Jacobin Radio Behind the News: What Social Reproduction Theory Offers Us
Jan 8, 2018
Tithi Bhattacharya, a Professor of South Asian history at Purdue University and editor of "Social Reproduction Theory," dives deep into the connections between capitalism, Marxism, and feminism. She discusses how social reproduction theory highlights the vital role of unpaid domestic labor in capitalism. Bhattacharya also critiques current social and economic structures, advocating for reforms in pensions and healthcare. Furthermore, she emphasizes the importance of movements like the International Women's Strike in fostering solidarity and challenging systemic inequalities.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Labor Power Requires Social Reproduction
- Social reproduction theory highlights that labor power must be produced and reproduced outside the workplace.
- The worker's capacity to labor is shaped by social relations before and after factory hours, not just during work.
Contradiction in Capitalist Reproduction
- The relationship between capitalist production and social reproduction is both necessary and contradictory.
- Capital seeks labor power but also suppresses wages and social spending needed for workforce renewal.
Capitalism Manufactures Worker Needs
- Capitalism creates relative wants within the working class to drive consumption.
- Workers’ needs are perpetually unfulfilled, embedding class struggle into the capitalist labor relationship.
