Socialist Feminism Explained: What Is Socialist Feminism

Socialist feminism is a part of the international struggle for women’s rights and liberation. It began in the 1960s and ’70s, though socialist feminist thinkers trace their ideas back to the feminist theory of the eighteenth and nineteenth century, drawing upon Mary Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Women in 1792 and the work of other early revolutionary theorists.

Key to socialist feminism is the idea that patriarchy and capitalism are intertwined forms of exploitation and oppression of women. In addition to emphasizing gender inequality as a cultural force that stems from patriarchy, socialist feminists focus on how the economic system, particularly in capitalist economies, is a source of oppression. Social feminists aim to dismantle these structures to achieve liberation.

Socialist feminism was a response to mainstream radical feminism, particularly the second wave of feminism, which focused on the economic injustices related to gender-based oppression. Second-wave radical feminists sought civil rights for women both in private and in public, through the passage of laws, which often focused on equal pay and better opportunities in the workplace.

Socialist feminists brought a materialist analysis of oppression to feminism, focusing not just on the cultural forces of patriarchy but on how capitalist society leads to the exploitation of women. Socialist feminists differ from liberal feminists by pointing out that individualistic success is insufficient to produce real social change.

The roots of socialist feminism are deep and diverse, stretching back to ideas from the eighteenth century:

• Formative texts: Social feminists drew upon texts such as Mary Wollstonecraft’s 1792 A Vindication of the Rights of Women and the writings of utopian socialists in the 1800s. They were also heavily influenced by the writings of Karl Marx, one of the critical thinkers of socialism, whose magnum opus, Das Kapital, was written in the mid-nineteenth century.
• “The personal is political”: One of the critical concepts of socialist feminism is the idea, taken from the 1969 essay by Carol Hanisch, that “the personal is political.” Socialist feminist organizations sought to show how seemingly apolitical arrangements, such as the division of labor in the household, had profound political ramifications, leading to sexism and unjust social policies.
• The New Left: There was a deep connection between socialist feminism and the New Left in the United States and the West broadly. The New Left was a revitalized confluence of left-wing political activism, drawing much of its strength and prominence from the Civil Rights movement and drawing power from the struggles of the labor movement. There were several areas of mutual interest and overlap, such as embrace of Marxism, focus on the plight of the working class, and anti-capitalist politics.
• Socialist feminism: “Socialist Feminism: A Strategy for the Women's Movement,” a 1972 text by the Hyde Park chapter of the Chicago Women’s Liberation Union, was the first published work to have used the term “socialist feminism.” Barbara Ehrenreich’s artilce “What is Socialist Feminism?,” published in 1976, further elaborated the term and its ideas.
• Influence: As time went on, the socialist feminist movement grew in diversity and international scope. It continued to interact with the dominant waves of feminism, such as the third and fourth waves.

Socialist feminism has multiple points of overlap with mainstream feminism. What makes it different, besides its anti-capitalism, often comes down to the emphasis it gives to these particular areas:

1. 1. Historical materialism: This concept, developed by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, asserts that historical change arises from differences in the material conditions of groups of people and focuses on the class struggle as the primary engine for social and political change. Socialist feminists particularly look at how working-class women, many of whom still work in traditionally women-dominated industries of care, are disadvantaged economically and how this led to their subordination.
2. 2. Intersectionality: Many activists argue that socialist feminist theory is inherently intersectional because it focuses on at least two forms of oppression: class and gender. The critique often extends to many other areas—socialist feminists emphasize the adverse effects of homophobia, imperialism, islamophobia, and bias based upon sexual orientation and gender identity.
3. 3. The household and motherhood: Socialist feminist analysis looked beyond the gender wage gap, thinking critically about the unpaid labor of cooking, cleaning, and child care. The key to socialist feminism is the idea of social reproduction and how oppression occurs generation after generation.
4. 4. Reproductive rights: Also important to socialist feminists is women’s access to contraception, abortion rights, and adequate health care. Agitating for an equitable society with vital social services is a critical component of feminist socialism.

Feminism is an intersectional movement with a focus on issues that touch every part of our lives, including reproductive rights, workplace culture, and caregiving. Gain access to exclusive videos on feminism with the MasterClass Annual Membership and get a crash course from leaders Tina Tchen, Gloria Steinem, Amanda Nguyen, and adrienne maree brown.