5 Assignment 04

In Chapter 1 of The Caliban and the Witch, Sylvia Frederici discusses the relation between capitalism and both the racist and sexist ideals in which it promotes.

The population crisis in the 16th and 17th centuries was a pivotal issue that was used by capitalists, in their favor, to justify the humiliation of women.  The decline in population was a threat to the capitalist economy because the size of the labor force was central to the economic life.  Capitalists believed the notion that a large population was key to prosperity.  In other terms, these capitalists now had more people and labor to exploit.  Believing that a higher population equates to a more prosperous economy and society, the state began to intervene, launching a war against women that stripped from them the rights to their bodies.  Harsh penalties were enacted against women who sought out contraceptives and abortions, and women were forced to procreate against their will.  The female body was looked at as an instrument solely for reproduction and its’ contribution to expanding the work-force.

Most women were denied work opportunities by craftsmen and other employers, which left them with only few options.  House work, one of the few spheres women were able to complete tasks, was deemed as “non-work.”  The few women that were employed outside the home were payed cheap wages, significantly lower than those distributed to men.  Policies were enacted by the state that made it nearly impossible for women to be financially independent, despite their efforts and dedication to their work.  The sexual division of labor was thus created once alliances between urban authorities and craftsmen were formed with intentions of privatizing land and spaces.

The sexual division of labor that arose during the early stages of capitalism dismissed the ability of women to participate in daily activities.  Although not as blatantly discriminatory as it was in its beginning, capitalism still maintains racist and misogynistic undertones that target the minorities of the particular society that it’s implemented in.

In The Caliban and the Witch, by Silvia Frederici she describes the degradation of women, and this economic and political system in association with labor force. She discusses woman being oppressed under strong domination in the work force leaving them powerless. Women were looked at as inferior to men causing a mass of division in the workforce as well. This manipulation of women only benefited one side, Frederici said it herself that capitalism has formed enslavement serving to identify and conceal exploitation. In the midst of creating a capital base this system was  humiliating the working class woman.

From the beginning of the Woman’s Movement, women were socially unequal to men. Looked at as only child bearers, sexual beings, wives, and pro creators. This sexual division of labor caused woman to be associated with reproduction and the female body itself was an accumulation of wealth ” in the development of new reproductive technologies that reduce women to wombs” (Frederici,17). Another form of power was the control of the human body also known as “valorization”, without permission their bodies were social, political, and economic machines by the government just to attain capital. This government fed off of the lives of others who they viewed to be subordinate.

Extreme poverty arose due to the lack of wages these women attained during the wage collapse. Woman struggled to support themselves because they received half of the pay a man would receive and for the same exact job. By the 16th century they couldn’t support themselves by agriculture, manufacturing, or wage work, therefore prostitution was on the rise during this time. Their independence was gone being forced to depend on men and they were put into a position of economic dependence. Consequently transitioning from feudalism to capitalism woman endured indignity that was significant in the accumulation of wealth in a capitalist economy.

In The Caliban and the Witch, Silvia Frederici definitely puts into perspective how much of an influence the economy has had over women’s rights throughout history. Due to land privatization and enclosures, citizens were losing their land and taxes were being increased. Many were affected but women suffered the most. Women were not being hired and if they were lucky to find jobs, they were paid the very least to work in uncomfortable settings. It was also difficult for women to move to other cities to find jobs elsewhere due to male violence and the duty of bearing children. Elderly women who lost the support of their children suffered the most; not being able to fend for themselves.

What stuck out to me were the similarities of the enclosure riots and the food-riots of England. The enclosure riots consisted of mostly all women rebels, protesting the social class and economic differences. During the beginning of these riots, women were considered “protected” under the law by their husbands; so much so that men would also dress up like women to be shielded when participating. This continued to happen until the government started making arrests for those involved.

During the food-riots, the prices of food increased tremendously; making it impossible for women without jobs to provide for their families. This, again, created a strong female presence in the fight for equality. Frederici then proceeds to mention that many women protested by bombarding bakeries, demanding food and supplies. When successful, the men would carry out bags of food away. I noticed how, in both these riots, it was always the women who saw the importance of equality, not only for themselves, but for their families, but it was always the men who were piggy-backing off their cause. It seemed as though the men would only want to help if they weren’t the people receiving the front-end of the consequences.

