Re: Women and Marxism

nate (schmolze who-is-at students.wisc.edu)
Tue, 10 Aug 1999 22:41:57 -0500

Darwin or Stalin were not what I had in mind. I was thinking along the
lines of Katherine Brown's "invitation" post in which the question of
Marxism in Russia surfaced. Also, with the past xcma discussions on
international women's day and Krupskaya the site seemed like it would be of
interest. The particular subject "women and marxism" is a new addition to
the site, so I assume it will become more developed over time. Darwin and
Stalin are included in the spirit of critique. As for the other males
their inclusion is for their advocacy of women's liberation in their times
such as Mao.

Mao Tse Tung

"A man in China is usually subjected to the domination of three systems of
authority [political authority, clan authority and religious authority] . .
. . As for women, in addition to being dominated by these three systems of
authority, they are also dominated by the men (the authority of the
husband). These four authorities--political, clan, religious and
masculine--are the embodiment of the whole feudal-patriarchal system and
ideology, and are the four thick ropes binding the Chinese people,
particularly the peasants."

Clara Zetkin
Born in Germany and leader of the international women's movement. For
twenty seven years the editor of Die Gleichheit [Equality]. Member of the
German Social Democratic party. Long time comrade of Rosa Luxemburg, but
they differed over women's emancipation of which Zetkin was an advocate.
http://www.marxists.org/subject/women/authors/zetkin/index.htm

Nadezhada K. Krupskaya
Krupskaya was a Russian revolutionary, writer, educator and Secretary of
the Bolshevik Faction of the Social Democratic Party. Wife and advisor to
V.I. Lenin. Secretary to the Board of Iskra beginning in 1901. In 1917,
Inessa Armand, Clara Zetkin, and N. K. Krupskaya pressured Russian
officials to sanction International Women's Day.
http://www.marxists.org/subject/women/authors/krup/index.htm

Raya Dunayevskaya
Dunayevskaya emigrated to the U.S. from Russia in 1922. After many years in
activist politics she became a Trotyskist, but later broke with Trotsky
over the Russia question. She was a founder of the Johnson-Forest Tendency
along with C.L.R. James. Later, she was a founder and long-time leader of
the News and Letters Committees, a group that centered on the ideas of of
Marxist-Humanism.
http://www.marxists.org/subject/women/authors/raya/index.htm

Alexandra KOLLONTAI
Born Aleksandra M. Domontovich, Kollontai became a Russian revolutionary,
diplomat, speaker, and writer. Led the "Workers' Opposition" that opposed
party and government control of trade unions against Lenin in 1921.
Kollontai was the first woman to hold the rank of minister to Norway in
1923.
http://www.marxists.org/archive/kollonta/index.htm

Nate