A materialist analysis of contemporary feminist movements

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 497-517 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brunella Casalini
Keyword(s):  
Social Movements ◽  
Social Reproduction ◽  
Capital Accumulation ◽  
Present Moment ◽  
Social Reproduction Theory ◽  
Race And Class ◽  
Neoliberal Capitalism ◽  
Historical Moment ◽  
Feminist Movements ◽  
Class Play

Social movements on the left, such as the International Women’s Strike on 8 March 2017, see in the present moment a reorganization of capital accumulation in which gender, sexuality, race and class play significant roles. The 8 March strike, in particular, has been characterized by the willingness to emphasize and render visible the link between masculinist violence, sexism, homophobia and transphobia, and the dynamics of dispossession, privatization of common resources, and environmental destruction caused by neoliberal capitalism—dynamics that are rendering ever-wider strata of the population vulnerable to poverty, marginality and insecurity. This study draws on an analysis of the contributions that approaches such as social reproduction theory and the feminist reinterpretation of Rosa Luxemburg’s thought on primitive accumulation may make to understanding the present historical moment, in order to interrogate the nature of the contemporary struggles of feminist social movements.

From Theory of Accumulation to Social-Reproduction Theory

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 37-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ankica Čakardić
Keyword(s):  
Political Economy ◽  
Social Reproduction ◽  
Capital Accumulation ◽  
Social Reproduction Theory ◽  
Preliminary Application ◽  
Dynamic Link

AbstractThe paper functions as a contribution to feminist analyses that are methodologically based on Rosa Luxemburg’s critique of political economy and her understanding of capital accumulation, but also as a contribution to contemporary social-reproduction theory which aims to integrate Luxemburg’s legacy alongside that of Marx. The essay offers a sketch for a ‘Luxemburgian feminism’ consisting of (1) an overview of Luxemburg’s critique of bourgeois feminism and (2) a preliminary application of Luxemburg’s ‘dialectics of spatiality’ to contemporary social-reproduction theory. With Luxemburg’sThe Accumulation of Capitalin mind and her several essays on the so-called ‘women’s question’, we shall attempt to relate Luxemburg’s explanation of the dynamic link between capitalist and non-capitalist spatialities with the commodification of women’s reproductive labour.

scholarly journals Politicizing the Body in the Anti-Mining Protest in Greece

2020 ◽  
pp. 017084061988295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marianna Fotaki ◽  
Maria Daskalaki
Keyword(s):  
Social Movements ◽  
Social Reproduction ◽  
Political Action ◽  
Global Financial Crisis ◽  
Spatial Relations ◽  
The Body ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Social Reproduction Theory ◽  
Organization And Management ◽  
The Global Financial Crisis

Although organization and management scholars are beginning to research opposition and dissent emerging in response to the global financial crisis, there are few accounts or feminist analyses of social movements and women’s mobilizations as an important part of these movements. We address this gap by considering a case of women activists opposing extractivist mining in Chalkidiki, Greece, to demonstrate their crucial role in initiating and organizing resistance within their communities. Drawing theoretical inspiration from social reproduction theory and the literature on embodied protest as a form of political action, we argue that women use diverse means to promote the politics of visibility, erasing public and private distinctions as they defend their communities’ right to live in unpolluted environments. By way of contribution, we enhance understanding of the role of affective embodiment as a foundation for activist feminist practices; develop a theory of the protesting body altering spatial relations as a means to oppose the neoliberal assault on life and environment; and suggest how this might prefigure new political practices in the context of social movements. We identify the implications of this theorization and call for academics’ deeper sustained engagement in activism.

scholarly journals Contesting neoliberalism: Mapping the terrain of social conflict

2021 ◽  
pp. 030981682110548
Author(s):  
David J. Bailey ◽  
Paul C. Lewis ◽  
Saori Shibata
Keyword(s):  
Social Movements ◽  
Working Class ◽  
Capital Accumulation ◽  
Social Conflict ◽  
The United States ◽  
Linear Process ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Event Analysis ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Neoliberal Capitalism

This article explores the terrain of social conflict as it developed across advanced capitalist democracies throughout the ‘age of austerity’ that followed the global economic crisis. It shows how a (broadly defined) working class mobilised in different ways in different capitalist contexts, contesting the institutional forms (and the crises that emerged from them) which constitute each particular model of capitalism. Considered this way, we are able to conceptualise and explain the forms of working-class mobilisation that have emerged in opposition to contemporary neoliberalism. In doing so, we go beyond a narrow focus on workplace-focused or trade-union-led forms of working-class mobilisation, highlighting the continuing contestation of neoliberal capitalism. Drawing on a protest event analysis of 1,167 protest events in five countries (Spain, Germany, Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom), and developing a Régulation Theory approach to the study of protest/social movements, we provide an overview of the most visible patterns of social contestation in each national neoliberal capitalist context, tracing links to the institutional configurations that constitute those national models of capitalism. While there exists no direct (linear) process of causality between the model of neoliberal capitalism and the forms of mobilised dissent witnessed, nevertheless we are able to clearly trace the different pressures of capital accumulation that have given rise to the protest/social movements identified in each case, thereby allowing us to gain a better insight into both each particular model of capitalism and the forms of dissent that constitute it.

