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Marxist Feminism

By Courtney Gibson

Major Names in Marxism

Names in Marxism:

  • Karl Marx
  • Friedrich Engels
  • Evelyn Reed

Background

Summary

Feminism can consist of a large range of issues and movements. The main goal is to create equality between males and females within society, which includes laws, the workplace, and everyday life. It attempts to understand the reason behind gender inequality and focuses on power struggles associated with sexes.

Marxism focuses on capitalism, and how capitalistic societies can only flourish through the exploitation of the lower class. It mainly looks at class struggle between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat, in economic and political terms. Marxists believe that society should be classes, and that private property should be abolished, which promotes communism.

Women are set aside by Marxist Feminists as one whole group that share similar struggles. Marxist Feminists are trying to question the possibility of advancement in capitalism, and break down the ways in which women are seen to be exploited by male domination. Women are explained to be lacking in society in status, freedom, and labor (outside the household).

Famous Quotes

  • "The history of all previous societies has been the history of class struggles." -Karl Marx

Karl Marx is explaining that all past societies share at least one similarity, and that is consistng of different levels of social classes. Struggles between the lower class trying to rise up, and the upper class trying to hold their position have gone on for centuries.

  • "The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways. The point, however, is to change it." -Karl Marx

Marxists look at the way society is ran and come up with ways to change it, and Marxist feminists also look at struggles involving women in society.

  • “The feminine section of the proletarian army is of particularly great significance... the success of a revolution depends on the extent to which women take part in it.”

― Vladimir Lenin

If women take part in a revolution, that will increase the numbers of fighters for the cause, and increase the awareness that women are just as capable as men. If women do not fight for what they want, they might not be taken as serious as men, which defeats the idea of womens rights.

Discourse About Marxist Feminism

The 15th Annual “Gender, Sexuality, and Power” Conference at CSU Los Angeles has many writers present disourse about certain topics. The mission of the group hosting the conference is to “promote cutting-edge research in genders and sexualities at the intersections of race, class, religion, ability, and nation.” This particular conference is interesting to me, because it looks at intertwining many different aspects of society to compare them and how they affect each other. I plan on using Marxist feminism and looking at the female gender with ability and race to help this topic fit my research. The question I will be asking is how women are held back in society, compared to men, according to their race or ability.

Relevance

The Sympathizer

Discourse in The Sympathizer

I will be applying the moment in “The Sympathizer” when Sofia Mori describes to the narrator her experience when she was interviewed with her boss, and how he made her feel degraded because she didn’t know Japanese, which labeled her as a disappointment in her boss’s eyes. Her race is already being used against her to be put down in society.

Crash

Discourse in Crash

In the movie “Crash” there are many stereotypes of women that clearly show how women are degraded in society. However, to fit this conference I will be looking at the scenes of the black woman when she was sexually harassed by the white cop, and when she had to be rescued by the same cop from being stuck in a burning car. Her and her husband both being black led to them being targeted by the white cop. Being a vulnerable woman who could not resist a cop gave her no power as he violated her, and living in a racist city gave her no power to report him. Her race is being used against her in this case to restrict her from her rights. The other scene when she is pulled out of the car creates the idea that she did not have the ability to get herself out on her own, and that a man had to save her. This plays on her ability as a woman to take care of herself. I plan to use these scenes, and pair them with Marxist feminist ideas to analyze some of the aspects in society that the conference is looking at.

Marxist Feminism

Analysis

This theory creates the idea that women are the “weaker” or less powerful sex in society, and the role of women is a big reason why. Women being a reproductive unit has led to the creation of this role. They are able to bear children to begin with, which leads to them being the ones who should be expected to provide for the family, as history has taught us. Although these ideas have become a little less common through out the years, one could argue that most women are almost expected to quit, or want to quit, their careers once they start having children. Of course a woman’s spouse might not ask them to step down from their job to stay home, but it is likely that they were under the assumption that she would want to eventually.to edit text

Example 1

The narrator’s mother is described to be making dinner for the family in chapter 5. She prepares the food, which was given to her by her husband.

Already we can see the association of women with household duties. Why did his father not prepare the food he was given as a gift? Many people wouldn’t even question the idea of his mother having to prepare the meal, because it is such a normative concept in our society.

