not worth doing because it is potentially meaningful theoretical framework, but all too single person who sells her or his labor for longer socialism. co-optable. In response, some feminists many feminists have either never heard of it, wages, or who depends on someone else However, socialist feminists do not follow have argued persuasively that the right kinds or else dismiss it as the ladies’ auxiliary of who does. That’s almost all of us. (So, Papa out the implications of radical feminism of reforms can build a radical movement. male bomb-throwers. Kari, if ninety per cent of the people of the all the way. If they did, they would accept Just the same, there are reformist Socialist feminism provides an assortment United States are the vanguard, why haven’t another principle: that non-hierarchical strategies that waste the energies of women, of political homes. On the one hand, there we had the revolution yet?) structures are essential to feminist practice. that raise expectations of great change, and are the dingy, cramped quarters of Old Left The newer socialist feminists have been This, of course, is too much for any socialist that are misleading and alienating because sects such as the Revolutionary Communist trying in all manner of inventive ways to to take. But what it means is that radical they cannot deliver the goods. The best Party (formerly the Revolutionary Union), keep a core of Marxist-Leninist thought, feminism is far more compatible with one (or worst) example is electoral politics. the October League, and the International update it, and graft it to contemporary type of anarchism than it is with socialism. Some socialists (beguiled by the notion of Workers Party. Very few women find these radical feminism. The results are sometimes That type is social anarchism (also known as gradualism) fall for that one. Anarchists know habitable. On the other hand, a fair number peculiar. In July, 1975, the women of the communist anarchism), not the individualist better. You cannot liberate yourself by non- of women are moving into the sprawling, New American Movement and a number of or anarcho-capitalist varieties. liberatory means; you cannot elect a new set eclectic establishments built by newer autonomous groups held the first national This won’t come as news to feminists of politicians (no matter how sisterly) to run Left groups such as the New American conference on socialist feminism. It was not who are familiar with anarchist principles— the same old corrupt institutions—which in Movement, or by various autonomous especially heavily advertised in advance, but very few feminists are. That’s turn run you. When the National Organisation “women’s unions”. and everyone seemed to be surprised that understandable, since anarchism has veered of Women (NOW)’s Majority Caucus—the The newer socialist feminists have been so many women (over sixteen hundred, with between a bad press and none at all. If radical branch of that organization— running an energetic and reasonably more turned away) wanted to spend the July feminists were familiar with anarchism, they asks women to follow them “out of the effective campaign to recruit nonaligned 4th weekend in Yellow Springs, Ohio. would not be looking very hard at socialism mainstream, into the revolution” by means women. In contrast, the more rigid Old Left On reading the speeches given at as a means of fighting sexist oppression. that include electoral politics, they will all groups have largely rejected the very idea the conference, as well as extensive Feminists have got to be sceptical of any drown in the depths of things as they are. that lesbians, separatists, and assorted other commentary written by other women who social theory that comes with a built-in set Electoral politics is an obvious, everyday scruffy and unsuitable feminists could work attended, it is not at all clear what the of leaders and followers, no matter how kind of trap. Even a lot of non-radicals with the noble inheritors of Marx, Trotsky conference organizers thought they were “democratic” this centralized structure is have learned to avoid it. A more subtle (although the Trotskyists are unpredictable), offering in the name of “socialist feminism”. supposed to be. Women of all classes, problem is capitalism in the guise of feminist Stalin, and Mao. Many reject the idea of an The Principles of Unity that were drawn up races, and life circumstances have been on economic power. Consider, for example, autonomous women’s movement that cares prior to the conference included two items the receiving end of domination too long the Feminist Economic Network. The name at all about women’s issues. To them, it is full that have always been associated with to want to exchange one set of masters for might possibly fool you. Ostensibly it was of “bourgeois” (most damning of all Marxist radical feminism, and that in fact are typically another. We know who has power and (with a network of alternative businesses set up epithets!) women bent on “doing their own thought of as antithetical to a socialist a few isolated exceptions) it isn’t us. to erode capitalism from within by creating thing”, and it “divides the working class”, perspective. The first principle stated: “We Several contemporary anarchist feminists economic self-sufficiency for women. which is a curious assumption that workers recognize the need for and support the have pointed out the connections between That is an appealing idea. Yet, FEN’s first are dumber than everyone else.
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