Socialist-Feminism and the Conceptualisation of Work in the British Women's Liberation Movement, 1968-1999
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Reading
Department Name: History
Abstract
Global coronavirus lockdowns reignited debates concerning the division of family labour and the place of 'work' in society (Delmar, 2020; Horgan, 2021). This theme was, however, examined in the mid- to late-20th century by socialist-feminism, a theoretical grouping with extensive influence in the British Women's Liberation Movement (BWLM). The period was one of considerable social and political change, with deindustrialisation and neoliberalism challenging traditional ideas of the workplace, the home, and the family (Harrison, 2011). Socialist-feminism acted within this to attempt to dismantle the patriarchal, capitalist society, asserting that women were constrained by their financial dependence on men (Campbell & Charlton, 1978; M/F Editorial, 1978). Work was paramount to this, as prominent socialist-feminist Michèle Barrett stated; female 'oppression is inexplicable without an understanding of...the division of labour at work and in the home' (Barrett, 1988). This research will explore these notions, their divergences and intersections across five themes to understand why socialist-feminism transitioned from being a lively arena of debate in the early-1970s that challenged the link between work and motherhood, to one that struggled to theorise increases in female part-time employment and higher education levels in the late-1990s (Segal, 1987; Skeggs, 1995).
Context
The BWLM contained a plethora of theoretical strands campaigning for societal transformation, with the involvement of leftist activists allowing socialist-feminism to grow in support and theoretical sophistication from 1968 (Bouchier, 1983; Kennedy, 2008; Binard, 2017). This research begins with the 1968 Ford Dagenham strike, often cited as the founding event of the BWLM, and ends in 1999 after the movement had dissipated (Bruley & Forster, 2016; Watkins, 2018). This will allow for an examination of how the rise of female employment, particularly working mothers, forced socialist-feminism to reconsider the societal position of work.
Jolly's Sisterhood and After (2019) is a key text in this research for its extensive exploration of the BWLM's various strands and campaigns. Recent publications by Moss (2019) and Stevenson (2016 & 2019) further this in their emphasis on class and the workplace, and how these contributed to the formation of women's identities. These works are essential in contextualising socialist-feminist concepts of work, and how they related to the strikes and collectives used as case studies here. Finally, the work of Stoller (2018) is important for its examination of household work and the BWLM, especially the difficulties of inclusivity within domestic labour. This research will draw on these to explore how work intersected with political and societal developments to shape socialist-feminist discourse and characterise female experiences of different forms of work.
Research Questions
- How did socialist-feminism use work as a way of exploring the intersections between Marxism and feminism?
- How did changes in female employment impact socialist-feminism's understanding of work?
- Did socialist-feminist theories of work reflect wider political and intellectual changes in Britain and the left?
- How influential was socialist-feminism in shaping campaigns for gender workplace equality?
Context
The BWLM contained a plethora of theoretical strands campaigning for societal transformation, with the involvement of leftist activists allowing socialist-feminism to grow in support and theoretical sophistication from 1968 (Bouchier, 1983; Kennedy, 2008; Binard, 2017). This research begins with the 1968 Ford Dagenham strike, often cited as the founding event of the BWLM, and ends in 1999 after the movement had dissipated (Bruley & Forster, 2016; Watkins, 2018). This will allow for an examination of how the rise of female employment, particularly working mothers, forced socialist-feminism to reconsider the societal position of work.
Jolly's Sisterhood and After (2019) is a key text in this research for its extensive exploration of the BWLM's various strands and campaigns. Recent publications by Moss (2019) and Stevenson (2016 & 2019) further this in their emphasis on class and the workplace, and how these contributed to the formation of women's identities. These works are essential in contextualising socialist-feminist concepts of work, and how they related to the strikes and collectives used as case studies here. Finally, the work of Stoller (2018) is important for its examination of household work and the BWLM, especially the difficulties of inclusivity within domestic labour. This research will draw on these to explore how work intersected with political and societal developments to shape socialist-feminist discourse and characterise female experiences of different forms of work.
Research Questions
- How did socialist-feminism use work as a way of exploring the intersections between Marxism and feminism?
- How did changes in female employment impact socialist-feminism's understanding of work?
- Did socialist-feminist theories of work reflect wider political and intellectual changes in Britain and the left?
- How influential was socialist-feminism in shaping campaigns for gender workplace equality?
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Natalie Thomlinson (Primary Supervisor) | |
| Amy Longmuir (Student) |