Example 2

When the narrator and Bon go to the embassy in South Vietnam, the narrator describes seeing families waiting there. One father is sprawled out sleeping while the mother has the children’s heads in her lap, stroking their hair. Another wife is seen clinging to her husband’s arm like they are attached. He also describes Linh, Bon’s wife, cradling her child Duc in her arms.

All of these descriptions create the idea of women needing their husbands for comfort and protection, which weakens their image. The women being the ones to sit with the children also emphasizes the stereotype that women are supposed to take on that role, as it is their job within society. Nguyen’s use of diction and unintentional ideas about society reflect the problem that Marx feminists believe needs to end.

Simulacra

Jean Baudrillard's orders of simulacrum:

  • Order 1 is a copy that is an original
  • Order 2 is a copy of an original
  • Order 3 is a copy without an original

Intersectionality

Marxist Feminism Enhancing Sumulacra

Marxist Feminism Enhancing Simulacra

Marxist feminism addresses the stereotypes created by society in conjunction with Baudrillard's idea of a simulation in which the stereotypes do not define us and are an illusion within society.

Connecting Marxist Feminism and Simulacra

Marxist feminism Connected to Simulacrum

Marxist feminism and Baudrillard's simulacrum both create something that is not real. Marxist feminism creates the ideas of women being lesser than men and needing to stay in their roles that society has given them, because that is what society has deemed as real. Simulacrum creates a false reality that our society lives in.

Reflection on my Theory

Reflection

The way I see it, this theory creates the idea that women are the “weaker” or less powerful sex in society, and the role of women is a big reason why. Women being a reproductive unit has led to the creation of this role. They are able to bear children to begin with, which leads to them being the ones who should be expected to provide for the family, as history has taught us. Although these ideas have become a little less common through out the years, one could argue that most women are almost expected to quit, or want to quit, their careers once they start having children. Of course a woman’s spouse might not ask them to step down from their job to stay home, but it is likely that they were under the assumption that she would want to eventually. This idea comes from centuries of repetition, and it is exactly what Marxist feminists challenge. The role that women have fallen into provides them with no wages, and therefore it is not seen as important in a capitalistic society. The abolition of private property would make everyone equal, because women would not be limited to looking after it.

Marxist Feminism in my opinion

Marxist Feminism to me

Marxist feminism addresses a huge issue today, which is equality for women. As a female, the way I am treated in society has been evolving for years, and the push for equality that Marxist feminists discuss and stress could make my position in society even better. It speaks to me because it fights for the liberties of women, and it highlights the negative role of women in society that has been engraned in so many people's heads for centuries.

Marxist Feminism in Everyday Life

Marxist Feminism in our Lives Today

Ways women are still held back:

  • More stay at home moms than dads
  • Unequal pay
  • Less women in powerful positions than men

Changes in roles of women:

  • Number of women CEO's has risen
  • More women in Congress

Spongebob Squarepants

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5649ey

Nostalgia Analysis

The above link is to season 3 episode 27 of the kids television show "Spongebob SquarePants." The episode aired in 2003, and was a show I frequently watched growing up. If you watch 2:15-2:26 you can see the moment within the episode that I will be analyzing.

Character Analysis

Character Analysis

  • SpongeBob SquarePants: Main character who lives next door to Patrick and Squidward. He enters his snail, Gary, into a snail race to compete against Squidwards new snail Shelly. He wants to show Squidward that a mutt is just as good as, if not better, than a pedigree.
  • Squidward Tentacles: Grouchy neighbor to SpongeBob and Patrick who buys a new pedigree snail to enter into a snail race. He believes that his snail is the best and could never be beaten by a mutt.
  • Patrick Star: Dumb witted neighbor to SpongeBob and Squidward who buys a pet rock to enter into the snail race with Gary and Shelly because he wants to beat Squidward's snail just like SpongeBob.

