Marxism: Theory and Impact on Gender Equality

This paper discusses the theory of Marxism and its impact on the world. It explores the Marxist view of the world, focusing on the welfare and growth of women in society and analyzing the influence of economic inequalities on women's overall growth. The paper also examines the role of Marxism in shaping ideas about capitalism, class struggle, and the subordination of women. It highlights the Marxist feminist perspective and its emphasis on achieving gender equality through the radical restructuring of the capitalist economy.

Running head: MARXISM
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The aim of this paper is to discuss the theory of Marxism and how this has change the
view of the world completely. Marxism is one of the most important ideologies of the world
that had shaped the economy and polity of different countries indifferent situation and time so
that the deprived people can be empowered and equal social system can be obtained. Marxist
worldview who is basically grounded in the Communist Manifesto and Das capital by Karl
Marx and Friedrich Engels (MacKinnon 2018). There are some major categories based on
which the Marxism can be seen and felt. It is a completely different point of view that show a
different side of the world system. Marxism is a Theory which focuses on the working class
self-emancipation. This relies on the method of social economic analysis to see the class
relations and social conflicts by using material conflict interpretation of the historical
development. This theory of Marx takes a dialectical view of the social transformation. This
essay will be discussing the Marxist view or world mainly focusing on the welfare and
growth of the women in the society and analyse whether there are influences of economic
inequalities dominating the overall growth of women.
Marxism uses methodologies namely class conflict which mainly analyses and
criticises the development of class society specially the capitalism ideology. This details the
role of class struggle in the systematic social economic and political change. Marxist theory
in the capitalist society discuss how the class conflict arises from the contradiction between
material interests of the exploited and oppressed class of people who are termed as
proletariat, the wage labourers, employed for production of goods and services and the
bourgeois, the ruling class. The social imbalance and class struggle is available because the
ruling class owns all the means of production by extracting the wealth through appropriation
of surplus product produced by proletariat class in the form of profit. They are exploiting the
labour of these proletariat and depriving them from their basic needs even. The Marxist
theory referred this class struggle commonly expressed as revolt of the productive forces of

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the society against the relation of production which results in in short term crisis because the
bourgeois try to manage intensifying problem of the labour experienced by proletariat with
wearing degree of class consciousness in this period of crisis the resistance of the oppressed
class may culminate in in revolution that if victorious leads to the foundation of socialism.
This type of social system is based on the social ownership of all the means of production,
production organised directly for use and distribution based on the contribution of the
persons. This is the process of the forces of the society gets continue to advance and
socialism will ultimately transform into communist society where there will be no classes and
stateless human society will rule based on the common ownership of the means of production
(Mojab 2015).
Marxism has change the point of view of the people around the world for nearest
therefore different capital is societies have embraced this ideology for bringing economic
growth and welfare. Marxism has developed different branches and schools of thought. The
idea of class struggle and classless Society leads to create another type of state where
materialism and capitalism will not have any place and the power and means of production
will be enjoyed by every person according to their contribution to the society (Jarrett 2015).
Just as the knowledge of a man reflects his nature, similarly various views and doctrine like
philosophical political and religious reflect the economic system of the society (Luxton
2015). The political institutions create scope for superstructure on the economic Foundation
where the interests of the citizens are secured properly by the means of eliminating
discrimination.
As mentioned before Marxism has helped to develop ideas and perseverance of
persons to see the world which used to exist before and after globalisation. There are various
facets of life and social development are being seen under the light of Marxism. Marxist
theory establishes equal distribution of wealth and power among the citizens of the states

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similarly it also manipulates the idea of creating no division between human forces on the
basis of their sexuality. The feminist ideology has taken slip on the basis of the ideas of Karl
Marx and since 2012 the Marxist feminist stream has become key component of the conflict
between classes. This is the ideology of Marx that has told about different type of state where
there will be no class similarly there must be e no category of the labours depending upon
their age and sexuality. Marxism uses feminist lens which help to understand the changes in
the world and convince the analysis and strategies to bring about the end of capitalism.
Marxist view point of view makes people think about the balance of men and women in
society and proper utilisation of their labour for the growth of the society. Marxist feminism
according to Bandarage (1984) is focused on the investigation and explanation of ways in
which the women are oppressed through the systems of capitalism as well as private property.
This type of point of view prescribes women’s liberation that is the only way to achieve
through the radical restructuring of current capitalist economy where most of the labour of
women is uncompensated.
The influential ideas of Marxism has laid the foundation of some early theories
relating to capitalism and the class exploitation. The Marxist theory of Karl Marx and Engels
has pointed out that internal system of human organisation where both men and women had
equal power and position with equal social status. This attributed to the domestic role of
women associated with their household works and childbearing and the male role of
supporting their tribe or family in provisioning the necessities of life through fishing, hunting
and herding (Cruz 2018). Sexual relationship within the family when not monogamous and
the line of inheritance where matrilineal. The transfer of private property after death where
passed through mothers and their family line but with the development of more effective
ways of producing for the human needs as well associated growth of excess production
beyond immediate consumption needs the issues of inheritance of such excess production