The degradation of women that Federici describes is that women had no control of their body. They were limited to what they could and couldn’t do by the government. The government also passed a couple of laws saying that if they used any contraception, have an abortion, and infanticide (killing the baby) they would be considered a criminal/murder and receive capital punishment. This was going to far for just trying to increase the work force because women’s body was a tool for the men to use, they could be raped anytime like the slaves (African American during and after slavery was abolished), they were being stalked by the government (that way the government can determine how much kids there is to increase the workforce), and were unable to see to their child after giving birth to them. So much of women’s rights have been taken away and they were being treated like a toy (slut, looked down upon, etc…).

I think the wealth in capitalist political economy also played a role, where women was being paid less compared to the men. This forces the women to either get married (rely on the men) because their income was too low to support themselves (they were being paid like half of what the men would get paid for working the same amount of hours and job) and that way the income of the men will be able to support them. This however forces the women to be a housewife by taking care of everything in the house (domestic work like knitting clothes and selling it became an option until the textile industry replaced that completely changing the roles of women again) and the child. Also when the economy was really bad, a group of women would go on a protest to steal food from bakery and the rich in order to support themselves or their family because their job wasn’t enough to support them (low pay) and there wasn’t enough money to go around so people were starving.

Today this is still happening, but more like a double standard kind of thing. For example if a women work in the adult industry (prostitution/porn) they would be called slut and etc… If they decide to look for another job after quitting the adult industry they would be unable to escape the industry because people think it is bad influence on society so they would be stuck making their own company or try finding something else to do (this is kind of hard to explain). Overall, I think women are still being treated unfairly (some times you will hear the sexual harassment at work, being raped [I guess rape culture is a pretty harsh topic too], etc…), but for the most part our generation has been more accepting (we are pretty open-minded even though we wouldn’t want to admit certain stuff like saying we are racist or something, were more of the treat others the way you want to be treated kind of type I think). This also depends on the person (nature vs nurture) and how they were raised.

he degradation of women was not surprising to me.   Women could not obtain some jobs for pay, however they were allowed to join only to be the supporters or pleasers of men, for example, become cooks, washers, prostitutes, and wives.  As usual, it is more difficult for women to independently support themselves rather than a man’s ability to support himself. Because of this, women were confined with reproductive labor, occupations that were devalued, and were excluded from many occupations.  Not only that, but they would be paid the lowest rates.  Women were basically ripped away from their rights to be equal by a man, and the capitalist economy used this to their own advantage.  The labor power of women slowly decreased and their dependence on men increased.  During this time the price revolution and the wage collapse had heavily affected women. Their wages compared to their male counterparts were decreasing as the years went on. This also led to the shortage of food/bread. The wealthy were the ones who received the best bread.  Because of this, the outrage of the poor women resulted in them demanding bread in and doing so in unethical ways. The dehumanization of women became a way to normalize the corruption of the wealth in a capitalist economy.  Not paying women the same as men, or even restricting them for getting paid downgraded women even though they were doing the same work as men.  This gave them less value, while at the same time the government benefits their wealth by keeping the money they save from the work labor that they are not paying these women.

This is similar to society today. Unbelievingly, we still have a pay gap for women working the same job as men.  This is degrading to women because it makes them seem like they are not as worthy as men in the workforce. Or when the government taxes tampons as “luxury goods” as if women can control their bodies.  This is just a couple examples how the degradation of women adds to the  wealth in a capitalist political economy today.

In the Caliban and the Witch, Silvia Federichi explains that the sexual division of labor was used as a capitalist tool for accumulating wealth and preserving power among white men. Being women was a disadvantage for this time because gender became a decisive factor of class relations. The mere fact of being a woman gave the right to their bosses to pay them less money than the men for their work. Prostitution, servitude and housewives became the exclusive labors for women. For example, women were not able to become soldiers for pay; instead some joined armies as cooks and other positions related to their gender.

With the development of capitalism the reproductive labor was devaluated at a point that women need men to survive. Women had a very hard time getting monetary resources, therefor having commodities, such as food, almost impossible to obtain leaving them with no options but to get undervalue goods. Economy growth helped out the nations wealthiest, but leaving the poor in a more critical state than what they already had. Small business like food supplier had their goods bought by the rich with no problem but women had no other options but to beg on streets or in storefronts. Women had no means of getting any benefit from this economy boom that was happening. Riots erupted as one could imagine and crime went up especially in the steal factor because woman often used to steal crops from their neighbors. The poor where so infuriated that they started burning property’s that belonged to the rich.