Analysis

Analysis of the Scene

In this scene, we see SpongeBob beginning to train Gary and calling him a lady to "humiliate and demean" him claiming it as a "motivational tool we coachs use." This statement suggests that being a lady automatically makes you weak and no boy wants to be seen as weak or fragile, so they will end up working harder to not be seen that way. To demean someone is to cause a loss of someone's dignity and respect, so the writers are suggesting that you can only be held in high regard if you are a man. This connects to the idea that Marxist feminists want to change about women holding a lower status in society than men because of their gender and historically stereotypical role of caring for the house while the man gets to make money and participate in the workforce.

Black Panther

"Black Panther" is seen as a strong feminist film. However, there are some instances within the movie that portray male dominance.

Current media

Character Analysis:

  • Erik Killmonger- Strong male antagonist that defeats T'Challa, the former Black Panther, and becomes the new Black Panther. He is forceful and has no respect for the people of Wakanda or their resources.
  • Shuri: Sister of T'Challa who is technically the princess of Wakanda. She is a blunt, smart girl who creates all of the technology for Wakanda. She isn't afraid to speak up and despises Erik Killmoger.

Clip 1

Clip 1

In this scene, we can see that Erik Killmonger overpowers the women who tend to the garden. He does that both physically and mentally. The women feel intimidated and threatened by him, and they can't do anything about it because they live in a patriarchal society. The fact that one of the women tried to stand up to Killmonger but still got overruled creates the idea that women must submit to men in power. Even when he goes into the council room, everyone has to obey him whether they like him or not, because he is the supreme ruler of Wakanda. Partiarchal concepts are what Marxist feminists challenge. The idea of having a society powered by men gives women little to no important role. Until patriarchal standards are diminished, women cannot be completely equal to men.

Clip 2

Clip 2

In this scene, we see T'Challa's sister Shuri ask the crowd if they can go home because her corset is "uncomfortable." A corset can be seen as a sign of womens oppression, and that can be subtly seen in cultures today. In this case, tradition in what Shuri must wear for the ceremony is overpowering feminism. The idea that she has to look slim is a concept that Marxist feminists challenge. If women are only seen as pretty objects to look at, they may not be taken seriously by men when it comes to the work force and doing things men can do. This would cause them to be trapped in their position within society until the way they are valued changes.

K.C. Undercover

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5wkrd4

Future Analysis

This clip is from Season 3 Episode 7 of the Disney Channel show "K.C. Undercover." This is a show that 8-10 year olds watch today, and I will be analyzing and applying it to Marxist feminism.

Character Analysis

Character Analysis

K.C. Cooper is a teenage girl that was recruited by her parents to join a secret government agency called The Organization. K.C. is working undercover on this episode on a construction site, so she can spy on a nearby tower where renegade spies conduct meetings about weapons. She is a fiesty girl who won't put up with being taunted by others.

Scene Analysis

Scene Analysis

In this scene, we see K.C. being discriminated by her coworkers for being a woman. When one of the men calls her "new lady coworker" instead of "guy" he points out the fact that she is a girl to single her out and demean her. It makes her seem abnormal to be in that type of environment doing the work that most men do. When the supervisor comes into the scene to break up the fight, the man bullying K.C. plays innocent, which the male supervisor immediately believes. The fact that even one of K.C.'s female coworkers wouldn't stand up for her shows that the workplace is clearly not a gender equal environment, and her female coworker displays to know that. All of the sexist moments within this scene connect to the ideas that Marxist feminists fight against. K.C. is challenging the stereotypical gender roles that males can only be construction workers. The fact that she is picked on for being there shows that society is still a patriarchy. Until the way the men look at K.C. changes, she cannot feel equal to them.

Show Connection

Connection between SpongeBob and K.C. Undercover

In the SpongeBob clip, the message is that women are looked at as weaker than men, and comparing a man to a woman is an insult. In the K.C. Undercover clip, we see Disney creating the idea that women working heavy labor jobs, like construction, is unusual and even frowned upon. These two ideas are very alike about what they are teaching to young girls. Both of these ideas degrade women and give kids the idea that girls are not strong enough compared to men and aren't capable of the same things. 8 to 10 year old girls are still learning at their age, and they get a lot of their knowledge and ideas from TV. Putting negative ideas about women in their minds will cause girls to always look at themselves as less than men for generations. The history of how girls are perceived will persist unless young girls stop being exposed to sexist ideas. The stereotypical role of women will die when patriarchal concepts die.

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