Marxism week 2 worksheet

PDA Women’s Studies

Marxism Worksheet Part 2

Working in small groups, discuss and agree answers to the following:

1. Do Marxists (as represented by the work of Engels) think women have always being oppressed by men yes/no; give reasons for your answers.

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2. What do Marxists mean by the term ‘Mother Right’

3. Why do Marxists say that ‘The overthrow of mother right was the world-historic defeat of the female sex’, What do they mena by this and do you agree?

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4. How does Marx define the difference between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie? How do women fit into this picture?

5. Explain, briefly, Marx's concept of surplus value, what does this mean for women workers, ‘Housewife’s’?

7. Give three important changes that occurred in the shift from feudalism to capitalism

8. What is the 'crisis of overproduction' and what has it got to do with modern concepts of 'globalisation'? Does the Marxist concept of the Industrial reserve army explain how this affects women?

9. What did Marx mean by 'Communism'? What would the situation of women be in a communist society?

10. (a) What is class consciousness? Give an example of what Marx might expect workers to do if they were developing a 'class consciousness'. Do Marxists underplay gender consciousness?

10 b) What is 'false consciousness'? Where does it come from? Is ther ‘gender false consciouness’?

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12. What is class consciousness? Give an example of what Marx might expect workers to do if they were developing a 'class consciousness'.

13. What is 'false consciousness'? Where does it come from?