1. Theories of Oppressions

2. What is Oppression? Oppression is not simply something one person does to another. Oppression is a system of organization that shapes material reality and ideological landscapes such that one group receives benefits over another group.

3. Gendered Racial Oppression The “choices” we make daily are rooted in assumptions about the “naturalness” of oppresssion But “choices” we make about labor, love and life are created within a set of relations that benefit men, as a group, whites, as a group, heterosexuals, as a group and the wealthy, as a group.

4. Eisenstein article She discusses gender and class. She excludes race and sexuality But, she claims you can’t talk about class by itself or women by themselves. Class oppression and gendered oppression are related.

5. Eisenstein on Marx Marx in History Marxist terms worth understanding: Exploitation Species Being Hegemony Historical Materialism

6. Marx continued What did Marx say about class oppression? What did Marx say about gendered oppression?

7. Eisenstein on Radical Feminism History of Radical Feminism Patriarchy – a sex/gendered system by which institutions and ideologies are established so that men as a group benefit over women. When women gain power, there are backlashes: witches; emphasis on skinny and petite; today, it’s fear that men are not motivated enough because of Homers…. Capitalism occurred later than Patriarchy so patriarchy needs to be understood separately

8. Radical Feminism Women are controlled by men through: Controlling sexuality Controlling motherhood Eisenstein claim RF place too much emphasis on how biological act of reproduction creates oppression. Why does caretaking become de-valued?

9. Eisenstein on Socialist Feminism She, fallaciously, assumes race cannot be discussed. 1) She argues: Women are exploited under patriarchy and class systems. Sex Oppression has both a material reality: sex roles and ideological reality (stories, music, etc that support ideas)

10. SF continued Sex Oppression will look different based on the material reality in society. In Capitalism, we must understand oppression within four basic structures: Productive labor Reproductive Labor Sexuality Socialization of Children

11. SF continued Capitalists benefit from Patriarchy by: Divide and conquer Wages Train workers for free Consumers Men as a group benefit from Patriarchy by Divide and conquer Economic Power

12. Radical Feminism What mechanisms exist for Social Change?