Introduction

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louçã Francisco ◽  
Ash Michael
Keyword(s):  
Social Reproduction ◽  
Capital Accumulation ◽  
Social Consequences ◽  
First Century ◽  
Capitalist System ◽  
Global Restructuring ◽  
The Social ◽  
And Diffusion ◽  
Political Decision Making ◽  
Mode Of Production

This book investigates two questions, how did finance become hegemonic in the capitalist system; and what are the social consequences of the rise of finance? We do not dwell on other topics, such as the evolution of the mode of production or the development of class conflict over the longer run. Our theme is not the genesis, history, dynamics, or contradictions of capitalism but, instead, we address the rise of financialization beginning in the last quarter of the twentieth century and continuing into the twenty-first century. Therefore, we investigate the transnationalization of the circuits and processes of capital accumulation that originated the expansion and financialization of the mechanisms of production, social reproduction, and hegemony, including the ideology, the functioning of the states, and the political decision making. We do not discuss the prevailing neoliberalism as an ideology, although we pay attention to the creation and diffusion of ideas, since we sketch an overview of the process of global restructuring of production and finance leading to the prevalence of the shadow economy....

The “laborless fuel”: Landscape, energy transitions and natural gas in the postwar U.S.

2021 ◽  
pp. 251484862098712
Author(s):  
Carlo Sica
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Social Reproduction ◽  
Capital Accumulation ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Business Owners ◽  
Energy Landscapes ◽  
Technological Systems ◽  
Energy Transitions ◽  
The Social ◽  
Political Landscapes

The dire need for an energy transition to mitigate and reverse global warming is inspiring scholars to reexamine political influences on technological systems. The multi-level perspective of the socio-technical transitions framework acknowledges how technological systems are affected by the social and political landscapes where they are built. Energy landscapes literatures elaborate on the socio-technical transitions framework by explaining how the boundaries of landscapes are negotiated in the context of energy transitions. Energy scholars have found that negotiations over the form and purpose of energy landscapes frequently skew in favor of capital accumulation instead of social reproduction. Studies of landscapes in human geography and labor history have shown how the power imbalance energy scholars observed can be corrected by workers and their communities struggling against business owners and the state. Using archival data, I show how U.S. natural gas legislation in the postwar period was intended to limit coalminers’ demands for landscapes of social reproduction. This point matters because the vulnerabilities of industrial capitalism to energy worker organization could be exploited to push for a just and sustainable energy transition like the Green New Deal.

The Work That Plants Do

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Value Creation ◽  
Social Reproduction ◽  
Capital Accumulation ◽  
Plant Science ◽  
Environmental Humanities ◽  
Societal Dynamics

Whether driven by developments in plant science, bio-philosophy, or broader societal dynamics, plants have to respond to a litany of environmental, social, and economic challenges. This collection explores the `work' that plants do in contemporary capitalism, examining how vegetal life is enrolled in processes of value creation, social reproduction, and capital accumulation. Bringing together insights from geography, anthropology, and the environmental humanities, the contributors contend that attention to the diverse capacities and agencies of plants can both enrich understandings of capitalist economies, and also catalyze new forms of resistance to their logics.

Doctoral capital and well-being amongst Australian PhD students: exploring capital and habitus of doctoral students

2021 ◽  
Vol 121 (3) ◽  
pp. 322-336
Author(s):  
Wayne Usher ◽  
Brittany A. McCormack
Keyword(s):  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Social Reproduction ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social Reproduction Theory ◽  
Self Confidence ◽  
The Right ◽  
Australian Universities

