A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai

23 - A.K. 47 - The Social Basis of the Woman Question: Part II


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In this episode, Kristen R. Ghodsee's reads the second 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. She only becomes a Bolshevik in 1914, and eventually becomes an anarchist, and finally a Stalinist. Ghodsee makes the case that contemporary leftists should also be "left fluid," or open to all leftist perspectives and willing to cooperate with those who have different visions for how we get to a most just, equitable, and sustainable future.

This is Part II of a multi episode series. Mentioned in this episode is Nancy Fraser's 2009 essay in the New Left Review, "FEMINISM, CAPITALISM AND THE CUNNING OF HISTORY."

The intro music is a Russian version of The Internationale

More info about the host can be found at: www.kristenghodsee.com

Also see: AlexandraKollontai.com – A Website for All Things Kollontai 

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Thanks 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 would like to support the work being done here, please spread the word, share with your friends and networks, and consider exploring the following links.

Check out Kristen Ghodsee's recent books:

  • Everyday Utopia
  • Red Valkyries
  • Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism
  • Second World, Second Sex


Subscribe to Kristen Ghodsee’s free, episodic newsletter at: https://kristenghodsee.substack.com

Learn more about Kristen Ghodsee's work at: www.kristenghodsee.com

Kristen R. Ghodsee is the award-winning author of twelve books and a professor and chair of Russian and East European Studies at the University of Pennsylvania.

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A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra KollontaiBy Kristen R. Ghodsee

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