23 - A.K. 47 - The Social Basis of the Woman Question: Part II

In this episode, Kristen R. Ghodsee's reads the second part of her selections from Alexandra Kollontai's 1909 book, The Social Basis of the Woman Question. This manuscript was written while Alexandra Kolllontai was in exile from Tsarist Russia and affiliated with the German Social Democratic party. This is a key text in the history of socialist feminism, and is seen by many as a foundational document in distinguishing the "bourgeois feminists" from the socialists. In this essay, Kollontai is clearly a social democrat and an advocate for reformist social democratic politics. She only becomes a Bolshevik in 1914, and eventually becomes an anarchist, and finally a Stalinist. Ghodsee makes the case that contemporary leftists should also be "left fluid," or open to all leftist perspectives and willing to cooperate with those who have different visions for how we get to a most just, equitable, and sustainable future. This is Part II of a multi episode series. Mentioned in this episode is Nancy Fraser's 2009 essay in the New Left Review, "FEMINISM, CAPITALISM AND THE CUNNING OF HISTORY."The intro music is a Russian version of The InternationaleMore info about the host can be found at: www.kristenghodsee.comAlso see: AlexandraKollontai.com – A Website for All Things Kollontai Send us Fan MailThanks so much for listening. This podcast has no Patreon-type account and receives no funding. There are no ads and there is no monetization. If you'd like to support the work being done here, please spread the word with your networks.Kristen R. Ghodsee is the award-winning author of twelve critically acclaimed books published in over 20 languages, and a University of Pennsylvania Professor of Russian and East European Studies. Check out Kristen Ghodsee's recent books: Everyday UtopiaRed ValkyriesWhy Women Have Better Sex Under SocialismSecond World, Second SexSubscribe to Kristen Ghodsee’s free, episodic newsletter at: https://kristenghodsee.substack.comLearn more about Kristen Ghodsee's work: www.kristenghodsee.com or request to follow her on Instagram @prof_kristen