Hi and welcome to the discussion post for our first book, Feminism for the 99%: A Manifesto by Cinzia Arruzza, Tithi Bhattacharya, and Nancy Fraser! Blanket CW for discussions of sexual assault and misogyny.

I think this a pretty straightforward little text, but I wanted to summarise the main + interesting points below, as I understood them, and then add a few general discussion questions. Feel free to go in a different direction or discuss the concept of a "feminism for the 99%" more generally.

In essence, this is a manifesto advocating for a feminism that is explicitly left-wing and anti-capitalist. It asks us to reject liberal, "lean-in" feminism which offers only "equal opportunity domination." Most of the book consists of the 11 propositions arguing for a feminism for the 99%:

  • Thesis 1: Strikes! The authors describe a new wave of women-led strikes over the last few years. These strikes focus not only on wage labour but the "gendered, unpaid work" done primarily by women in capitalist society.
  • T2: Fuck liberal feminism! We must reject market-centric views of equality, which ask for parity only with men within their own class. This "lean-in" feminism leans on labour by working class women, especially women of colour.
  • T3: Our feminism must be anti-capitalist! The focus cannot be only on legal issues: e.g. abortion being legal is not enough if there is no fair access to abortion clinics and doctors remain discriminatory. We must focus on paid work and unpaid work, be anti-imperialist, and inclusive to all.
  • T4: The root cause of the crisis is capitalism! Self-explanatory. In particular, the earth itself is threatened by capitalism.
  • T5: Gender oppression under capitalism is rooted in the subordination of social reproduction to profit! Less catchy lol, but the heart of the book as I understand it. Misogyny is hardwired into the structure of capitalism. It separates "people making" (both in the biological sense and raising them, caring for them, etc) from "profit making". Capitalism relies on gender roles: people making, which is still done primarily by women, is unpaid or underpaid. If a woman doesn't do the people making herself, she generally relies on women from a lower class (esp. immigrants) to toil for her. Moreover, capitalism encourages women to create the "right" sort of people - heteronormative and fitting the gender binary, submissive workers, willing soldiers. "The bulk of the global working class is made up of migrants, racialised people, cis and trans women, disabled people". Class struggle therefore necessarily includes struggle over social reproduction.
  • T6: Fuck gender violence! 38% of murdered women are murdered by their own SOs. Fragile masculinity causes men to lash out. What used to be "political" male violence, done by male elders in a society has mostly become "private" - though note abuse by doctors, mass rape during war, etc. Otoh "carceral feminism" does not offer a solution: working class and racialised men are over-represented, and there is little help for women to get out of an abusive situation.
  • T7: Liberate sexuality! We must reject both sexual reaction (religious, conservative, authoritarian, incels) and sexual liberalism (normalising LGBTQ+ people within capitalism, pinkwashing war crimes, leaving the role of family unchallenged, and encouraging women to "own their sexuality" while still centering men). "Sex sells"; capitalism is becoming increasingly ok with non-conformism as long as we conform at the mall. A feminism for the 99% must be radical in its approach, drawing on Stonewall, sex-positive feminists like Kollontai, etc.
  • T8: Anti-racism, anti-colonialism! Authors acknowledge that (white) feminism has traditionally sucked at this. Too often, it has focused on the white middle-class women - e.g. focusing on the right of women to work, as though everyone was a housewife. We cannot use feminism to justify racism and Islamophobia. Our oppression assumes different forms!
  • T9: Pro eco-socialism! Women are 80% of climate refugees. We must refuse to separate ecological issues from issues of social reproduction.
  • T10: Feminist internationalism! "There is nothing feminist about ruling-class women who do the dirty work of bombing other countries"; solidarity with women oppressed by capitalism, not warmongers in skirts.
  • T11: Solidarity with other radical movements! Self-explanatory. We cannot do this alone.

The book then goes into a further discussion of the "social reproduction contradiction" (contradictions in the Marxist sense). Capitalism cannot function without social reproduction, and yet little economic value is placed on social reproduction under capitalism. The authors bring in the concept of the "second shift". Women have been "liberated" in the sense that they can now go to work, but many must then come home and do a "second shift" of housework and emotional care. Again, if they are not doing this second shift, it generally falls on other underpaid women, who may also then be relying on even more underpaid women, in "global care chains".

