Marxism and Feminism
How does Marxist theory explain the systematic oppression of women?
The following summary reflects work from Frances E. Mascia-Lees’ “Gender and Difference in a Globalizing World (pages 136–150).”
Marx and Engels engaged in anthropological research in order to better understand how cultures changed over time. Based on this research, Freidrich Engels argued that pre-capitalist societies did not have private property but, rather, worked to redistribute resources regularly to be sure that all members had their basic needs covered. In Engels’ view, inheritance was not a concept that existed before property was owned privately. As people were not amassing wealth, no one was working to ensure that their families would receive inheritances.
In Engels’ view, pre-capitalist society viewed all contributions as equally valuable and that this value system held the creation of life in high regard. In other words, women who had children were viewed as continuing the survival of the people, and this contribution was highly valuable to the society. Engels argued that women had equal standing in these societies because of their valuable contributions. Children, in this context, were viewed as community members rather than property for any specific family. In fact, as Engels continued, family didn’t exist in the way we understand it today.