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gained importance. With the change of time the social status of men were increasing which
made them responsible for production. This increased impetus for imposition of patrilineal
importance eliminating the matrilineal inheritance of wealth (Cruz 2018). This increased
necessity for imposing monogamy on women show that an offspring can inherit the wealth of
the father. This overthrew mother right which defeated mother right of private ownership. In
this private donation system the individuals may not have the land or other means of
production became enslaved by the others and must work for the owners of the lens so that
they can leave within the system of private ownership. Thus the idea of capitalism conquered
the human force eliminating any right to the proletariat and women.
According to the Marxist feminism the subordination of the women is not a natural
result of biological disposition but of the social relations which was established around the
reproductive capacity of women. The effect of the main for achieving their demands lead to
controlling women labour, sexual faculties, health and education. Feminist view of Marxism
discusses the widespread social phenomena related to sexual morality of the female like
fixation on virginity and purity incrimination and punishment of human for committing
adultery and the demands that the Women must be subordinated by their husbands or other
male guardian (Weeks 2011). this is the development of exclusive control of the private
property by which year and attendant desire for ensuring that inheritance mast fast only you
there offspring gender operation therefore closely related to the classification and the
relationship among men and women in the society relating to the struggle between proletariat
and bourgeoisie.
Some of the Marxist feminists like Angela Davis, Silvia Federici, Clara Fraser and
Evelyn Reed have pointed out that it is the utility of labour of both men and women
contributing in the production system that create problem in equal wages. Hossain, Ahmad
and Siraj (2016) have argued that corporate disclosures at gender specific which affect

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fundamental human rights. the concept about capitalistic mode of production has made the
position of women inferior to men. In the socio-economic Arena has perceived to be men as
the second class citizens with Limited power and Limited freedom to enjoy basic human
rights. It is the widespread patriarchy that it is prevalent in the capitalist societies and make
significant contribution in creating issues to main interests of the women to bring balance in
the labour equality. KhosraviShakib (2010) has mention about the postmodernism theory of
feminism to understand materialistic and Marxist view of feminism that equal the concept of
gender equality in the social construct and the capitalist mode of production. This idea of
Marxism has pointed out to be infected that operates women in all around the world it is the
concept of postmodernism In the feminism which enables internalized contradictory outcome
where the social dynamics of the Global world does not give any chance to women to
flourish.
Ferguson, Hennessy & Nagel (2004) mention that women has lower status and
position in the capitalist society where every economic relation revolves around prophet in
this regard the relationship of women labour with the patriarchal society and male domination
has been found to be bitter. It is the effect of patriarchy and misogyny in every facet of
society including political science, economics, epidemiology and philosophy. The power
relation between men and women is the outcome of economic relation leading towards male
domination of academic disciplines that propagating patriarchy internationally (Cruz 2018).
Karl Marx has utilised the terms like reproduction, productivity and prostitution to interpret
the situation of women in the capitalist society where the position of women has no
difference with that of the proletariat. According to the Marxism the women are largely
involved with domiciliary labour. This type of works are undervalued therefore underpaid but
the liver of mean which bring direct economic profit it is valued. This idea leads to natural

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operation to the women that explore the concept of reproductive and undervalued tasks done
by these wretched women.
These ideas that women are unproductive and do undervalued jobs lead to reduce care
and development of women around the world near gender influences the health inequalities
as well as educational system. Matthews (2015) has pointed out that the distribution of Health
and well-being among the common people is dependent upon gender in many societies. The
health of men is given more importance because they are the important assets for production
where does the women are mostly household workers hence less valued (Ferguson, Hennessy
and Nagel 2004). The health dynamics like eating and proper exercising habits among the
adolescent girls are completely overlooked then the boys by giving the excuse of different
health patterns of these two genders. Similarly to Carpenter (2012) in the adult learning
process also the students are differentiated on the basis of their gender. Therefore the
experience of feminism and the anti-racist theories have contributed significantly in the
feminist periwinkle debates feminism is seen on the platform of dialectical materialism of
Marxism. Marxist feminist and the existentialist feminists therefore pointed out the need of
equality in adult learning process without which no society can proceed or developed.
Therefore it can be stated that the Marxism and Marxist view of world have given
scope for seeing the world from different points of view. It has differently analysed religion
economic inequality and gender bias. Depending upon this ideology many theorists have
either introduced their thoughts or brought amendments to their perceptions. The feminist
Marxist view of world help understanding the social dynamics which is practically
responsible for the power, economic, health and educational disparities among men and
women in context of capitalist patriarchal society.

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