27 - A.K. 47 - The Social Basis of the Woman Question Part V

In this episode, Kristen R. Ghodsee's reads the fifth and final 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, although by the end of the essay she begins to display a more strident allegiance to the total transformation of society demanded by the socialists.  This is Part V of a multi episode series, and here Ghodsee discusses the problem of "free love" under capitalism. Here Ghodsee discusses the most interesting questions raised in this part of Kollontai's book: whether or not you can build a collective society on the base of individualistic family relations, or whether the socialization of the family should proceed the socialization of the means of production.Mentioned in this essay is the Swedish writer and feminist, Ellen Key. The intro music is a Russian version of The InternationaleMore info about the host can be found at: www.kristenghodsee.comSend 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