This is interesting and touches on something that I have recently been researching too.
Alison, Millicent have either of you read JOHNSON, C. (1996) Does Capitalism Really Need Patriarchy? Some Old Issues Reconsidered. Women's Studies International Forum, 19, 193-202. She critiques the idea that capitalism and patriarchy are the same or inter-connected and suggests that they exist in varying states of tension with each other. She use the Australian 'Harvester' judgement of 1907 as an illustration. Justice Higgins established a female wage as 54% of a male wage, with a male wage being capable of supporting a family (man, woman and three children). She suggests that although this might appear like patriarchy and capitalism working together things are less clear if consideration is given to the notion of 'family wage', which militates against the best interests of capitalism. For capitalism, it would be better to get the labour of two adults combined into a 'family wage' rather than the labour of a male (and potentially a female gaining a supplement of 54%). Johnson suggests that here capitalism threatened patriarchy and that the backlash from unions (defending against 'cheap' female labour) is evidence of that.
I hope that's useful. It certainly engaged me.
Tina
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is it me or is it getting dark in here?
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> Date: Thu, 10 Jun 2010 09:50:01 +1000
> From: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: HAD TO share!
> To: [log in to unmask]
>
> Congrats Millicent! Interesting stuff about feminism there. I'm doing
> some reading at present around capitalism's absorption/appropriation
> of the feminism project...
>
> xA
>
> On Thu, Jun 10, 2010 at 9:26 AM, Millicent <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> > The Huffington picked up an interview with me!!
> >
> > http://www.huffingtonpost.com/laura-baudo-sillerman/millicent-borges-accardi_b_606404.html
> >
> > Millicent
> >
>
>
>
> --
> Editor, Masthead: http://www.masthead.net.au
> Blog: http://theatrenotes.blogspot.com
> Home page: http://www.alisoncroggon.com
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