Possible topics for discussion:

  • General impressions of the book? Agree, disagree? Was it all very obvious or did you learn something? Anything in particular stand out?
  • Thoughts on liberal feminism vs leftist feminism/feminism for the 99%? Doesn't have to be book related, I think it'd be cool to hear people's personal takes.
  • Thoughts on social reproduction? Do you agree with the concept or not? Have you noticed yourself or (other) women in your life having to take on the second shift? Do you feel there is a difference between generations here or does social reproduction remain as heavily gendered among young people?
  • sailorfish [she/her]
    ·
    4 years ago

    I think some aspects about the social reproduction crisis is not instinctively obvious to me. I am really used to the concept of "women are allowed to work now, now we are liberated!" While I can't disagree with the authors' discussion of how it is not liberating to go work for minimum wage, being sexually harassed by bosses, and then still have to go home to the second shift, a part of me is still like "ok theoretically yes but work still good!" Gotta kill the lib in my brain lol.

    I think the division of labour at home is a really important thing for feminists to focus on in general. My family is from the former USSR. All the women in my family from my grandparents (or earlier) on worked - it wasn't even a question. Otoh all the women would then go home and cook and clean. I had to struggle with this a lot growing up - that my parents absolutely encouraged me to be ambitious in academic and work life etc, but also I had to learn to cook and clean, not because this is a really important thing for any adult to know, but specifically "because you're a girl". I feel like this is somewhere the USSR's platform for feminism really failed. It's very hard to get out of that social conditioning ime.

    • sailorfish [she/her]
      ·
      4 years ago

      I still have to take on the burdens of women because that’s how others perceive me

      Absolutely. It's so shit.

      I have lots of lib feminists in my life, I should read this book and start quoting it.

      It's only roughly 80 pages in A5 format, you could maaaybe get away with just chucking it at them :P

  • iwearglasses [she/her]
    ·
    4 years ago

    So happy you posted, I've been waiting for this post all day! I've never been in a book club and I'm perhaps a bit too excited, haha. Also, thanks for the effort you've put into this post. Really good summary! I'll tackle your suggested topics first and then I'll discuss whatever's left of what I wanted to say which doesn't fit into your three points.

    General impressions of the book

    I found this book pretty inspiring and I did learn some things, which I'll discuss below. One thing that caught my attention and I didn't like was the absence of stats/data to back up phenomena they discuss. Not that I don't believe their claims; it would have just been nice to see some numbers or sources. It happens in many instances, but one that I highlighted for example was when they say that the crash of the mortgage market disproportionately hit women of color, who suffered the highest rates of eviction. Like I said, I don't doubt this was the case, but I would have liked to see some percentages. However, I understand that the book is a manifesto and that manifestos have a different purpose altogether (namely, appealing to people's frustration and getting them excited about a project, and that it did!).

    Thoughts on liberal feminism vs leftist feminism/feminism for the 99%

    I LOVED this distinction. I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that this was my first time reading feminist literature, and reading the introduction where they discuss "leaning-in" feminists versus working-class women who have to clean up the shards left by the former after all their glass ceiling smashing filled me with absolute joy and inspiration. It also helped me break down some internal conflicts I've had regarding this topic in the past. I remember the time I was watching a youtuber who used to do mostly beauty-related videos. In this particular video, she was sharing some financial advice and she disclosed that she owned several flats in London and was a landlady. I felt disgust. I find landlords parasitic. But then I wondered: shouldn't I be happy for her? She's a woman. Not only that: she's a black woman living in the UK. Why don't I like this? I honestly wondered whether this reaction of mine was just good ol' internalized misogyny. This book has helped me understand that this reaction was perfectly reasonable, given that I'm a working-class woman. Landlords screw over people like me, and the fact that some of them are women doesn't make it any better.

    Thoughts on social reproduction

    I have to say that this is the topic that I understood the least, or that got me the least engaged. I think it's because I live in quite a role-less, or role-inverted, household, but I'd love to learn more on this topic. I also loved this quote:

    Proclaiming the new ideal of the "two-earner family", neoliberalism recruits women massively into wage labor across the globe. But this ideal is a fraud; and the labor regime it is supposed to legitimate is anything but liberatory for women.

