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Intersectionality
Feminist historian Linda Gordon asserts that socialist feminism is inherently intersectional, at least to a certain degree, because it takes into account both gender and class. Gordon says that because the foundation of socialist feminism rests on multiple axes, socialist feminism has a history of intersectionality that can be traced back to a period decades before Dr. Kimberlé Crenshaw first articulated the concept of intersectionality in 1989. According to Gordon, socialist feminism of the 1980’s expanded upon the concept of intersectionality by examining the overlapping structures that instantiate oppression. Feminist scholar and women’s studies professor Elizabeth Lapovsky Kennedy says that this broader analysis of societal structures began with socialist feminism and served as a catalyst for feminist scholarship. Kennedy says that many of the first women’s studies programs were established by socialist feminist theorists.

Despite the supposed presence of intersectionality in socialist feminism, many feminists, particularly women of color, critique the movement for perceived deficiencies in regards to racial equity. In Kennedy’s account of socialist feminism’s impact on women’s studies, she says that a lack of Black voices in feminist academia contributed to whitewashing of women’s studies programs and courses. Kum-Kum Bhavani, a professor at University of California Santa Barbara, and Margaret Coulson, a socialist feminist scholar, assert that racism in the socialist feminist movement stems from the failure of many white feminists to recognize the institutional nature of racism. According to Bhavani and Coulson, race, class, and gender are inextricably linked, and the exclusion of any one of these factors from one’s worldview would result in an incomplete understanding of the systems of privilege and oppression they say constitute our society. Kathryn Harriss, a feminist scholar from the United Kingdom, describes what she sees as the shortcomings of the socialist feminist movement of the 1980s in the United Kingdom. For example, Harriss says that women who pushed for more policing were putting people of color in harm’s way due to the practice of racial profiling.

Annotated Bibliography for work on Socialist Feminism
MLA: Bhavnani, Kum-Kum, and Margaret Coulson. “Transforming Socialist-Feminism: The Challenge of Racism.” Feminist Review, no. 80, 2005, pp. 87–97. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/3874366.

APA: Bhavnani, K., & Coulson, M. (2005). Transforming Socialist-Feminism: The Challenge of Racism. Feminist Review, (80), 87-97. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3874366

The authors critique two white socialist feminists’ account of ethnocentrism in socialist feminism. Bhavani, a professor at University of California Santa Barbara, and Coulson, a socialist feminist scholar, argue that the very choice to use of the term ethnocentrism instead of racism is reflective of the failure of many white feminists to recognize the institutional nature of racism. They assert that race, gender, and class are inextricably linked. By ignoring any one of these elements, one’s perception of systems of privilege and oppression in our society is incomplete. Thus, white socialist-feminists who ignore racialized oppression fail to fully assess the institutional discrimination that exists. Bhavani and Coulson describe our current system as a racially structured patriarchal capitalism, leading us to examine the relationship that exists between race, class, and gender. I think this will be one of the most useful resources I’ve identified, since it explicitly addresses race in the context of socialist feminism.

MLA: Briskin, Linda. “Identity Politics and the Hierarchy of Oppression: A Comment.” Feminist Review, no. 35, 1990, pp. 102–108. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/1395404.

APA: Briskin, L. (1990). Identity Politics and the Hierarchy of Oppression: A Comment. Feminist Review, (35), 102-108. doi:10.2307/1395404

Linda Briskin, a women’s studies professor at York University, critiques Kathryn Harriss’s journal article, “New Alliances: Socialist Feminism in the Eighties.” Briskin argues that Harriss’s call for a class-based analysis reinforces a hierarchy of oppression, where certain oppressions are seens as more salient than others. Harriss’s class-based analysis also fails to recognize the interconnectedness of class and gender, says Briskin. Instead, Briskin advocates for an alternative approach that considers the relationship between these systems. She prefers the idea of “personal is political,” because it recognizes the differences in experiences without ignoring the systematic nature of oppression. This critique will be helpful because Briskin articulates some of the shortcomings of Harriss’s piece and advocates a more intersectional approach.

MLA: Gordon, Linda. “‘Intersectionality’, Socialist Feminism and Contemporary Activism: Musings by a Second-Wave Socialist Feminist.” Gender & History, vol. 28, no. 2, Aug. 2016, pp. 340–357. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1111/1468-0424.12211.

APA: Gordon, L. (2016). ’Intersectionality’, Socialist Feminism and Contemporary Activism: Musings by a Second-Wave Socialist Feminist. Gender & History, 28(2), 340–357. https://doi-org.echo.louisville.edu/10.1111/1468-0424.12211

In this journal article, feminist historian Linda Gordon analyzes the relationship between the socialist feminist movement and the concept of intersectionality. Gordon discusses the tradition of intersectionality in socialist feminism. Because socialist feminism focuses on gender and class oppression, it is inherently intersectional, at least to a certain degree. The very foundation of socialist feminist ideology rests on multiple axes. The socialist feminist movement of the later twentieth century examined the many overlapping structures that instantiate oppression, with an emphasis on gender and class. Gordon proceeds to explain the evolving usage of the term intersectionality, saying it was initially limited to academia but has since become incorporated into activist vocabulary. She concludes her piece by describing our modern conception of intersectionality, saying it weaves together the many identities and causes recognized by our society. Thus, the modern socialist feminist movement is arguably inextricably linked to intersectionality. Gordon’s article will be helpful in my research because it is a clear analysis of the relationship between intersectionality and socialist feminism.

