Proceedings of The 6th Global Conference on Women’s Studies
Year: 2024
DOI:
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The Collusion of Capital and New Social Movements Nancy Fraser’s Reflections and Critique of Liberal Feminism
Yiyang Shi
ABSTRACT:
Nancy Fraser argues that liberal feminism has not only failed to achieve its mission but has also colluded with financialized capitalism. Fraser posits that the expansion of capital has co-opted the charisma of new social movements to portray itself as progressive. However, simply critiquing capitalism’s use of progressive rhetoric is insufficient. A deeper analysis of the interaction between capitalism and new social movements is necessary. This paper addresses this gap by incorporating historical research to support Fraser’s perspective and by analyzing her triple movement model to expose the collaboration between the state and capital in gender domination. It identifies the core characteristics of 21st-century liberal feminism and financialized capitalism. Research indicates that this alliance devalues reproductive labor and weakens public welfare, leading to a crisis of social reproduction. The market-friendly nature of liberal feminist efforts abandons most women, except for elites, exposing them to capital’s exploitation and fracturing low-status groups by shifting reproductive burdens onto victims of colonialism and racism. Reflecting on liberal feminist struggles, Fraser’s critique provides new perspectives and strategies for social movements. New social movements, not just feminist movements, must critically examine the structural division between production and reproduction and reverse their priorities, shifting from “production-reproduction” to “life-production” instead of further marketizing the sphere of reproduction.
keywords: critical theories; financialized capitalism; social reproduction; triple movement