PurposeThe Higher Degree Research (HDR) journey is known for its difficulties, complexities and challenges (Lees-Deutsch, 2020), with many students experiencing multi-faceted issues and concerns (Skopek et al., 2020). Therefore, the purpose of this research is to investigate the relationships that exist between variables, vulnerability factors and doctorial capital of candidates (n = 532) studying at Australian universities (2019).Design/methodology/approachA quantitative cross-sectional correlational research design and Bronfenbrenner's socio – ecological framework (personal, home, university, community) was utilised to collect participants' (n = 532) descriptive statistics. Bourdieu's social reproduction theory was used as a lens to examine how experiences, across the PhD candidature, are influenced by several psychosocial factors and doctoral capital.FindingsFrom such a dual methodological approach, the findings from this study suggests that (1) age, (2) gender, (3) nationality, (4) financial/work status, (5) years of PhD and (6) attending postgraduate (PG) student events, go to significantly (p < 0.001) impact (positively and negatively) on students' experiences and correspondingly, impacts on their self-confidence, motivation and mental health and well-being status.Research limitations/implicationsResearch limitations are related to the recruitment of more doctoral students across more Australian universities. Further research is required from HDR supervisors, so as to “balance” the experiences of the PhD journey in higher education.Practical implicationsIn order to succeed in academia and HDR programs, students need to identify with and develop the “right kind of capital” to successfully navigate fields of social and scholarly play. Investigating how the participants perceive their social and scholarly habitus is seen as crucial in helping students to develop positive dispositions relevant to being a doctoral student.Social implicationsThe concept of doctoral capital and well-being, amongst Australian PhD students, is under researched and requires further investigation as a precursor to developing more specific policy designs aimed at providing heightened positive learning environments/HDR programs tailored to support doctoral students.Originality/valueWhilst reforms to improve PhD experiences are well established across the international literature (Geven et al., 2018; Skopek et al., 2020), evidence for Australia is largely missing. It is envisaged, that findings from this research will further assist in the development of quality policies that would go to provide effective services and support for doctoral students within Australian universities.

scholarly journals Socio-Legal Strategies against a Total Abortion Ban in El Salvador: Alliances in Hostile Contexts

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
María Angélica Peñas Defago ◽  
Violeta Cánaves
Keyword(s):  
Social Movements ◽  
El Salvador ◽  
International Experience ◽  
Legal Mobilization ◽  
Law Reform ◽  
Second Moment ◽  
Abortion Law ◽  
Legal Strategies ◽  
Feminist Movements ◽  
Third Moment

Abstract The case of El Salvador provides unique evidence of how solidarity is possible among different social movements in struggles over abortion law reform and its impact, even in contexts of extreme criminalization. The paper depicts a concrete example of how networks centered on abortion struggles can go beyond feminist movements and national borders, and shows the domestic impact of broadening the scope of the audience, the actors involved, and the spheres where abortion law discussions take place. The article focuses on the evolution of socio-legal mobilization regarding abortion in El Salvador over the last two decades. This evolution is presented through three moments: the first centers on the legal actions that feminist movements orchestrated in the mid-2000's around the Beatriz case. The second moment focuses on the most outstanding features of the “Las 17” campaign – a collaborative and international experience that entailed the submission of seventeen pardon petitions on behalf of women who had been convicted of homicide after having miscarriages. Finally, a third moment entails the socio-legal strategies embraced by feminist movements since 2018 within the framework of the campaign named “Las 17+”.

Changing public opinion about gender activates group threat and opposition to feminist social movements among men

2021 ◽  
pp. 136843022110488
Author(s):  
Adrian Rivera-Rodriguez ◽  
Greg Larsen ◽  
Nilanjana Dasgupta
Keyword(s):  
Social Movements ◽  
Public Opinion ◽  
Social Status ◽  
Gender Equality ◽  
Social Value ◽  
Group Threat ◽  
The Social ◽  
Compensatory Reactions ◽  
Traditional Masculinity ◽  
Feminist Movements

Two studies examined whether men’s perception of the declining value of traditional masculinity activates social status, realistic, and symbolic threat, and in turn motivates opposition to feminist social movements. In Study 1, men’s perception that their ingroup is losing value across several social spheres was associated with social status and realistic threat, both of which were associated with opposition to feminist movements. Study 2, an experiment, presented men with public opinion data showing a 30-year decline in the degree to which Americans value traditional masculinity or no decline. Information about the declining value of masculinity activated status threat, which motivated less support for feminist movements. Among men who highly identified as masculine, this same information reduced support for feminist movements through symbolic threat. In sum, perceived decline in the social value of traditional masculinity creates status anxiety about the ingroup’s future and motivates compensatory reactions against gender equality.

Social Movements Taking Place in the Metropolitan Zone of the Valley of Mexico

2020 ◽  
pp. 216-245
Author(s):  
Emilio Pradilla Cobos ◽  
Felipe de Jesús Moreno Galván ◽  
Ernesto García López
Keyword(s):  
Social Movements ◽  
Capital Accumulation ◽  
Crisis Situation ◽  
The Social ◽  
National Capital ◽  
Metropolitan University ◽  
Metropolitan Zone ◽  
Urban Conflicts

This idea compels the authors, at least, to take a quick look, with limitations by the length of the text, to some of the manifestations of the crisis situation prevailing in the country during the period of imposition of the neoliberal pattern of capital accumulation and to the essential features and the contradictions that it has printed to the great metropolis and national capital. From this outline, in the central part of this work, they analyze the specific characteristics of the social movements and the actions that they have developed in the metropolis, between 2011 and 2018, registered in the Laboratory of Urban Conflicts of the Autonomous Metropolitan University, Unit Xochimilco.

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