The Sociology Book

315

Women’s exploitation in the home

is, says Delphy, a consequence of the

combined effects of patriarchy and

capitalism, both of which function to

perpetuate male dominion and control.

The narrative of films such as
Pride and Prejudice, adapted from the
novel by Jane Austen, reinforce the idea
that what every woman wants is to find
the “perfect” man and marry him.

potentially limitless work. This role,
she says, has no job description,
no agreed wage, and no limit in
terms of the hours. In any other
working position, such conditions
would be viewed as exploitative.
And in marriages where a woman
is engaged in paid employment
outside the home, she is also—
in most cases—expected to be
responsible for household and
childcare duties. According
to Delphy, when the domestic
situation is viewed in these
materialist terms, it becomes
obvious that married women
are working for nothing.
Delphy points out that for
Marxists, classes only exist in
relation to one another: there can
be no bourgeoisie (owners of the
means of production) without the
proletariat (the workers). Friedrich
Engels wrote extensively on how

the development of a class society

is the basis for women’s oppression.

He said that with the rise in private

property during the 19th century,

there was a corresponding rise

in inequality because men

increasingly controlled the public

sphere of production, and so

became increasingly wealthy and

powerful. In addition, men wanted

to ensure that their property would

be inherited by their legitimate

male heirs, and the most effective

way of doing this was through the

institution of the monogamous

patriarchal family. In this way,

marriage became a relationship

of property.

Unpaid assistants

Demand for labor increased during

and following the Industrial

Revolution. Women were required

to produce more children to supply

that demand. But the more children

a woman had, the more tightly she

was tied to the household and

unable to work elsewhere. Delphy

also suggests that unmarried

women become “wives” too, in

the sense that their labor was often

appropriated by brothers, fathers, or

employers. This view was partly

influenced by the book

Married to the Job, by British

sociologist Janet Finch. This work

documents how women are

co-opted by employers into a male

relative’s job, but without pay.

This might be through indirect

help, such as entertaining (for

businessmen or politicians); direct

involvement, such as acting as

an assistant (for tradesmen or

academics); or providing welfare,

for example cooking and cleaning

(for members of the clergy).

Materialist feminism

Delphy sees capitalism and

patriarchy as two distinct social

systems, both of which share the

appropriation of labor, and which

influence and shape each other.

Her materialist feminist approach

to the family marks a departure

from earlier forms of feminist

analysis, which did not consider

the role of capitalism. Delphy

pointed out, however, that a ❯❯

See also: Judith Butler 56–61 ■ Friedrich Engels 66–67 ■ Sylvia Walby 96–99 ■ Arlie Russell Hochschild 236–43 ■
Teri Lynn Caraway 248–49 ■ Adrienne Rich 304–09 ■ Ann Oakley 318–19 ■ Steven Seidman 326–31

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