MLA: Gordon, Linda. “Socialist Feminism: The Legacy of the ‘Second Wave.’” New Labor Forum, vol. 22, no. 3, 2013, pp. 20–28. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/24718484.

APA: Gordon, L. (2013). Socialist Feminism: The Legacy of the "Second Wave". New Labor Forum, 22(3), 20-28. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/24718484

Another article, also written by Linda Gordon, examines the legacy of the socialist feminist movement. She defines socialist feminist ideals and differentiates socialist feminism from similar social movements, such as Marxist feminism. Gordon says the foundation of socialist feminism rests upon the intersection of race, class, and gender. Socialist feminists recognize each as an autonomous structure that perpetuates inequality and exploitation. The movement strives for a horizontal, democratic, participatory organizational structure. Gordon proceeds to outline the history of the socialist feminist movement, in particular the divisions that occured within the movement through the latter half of the twentieth century. She concludes by examining the lasting impacts of socialist feminist theory, including the tendency for women to be positioned farther Left than men in regards to today’s political issues. This article provides more historical context for my research on  socialist feminism.

MLA: Harriss, Kathryn. “New Alliances: Socialist-Feminism in the Eighties.” Feminist Review, no. 31, 1989, pp. 34–54. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/1395089.

APA: Harriss, K. (1989). New Alliances: Socialist-Feminism in the Eighties. Feminist Review, (31), 34-54. doi:10.2307/1395089

Kathryn Harriss, a feminist scholar in the U.K., examines the impact of socialist feminism on British government in the 1980s. She says that as the Women’s Liberation Movement began to splinter, many socialist feminists redirected their energies towards making British government more participatory and representative. In many respects, they were successful. Municipal councils composed of members of the citizenry heard from community members and made decisions on the basis of public opinion. However, Harriss argues that these councils may have had some unintended consequences. Often times the councils failed to take an intersectional approach to issues, thus benefiting some groups but not others. For example, many women fought for more policing in many communities, but this was ultimately harmful to communities of color who are racially profiled by police. Harriss says that while socialist feminists were successful in creating a governmental structure that more closely mirrored socialist ideals, they often failed to take an intersectional approach that would take other identities into account. Furthermore, because the councils were self-chosen, they often were not all that representative of the communities as a whole. Harriss’s piece will be useful because it describes instances of socialist feminism failing to be intersectional.

MLA: “Lesbianism and Socialist Feminism.” Off Our Backs, vol. 5, no. 8, 1975, pp. 19–19. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/25772331.

APA: Lesbianism and socialist feminism. (1975). Off Our Backs, 5(8), 19-19. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/25772331

In this short journal article, the socialist feminist movement is examined through a lesbian lens. While the authors acknowledge the importance of incorporating socialism and feminism in a movement. Socialism without feminism fails to recognize gender oppression; feminism without socialism fails to liberate all of us from capitalism. However, socialist feminism is not without its problems. Many socialist feminists fail to recognize heterosexism, ageism, and racism, according to the authors. The article concludes with a list of issues the socialist feminist movement must address, thus broadening the focus of socialist feminism. This article examines the intersection of socialist feminism with sexual orientation, which will certainly be of use as I proceed.

MLA: Kennedy, Elizabeth Lapovsky. “Socialist Feminism: What Difference Did It Make to the History of Women's Studies?” Feminist Studies, vol. 34, no. 3, 2008, pp. 497–525. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/20459218.

APA: Kennedy, E. (2008). Socialist Feminism: What Difference Did It Make to the History of Women's Studies? Feminist Studies, 34(3), 497-525. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/20459218

Feminist scholar and women’s studies professor Elizabeth Lapovsky Kennedy discusses the legacy of intersectionality in the socialist feminist movement. Socialist feminism strives to address the sexism within the Left, as well as the classism and racism in the feminist movement of the 1960’s and 70’s. Kennedy credits socialist feminist epistemology with ushering in a new era of scholarship in the feminist movement. Socialist feminism, Kennedy says, analyzes the broader systems of privilege and oppression, thus requiring a more critical way of thinking about the society in which we are entrenched. She goes on to discuss her experience as a professor at SUNY Buffalo in the early years of women and gender studies programs. Kennedy also spends a considerable amount of time on examining the struggle against racism within the socialist feminist movement. Although socialist feminists attempted to address racism, they weren’t entirely successful for a number of reasons. According to Kennedy, a lack of Black voices played a significant role in this lack of progress towards racial equality within feminism. The differences in women’s experiences combined with a lack of communication between movements further exacerbated the problem. Kennedy’s article will be useful in my research because it covers racial inequity within socialist feminism and the impact of socialist feminist theory on feminist scholarship.

MLA: Mirza, Heidi Safia. “The Dilemma of Socialist Feminism: A Case for Black Feminism.” Feminist Review, no. 22, 1986, pp. 103–102. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/1394942.

APA: Mirza, H. (1986). The Dilemma of Socialist Feminism: A Case for Black Feminism. Feminist Review, (22), 103-102. doi:10.2307/1394942

In this letter, then-student Heidi Safia Mirza critiques ‘Ethnocentrism and Socialist Feminist Theory’ by Michele Barrett and Mary McIntosh. Mirza argues that the article is merely an acknowledgement of some of the previous failings of socialist feminism, patronizing Black women without offering any substantive solutions. She goes on to make the case for Black feminism, which weaves together the personal experiences of Black women with overarching institutions of oppression. Mirza offers this radical theoretical perspective as a means to finally give Black women their own voice in feminist theory. This will be a helpful resource, as Mirza articulates specific frustrations with socialist feminism and feminism as a whole.