From sexism to social reaction: contradictions within capitalism [View all]

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From sexism to social reaction: contradictions within capitalism
Monday, April 28, 2014

On March 27, the IPEA (Institute of Applied Economic Research), a Brazilian public foundation, released a survey on “social tolerance and violence against women” that provoked massive outrage – especially across social movements. According to the survey, almost two-thirds of respondents (65 per cent) believe that provocative clothing and certain behavior justify rape and violence against women.

The reaction was instantaneous: individuals and groups of activists united in anger against the strong machismo and violence against women illustrated by the survey results.

However, it not true that all of these respondents are rapists or defend rape. What is most shocking is that the majority of the respondents who answered affirmatively were women. What does this research, and these alarming statistics, tell us?

The root of women’s oppression

We cannot begin to analyze or understand people’s behavior in isolation from the socio-economic system in which we live: capitalism. The oppression of women is linked to the development of capitalism.

Women first lost their power to take decisions in society thousands of years ago, when primitive accumulation began and out of which developed class society. Once there was a division of labor in accumulating a surplus and then a surplus to control, women were subjected to men and effectively lost their power to make decisions, their right to choose, and their freedom. The material basis of patriarchy was reinforced through inheritance laws, which imposed monogamy on women to ensure children were of genuine lineage.

Much more here: http://www.workerspower.net/from-sexism-to-social-reaction-contradictions-within-capitalism