The persecutions of “witches” affected woman’s main role of reproduction and how they behave. Women had to be more careful of their actions if not they could be judged wrongly. Women reproductive function declined creating a crisis since with no reproduction no new generations were being born this lead to the creation of punishment toward woman that did not perform their role of reproduction.

I found Frederici’s “The Caliban and the Witch” fascinating for not only debunking the standard Marxist understanding of the transition to capitalism, but also for explaining the impact the elite and primitive accumulation on women and society as a whole. Frederici’s analysis explains that subjugating women was not simply a byproduct or collateral damage of a progression towards capitalism – but a necessity. While Marx made it clear that moving towards capitalism would, in a way, dehumanize the individual by putting focus and priority on work, he neglects to look at the specific victims of this and the impact that would have on society as a whole. Frederici makes it clear that certain demographics (women and minorities) suffered in worse conditions and were taken advantage of more than the average member of the proletariat.  Frederici’s claim is that women were considered the Caliban (from Shakespeare’s The Tempest) and witches.

In the Middle Ages, women were able to be somewhat self-sufficient in terms of wages and working conditions. But the dominant classes in society tried to maintain their dominance by subjugating women and essentially pushing them out of the labor market (Frederici sites witch-hunts as an almost manipulative move by the dominating powers to remove women from the work force or make them less desirable workers). While reading this, I found it shocking to think that hierarchal forces in society could create a conspiracy-like narrative that would force women to remain unpaid laborers in the home. It is devastating to see how removal of communal property and land impacted people’s ability to access work and food – ultimately forcing the working class to depend on the elite for working wages and food.

I have always wondered why it was so accepted that women should be housewives and assumed it was a product of motherhood. Frederici shows that witch-hunts, unfair imprisonment, social rejection for not having children or speaking out against sexual violence, the progression of the slave trade and more – were facilitated so that the elite could retain power. I understand why Frederici is against globalism and how skewed the potential benefits of a capitalist economic system really are. Those who have the means to accumulate property and assets can progress at the expense of the individuals beneath them.

Exploitation is a form of manipulation, where a person or group is used to carry out certain tasks that benefit another; while the person or group is not properly compensated for their work. Throughout history, there have been various instances of exploitation such as slavery, child labor, unfair wages, etc. Caliban and the Witch by Silvia Frederici examines the mistreatment of women between the 14th and 19th centuries. In my essay I will discuss the exploitation of women as a method to increase the accumulation of wealth in a capitalist political society. My essay consists findings from Caliban and the Witch.

Beginning in the 14th century, women were slowly being pushed out of the workforce. Those who were a part of the workforce, were paid less than men and received extremely low wages for their work. The refusal of work towards women resulted in widespread poverty. Women did not possess the monetary funds to support themselves and their families; causing the deaths of many children due to starvation. Some women did reproductive labor in their home. However, the state did not view this as work, but as a natural responsibility; as a result, their labor was devalued (Federici, 2004). During this time, a large amount of women became prostitutes as a way to support their families. The exclusion of women from the workforce was demoralizing, because they were forced to do drastic deeds in order to survive and they were viewed as not worthy of work. The reproductive labor that women did at home was unacknowledged. However, placing women in the household was the foundation needed for the process of economic growth to begin.

During the 16th and 17th centuries Europe was experiencing a critical population crisis because of disease that claimed the lives of many. The region’s population was decreasing drastically which caused major concern within the government. During this time period the number of people a country had was associated with wealth; less citizens meant less wealth and more citizens meant more prosperity (Federici, 2004). This assumption led to the European government making a decision to increase their involvement in the lives of their female citizens. Great importance was placed on women and their reproductive capacities because their children symbolized a growth in the workforce and in the economy. Women lost control of their body and their ability to choose whether or not they wanted children. Contraception and abortion were heavily frowned upon and any women suspected of attempting to terminate or prevent a pregnancy were punished severely; sometimes resulting in death (Federici, 2004). Women were turned into child making factories for the sole purpose of accumulating wealth for the economy by giving birth to new workers. The government dictated who had children and when it was convenient for women to have them; thus turning their wombs into property (Federici, 2004).

