Surgimento, queda e ressurreição: a história da teoria da reprodução social

Abstract

Debates around reproductive/domestic labor marked the 1970s within the theoretical-political current of socialist feminism. Developed from a sociomaterial conception of oppression, these discussions sought, in different ways, to explain the role of such labor in the subordination of women in capitalist society. This gave rise to a series of debates about the nature of the relationship and the existence (or not) of hierarchies between capitalism and patriarchy, class and gender, exploitation and oppression, production and reproduction. Late to these debates, the Social Reproduction Theory (SRT) emerged in 1983, developed by Lise Vogel, whose formulation did not resonate significantly at the time. Based on Marxian categories, Vogel proposed a renewal within Marxism through an integrative approach to the oppression of women and the capitalist mode of production. Thirty years after its emergence and dormancy, amid the rise of neofascism, conservatism, the feminization of poverty, and a deep socioreproductive crisis, SRT has been revisited by contemporary Marxist feminists, who consider it one of the most robust formulations among twentieth-century debates and envision, through it, a new direction for the women’s movement. By assimilating contributions from other feminisms—such as Black, decolonial, queer, and community-based perspectives—SRT's rehabilitation constitutes yet another chapter in the complex history of the articulation between Marxism and feminism. In this context, this dissertation aims to develop a historical overview of Social Reproduction Theory. To this end, it draws on scientometric data to theoretically analyze the social and historical contexts of the theory’s ebb and flow. Subsequently, through bibliographic analysis, it delves into SRT’s historical development, deriving its political and epistemic consequences from the historical gaps and moments of revival that have shaped its trajectory. It also seeks to identify connections between different groups of authors, as well as their convergences and divergences over time. Based on this investigation, it is argued that the development of SRT follows a non-linear trajectory, deeply shaped by the political, social, and intellectual contingencies of each historical period. The analysis demonstrates that these variations do not occur randomly or solely due to internal theoretical dynamics, but rather respond to concrete conjunctural conditions and reflect the very crises and mutations of the capitalist system in its various phases. This is a theoretical, critical, and bibliographic study that aims to map, historicize, and investigate the contemporary revival of SRT within the field of feminist theory.