The Studies Of Historical Materialism In Gender Issue

Gender inequality is a widespread social problem in history. It is not only an economicalproblem produced by the gender relations of production, but also a political problememerging in gender power relations. It also represents as the ideology in the patriarchalculture. It is constructed a mutually reinforcing relationship between gender inequality andthe patriarchal ideology in the process of social reproduction. from the historical perspective,the historical materialism of Marxism, after critically examining the social development,pointed out that on the one hand a certain kind of social consciousness is derived from acertain social existence and on the other hand social development is also subject to theguidance of the principle of value that exist in certain social consciousness. Man is the sum ofsocial relations, and the woman is the sum of the gender relations. Gender relations are notonly a kind of social relations, but also a historical relationship. The historical materialism ofMarxism provides a method for feminism to criticize gender inequality. Just as Engels pointedout that gender inequality in history was generated and also would be disappeared with thedevelopment of society.Western feminism in the context of capitalist society combined with the historicalmaterialism of Marxism and the political issues of Feminism, and criticized gender systemand gender ideology of the capitalist patriarchy. They pointed out that in capitalist society thegender division of labor is the material basis of women's oppression. And so they ask foraffirming the value of female labor and housework. They also emphasize the rationality of thecritical position held on women as oppressed. However, the western feminist radicalstandpoints in theoretical critique often follow with their conservative attitude in politicalpractice. Though it is generally thought to western feminism that capitalism has strengthenedthe women's oppressed status in society, but they don't reach a radical anti-capitalist politicalconsensus, also do not prefer the formation of an anti-capitalist political practice.To achieve women's liberation and gender equality is the same political issues forWestern feminism as Chinese women's studies since the May4th Movement. Compared tothe divergence in Western feminist school, the Chinese women's studies adhere to thetheoretical standpoint of the Marxist view on women. In fact, the Marxist view on womencontributed to the political practice of the Chinese women's movement which proved theChinese women's status in society. The Chinese women have a wider range of opportunities toaccess to job occupation and higher social status than Western women. However, although theChinese woman's social status has improved, but still not achieves true gender equality. "Taking economic construction as the center" is the basic national policy of theconstruction of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The process of globalization makes theChinese economic development become a part of the global economic development. At thesame time, Chinese women's liberation movement integrated into the process of the globalwomen's liberation movement. In the new period, theoretical reflection of China women'sstudies needs to be effectively combined with the western feminist critique, to back to thecritique of Marxism's historical materialism, understand the historical implications ofwomen's liberation and the historical conditions to achieve women's liberation, and to find theway to liberate the women.