Silvia Federici on Feminism, Domestic Labor, Social Reproduction and The Commons

Silvia Federici (b. 1942) is a scholar, author, and activist known for her contributions to feminist and Marxist theory. Federici's work has sought to show how primitive accumulation—usually discussed in terms of the past events which led to modern-day class divisions—is an ongoing process centered around the expropriation of unpaid labor related to social reproduction: most of all, the domestic/care work or reproductive labor traditionally performed by women.

SUBMARINES, LET'S TAKE THE PLUNGE and discuss one of Federici's influential early works, a pamphlet entitled Wages Against Housework (1974), and follow it through to her more recent article, Feminism and the Politics of the Commons (2010). Further optional materials are given below for those with more time to explore, but feel free to join, even if you don't have time to read/watch anything beforehand. It's fun.

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TEXT :

• Wages Against Housework (1974) by Silvia Federici (alternative links here, here, & here; here's an AUDIO READING [26.5 minutes] )
• Feminism and the Politics of the Commons (2010) by Silvia Federici (alternative links here and here)
• OVER-ACHIEVERS might also check-out: Reproduction and Feminist Struggle in the New International Division of Labor (1999) by Silvia Federici (pgs. 65-75 [in-book] / pgs. 77-87 [PDF page numbers]; here's an AUDIO READING [30 minutes] )

SOME ASSORTED VIDEOS TO EXPLORE :

• Silvia Federici and the Reproduction of Life from La herejía/The Heresy (8 minutes)
• Silvia Federici: Revolution at Point Zero from Gender Links (13 minutes)
• 8 Minutes with Silvia Federici from The People's Forum NYC (...8 minutes)
• "Marx imagined a totally asexual worker" from Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung (10 minutes)
• Professor Silvia Federici on socialism, feminism and care from Undod Cymru (66 minutes; action begins around 5:00)
• Silvia Federici on Feminism, Cultural Spaces, and Collective Memory from the Cities After... podcast (1 hour)