Famous quote by Clara Zetkin

"Bourgeois society is not fundamentally opposed to the bourgeois women's movement, which is proven by the fact that in various states reforms of private and public laws concerning women have been initiated"

About this Quote

Clara Zetkin, a prominent Marxist theorist and supporter for females's rights, articulates a nuanced analysis of the relationship between bourgeois society and the women's motion in the provided quote. The assertion Zetkin makes is that bourgeois, or capitalist, society does not basically oppose the bourgeois females's motion. This viewpoint can be unpacked by considering the wider socio-political context in which she was writing.

Firstly, Zetkin's usage of the term "bourgeois society" describes the capitalist class structure, in which the middle and upper classes, who own the means of production, have significant influence over societal standards, worths, and laws. The "bourgeois ladies's movement" likely describes early feminist efforts led primarily by middle-class women advocating for rights such as suffrage, education, and work environment opportunities, which seek reforms within the existing societal structure rather than an extreme transformation of it.

Zetkin argues that bourgeois society is not hostile to these reforms due to the fact that they do not threaten the essential socio-economic structures of industrialism. Rather, such reforms can be viewed as changing the device to accommodate shifts in group demands and labor force requirements. By instituting reforms in both private and public laws worrying ladies, capitalist states acknowledged and accommodated the altering functions of ladies, which were progressively required due to financial needs like labor scarcities or the requirement for a more informed workforce.

For that reason, the ladies's motion within the bourgeois context does not necessarily interrupt capitalist society's class structure but rather guarantees its determination by incorporating women as participants. This integration can improve efficiency and stabilize the social order by addressing specific disparities, which in turn can placate possible dissent.

Zetkin's critique may likewise imply that while these reforms represent progress, they do not equate to liberation or equality, as they remain within the restrictions of bourgeois society. A complete realization of females's emancipation would, in Zetkin's Marxist view, require a more extreme restructuring of society beyond simply accommodating women within the existing capitalist framework.

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About the Author

Germany Flag This quote is written / told by Clara Zetkin between July 5, 1857 and June 20, 1933. He/she was a famous Politician from Germany. The author also have 18 other quotes.
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