Sexual division was prevalent in the 19th century. During this time, a women’s role was to be a full time housewife caring not only for her children, but most importantly for her husband. At home, women did reproductive labor and would frequently aid their husbands with their work. Women were not paid for assisting their husband or at home labor. This was another form of exploitation. These women were helping their husbands to produce, which in turn helped the economy; yet they were not paid or acknowledged for their work. Many women relied heavily on the income of their husbands because they themselves could not work; and whatever work they did at home had no importance to society. Through this, the government was able to further influence women by forcing them to be under the control of their husbands (Federici, 2004). Around this time, women who were single were frowned upon and their image was destroyed. Those unmarried were labeled as non-conformist. A woman working at home was a woman helping her husband to produce for the economy and her sacrifices were overlooked but her work was beneficial to the state.

Exploitation is a form of manipulation, where a person or group is used to carry out certain tasks that benefit another; while the person or group is not properly compensated for their work. Between the 14th and 19th centuries, women faced severe exploitation by the government with the intention of boosting the economy. In the 14th century women were losing their jobs and faced exclusion from the workforce; resulting in many participating in reproductive labor at home which helped the economy. During the 15th and 16 centuries the government used female reproductive capabilities as a method to increase the population in order to gain more workers which would in turn help with economic productivity. In the 19th century the work that women did as full time housewives greatly helped the economy, but was not rewarded. Women were being exploited; their bodies were controlled by the government. They were denied the right to work, which led to an increase in prostitution and poverty. Whatever work they did do was overlooked. An economy thrived at the expense of women’s rights, integrity, and their lives.

Federici, S. (2004). Caliban and the Witch. 61-133.

Silvia Federici in her book “Caliban and the Witch” tells us about the time of the fifteen hundreds and how women were treated and affected negatively in that time. One event at the time had an exuberant amount of repercussions in coming times, the closing of commons. Early on in her text Federici tells the reader of how the commons at the time were a place for farmers to provide for themselves and they were also a common place for social gatherings. By being a place to have social gatherings, these commons were a great place for women to come together and share news and give their viewpoint on things with like minded people. The abolishment of the  open- field system  took this place of peace from women and ended up killing families that could no longer provide for themselves. A page later she tells us of the most affected of those that survived, older women. Due to the closing of communal areas these women had to survive by borrowing, petty theft, and delayed payments. Witch hunts were prevalent in the  fifteen hundreds. Women accused of witchcraft were given basically no trial and were killed in the thousands. While the closing of commons may not have been a direct cause, it easily was a factor in bringing about accusations. Nearly all accusations were false or were based on hatred. Simple things such as asking for help financially or unpaid rents were cause for accusations. This distrust of women became such a problem that even giving birth was cause for severe punishment if not done under strict guidlines. Contraception of any kind was seen as cause of infanticide with the consequence of death if discovered. Even having a birth that was not directly monitored by a male doctor was also cause for punishment among many other obscene reasons. Federici’s text tells us of the many injustices done to women such as removal of public spaces, the witch hunts, and capital punishment for what would be minor offenses, all stemming from a time of death and poverty.

In the Caliban and the witch, Silvia Frederici talks bout the connection between capitalism and feminism. There are many conflicts between industrial development and women’s society status. Marx measuring few points that are limited social position of women, and cause reason of racism. The industry market need more labor and bodywork, it put female in a struggle situation. Also, the weakness of physical factors put them into natural reproduction. In the other hand, the diversity of working environment caused “Primitive Accumulation”. People who have more labor power and wealth control the slave market. The economic market divide people into different status, European, African, man and women. The degradation is developing when the land privatization and price revolution.

In other ways, Silvia Frederici argue the political system and agricultural, people built more agricultural productivity and increase the food supply. It causes larger population growth during the eighteenth Europe. It also means women has less chance to get the education and opportunity to working or to be succeed. They are more likely live in a natural environment, became housekeeping and dependency. The military system also created at that time, women do not have chance too involved any political action and economic control during fifteenth century. Feminism is destroyed by the capitalism and maxims, the society did not accept to have own opinion and behavior. By the way, the women lost their own properties, violence from male and the ability of pregnancies. Degradation is explored when the industry is burning. Development of separation of workers and landlords, the dependency of wages and food markets. We realized the female has unfair wages or employment in market, different social status determines what kinds of jobs they have. There are many factors affect the industry world is developing, the women lost control of childbirth because of population’s growth. The society control of women and they most likely became a producer in seventeenth century.

In conclusion, the degradation is developing by the Marxism and capitalism. Most women lost power and social status during that that. They were becoming a birth tools or lower class in Europe and American. The labor market caused white men or landowners have total power to controlling the market.