    I liked how counterintuitive this point is from a feminist perspective, and how some conservative individuals could read it and find themselves agreeing with it.

    Miscellaneous thoughts

    • I'd be interested in reading more about how liberal feminism has led women to agreeing to sexual behaviors that don't benefit them. This quote in the book caught my eye: exhorting "self-ownership", neoliberal discourses pressure girls to pleasure boys, licensing male sexual selfishness in exemplary capitalist fashion. I'm yearning for a school of feminism that isn't all "fuck a lot, pretend you're into kink and selling nudes is empowering".

    • I loved reading the bit that mentions lesbian and gay support for the 1984 British miner's strike. I'm going to try and learn more about this in my own time, because I'm very curious as to how the miners felt about this. Mining is such a macho microcosm in my mind that I wonder if they were confused or just grateful for their support, haha. (Edit: currently looking this up. There's a Wikipedia article, a book and a movie about it!)

    • There's a phrase they use often which I didn't understand. What does racialized people/women mean?

    • I was confused by this part: Finance capital [...] proliferates consumer debt [...] which it uses to discipline peasants and workers , to keep them subservient on the land and on the job, and to ensure that they continue to buy GMO seeds and cheap consumer goods at levels well above what their low wages would otherwise allow. What's wrong with GMO seeds?

    February book suggestion

    So happy you suggested Women, Race and Class! No joke, I was going to suggest that book because I've been meaning to read it for ages but somehow lacked the motivation.

    • sailorfish [she/her]
      ·
      4 years ago

      Ooh I'm so happy about your comment!! :D :D Lemme go through some of my thoughts about your points!

      • Yes I also noted the lack of a bibliography! Particularly when they give pretty specific numbers ("80% of climate refugees"). I think we'll have to take this one "on faith" haha, and then hopefully discover more concrete studies and facts in longer, more detailed books.
      • I'm so glad the liberal vs leftist feminism distinction was useful to you! I think liberal feminism gets mocked quite a bit in leftists spaces ( "more! female! war criminals!") but it's good to have a text that delineates between them properly. I personally struggle with a lot of the fiction people push as oh-so-feminist, I feel like I'm always the downer going "fuck-you-got-mine is shitty feminism, stop telling us how great Circe is" lol. We need to reclaim feminism away from the libs!
      • Social reproduction: Yeah, I think while there is the overall pressure for social reproduction to be gendered, this one can be avoided on a personal level in a way other things they talk about cannot. I think the situation is also changing with younger generations, not nec because everyone's so woke now, but more because everyone is living by themselves/with flatmates for longer and has to learn to take care of themselves. You don't get the dude who doesn't know how to boil water with his gf who does everything for him so much anymore. Otoh many of my female friends in het relationships still end up being the biggest and/or only emotional support for their SOs. Which I think is unhealthy for them both.
      • Women and sex centering men: Yes, this is something I'm struggling to reconcile for myself too! I'm interested in reading more nuanced takes, both from early leftist feminists and modern ones writing after the advent of social media.
      • Racialised people: The way I understand it is that it's basically another way or referring to POC but the emphasis is not on self-identification but on the fact that they are treated as non-white. Say a Latina woman can be treated in a "racialised" way - dismissed, othered, paid less, etc. - regardless of her own identification as white or WOC. Maybe someone else can chime in if I'm missing something!
      • GMO seeds: Could you say which bit it's from? (I have a paper copy of the book, can't ctrl+f.) At first glance, I'm guessing the problem is maybe that they have to buy seeds from a particular company? So the company gets rich off of them and they can't switch away (or switch to more traditional farming methods if they so desire). Idk much about GMO, this is kinda me spit-balling haha.
      • Once again, so happy for your comment!!
      • iwearglasses [she/her]
        ·
        4 years ago

        Particularly when they give pretty specific numbers (“80% of climate refugees”).

        Exactly!

        Otoh many of my female friends in het relationships still end up being the biggest and/or only emotional support for their SOs. Which I think is unhealthy for them both.

