A Level Sociology OCR Practice Exam

In the context of sociology, which area do Marxist feminists believe needs more attention?

1. The economic empowerment of women

2. The psychological impacts of discrimination

3. The domestic role of women

4. The gender roles in politics

The correct answer is: The domestic role of women

Marxist feminists emphasize the importance of analyzing women's domestic roles because they believe that the capitalist system exploits women's labor, both in the workforce and at home. They argue that traditional domestic roles perpetuate women's subordinate status in society. By focusing on the domestic sphere, Marxist feminists highlight how unpaid domestic labor and the nurturing roles assigned to women contribute to their economic dependency and oppression. This view transitions into a critique of how capitalism maintains these gendered divisions, advocating for an understanding of how women's roles in the home are integral to broader economic and class structures. This perspective contrasts with the other options, as psychological impacts or political gender roles, while important, do not directly address the economic relationships and class struggles that underpin women's oppression in the Marxist framework. Economic empowerment is also significant, but without addressing the domestic labor that women perform, the structural inequalities remain unchallenged. Thus, the domestic role of women is pivotal in understanding the intersection of gender and class oppression in the Marxist feminist critique.