        This is a very interesting point and one I've been thinking about quite a bit of late. I've been seeing positive developments online in this regard (such as the She's Not Your Rehab movement or /r/MensLib on Reddit) and I find it quite exciting.

        Women and sex centering men: Yes, this is something I’m struggling to reconcile for myself too! I’m interested in reading more nuanced takes

        That'd be brilliant, yes. I'll keep an eye out and see if I can come up with a couple suggestions for March :)

        Racialised people: The way I understand it is that it’s basically another way or referring to POC but the emphasis is not on self-identification but on the fact that they are treated as non-white.

        This makes sense, thanks!

        GMO seeds: Could you say which bit it’s from?

        Yes, sorry. Postface > Crisis of social reproduction. About two thirds in. When I first read it, I thought they were just against GMOs and I felt like I was being dragged into tinfoil-hat territory, as if you were talking to somebody seemingly normal and they casually mentioned they believe in chemtrails. But I've just asked my husband about it and he's told me about this: Monsanto sued small farmers to protect seed patents, report says, so this might be what they were referring to.

        Once again, so happy for your comment!!

        So sweet. I really hope this book club takes off!

        • sailorfish [she/her]
          ·
          4 years ago

          such as the She’s Not Your Rehab movement or /r/MensLib on Reddit

          Oh I love that!! I think most of the time, it's not like they're doing it on "purpose". It's just very hard to break free from the traditional idea that men can only show weakness with their SO (if that), and definitely not with their buddies. At the same time, it's terrible to watch a female friend cry because she wants to break up with her bf but is scared he'll be in a bad place then because she's his only support. It sucks.

          I’ll keep an eye out and see if I can come up with a couple suggestions for March :)

          Looking forward to it :) The Feb book will be Davis' then btw - I'll put up an official announcement post.

          GMO

          Ahh that's really interesting about Monsanto!! I think that would make sense. I think I've heard of that before in other situations too - where people can't replant seeds from their crops but have to keep buying new ones from the company. Pretty nuts.

          • iwearglasses [she/her]
            ·
            4 years ago

            The Feb book will be Davis’ then btw - I’ll put up an official announcement post.

            I've already started reading it! This project is honestly making me so happy these days :)

  • sailorfish [she/her]
    ·
    4 years ago

    Okay another thing before I shut up - ideas for the February book?

    My suggestion would be Angela Davis' Women, Race, and Class (~290p.). As February is Black history month. I'd appreciate it if somebody else volunteers to lead the next discussion (whatever book we choose but esp if it's by a woman of colour) but I'm cool with doing it if nobody else wants to :) It doesn't have to be this long, I got carried away haha.

      • sailorfish [she/her]
        ·
        4 years ago

        I'm so happy you enjoyed the book and found it useful!! Some thoughts about your thoughts:

        • I also think the anti-imperialism aspect of it is so important. I think too often feminists (esp white feminists) in the west either ignore other countries completely or take a condescending, paternalistic approach of "those poor, miserable, oppressed girls" without actually learning about their lives and goals. Neither leads to real solidarity.
        • Agreed on liberal feminism, as I've said elsewhere in this thread too! I used to find it kind of inspiring but now I find it mostly exhausting. One woman succeeding doesn't do much for the rest of us.
        • I also think the social reproduction is (very slowly) changing - but I'm hesitant over whether that's my own lib-to-left circle of friends or actually statistically the case. In my current country (Austria), it feels like we're very behind. It's actually a problem that many women who have retired or are retiring soon haven't worked enough years to get their normal state pension. My Austrian friends' moms' generation still couldn't work without their husband's permissions (until 1975). I think overall Austrian women still take the brunt of social reproduction work: only like 30% work full-time while their child is under 15 and only 50% work full-time after. I think Corona showed us that things aren't as advanced as they feel overall: so many PMC women insisted they need nannies and maids to come in and watch their child + clean because otherwise they'd be stuck doing it. There was no mention that maybe the husband could help. But at the same time, idk, it feels like we're moving forward. Like, my brother splits the work with his wife in a way my dad has never split it with my mom. I guess it's a slow progress.

        Btw, our next book will be Angela Davis’ Women, Race, and Class then! I'll make an official announcement post. I'm so happy you enjoyed reading this book and look foward to seeing you at the next one :D