Bell Hooks, Revolutionary Parenting.

[Quail]

http://caringlabor.wordpress.com/201...ary-parenting/

That's a shortened version of the pamphlet I bought at the London book fair. I'm just reading it at the moment, so will post my thoughts later, but I thought some other people might find it interesting.

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Well, she is putting forward an idea that has been a mainstay of the Marxist view on the organization of the family under communism for a long time: collective childcare. Unfortunately, for all her "revolutionary" rhetoric, her approach ultimately comes down to standard reformism:

Originally Posted by bell hooks
Women all over the United States must rally together to demand that tax money spent on the arms race and other militaristic goals be spent on improving the quality of parenting and child care in this society.

Lobbying congress, arguing for the reallocation of tax money? In my opinion, this approach is totally bankrupt and rather than potentially empowering working class women, it builds illusions in the possibility - by working across class lines, no less - of achieving a more favorable arrangement within the framework of capitalism. For all her criticism of "middle class feminism", I fail to see what makes her approach any different.

[Quail]

I posted this thread and then completely forgot about it. I though it was generally an interesting read because I do really agree that both men and women need to take part in childcare, and a community-based nursery would be a good way of working towards this. It sparked my interest at the bookfair because it's something I need to think about when raising my own child. I don't want him to grow up thinking that women look after the home and the children and men go out to work. It's important to socialise children into knowing that men and women are equal, and obviously part of that is that both men and women take part in caring for the child.

Well, she is putting forward an idea that has been a mainstay of the Marxist view on the organization of the family under communism for a long time: collective childcare. Unfortunately, for all her "revolutionary" rhetoric, her approach ultimately comes down to standard reformism:

Lobbying congress, arguing for the reallocation of tax money? In my opinion, this approach is totally bankrupt and rather than potentially empowering working class women, it builds illusions in the possibility - by working across class lines, no less - of achieving a more favorable arrangement within the framework of capitalism. For all her criticism of "middle class feminism", I fail to see what makes her approach any different.

I agree that lobbying congress isn't the best approach to the situation. In the UK as a student I can claim back the money for my childcare, which I assume is the kind of reform we would (maybe) see for working women if all we did was lobby politicians (which often does fuck all, to be honest).

A better way of trying to change things for the better would perhaps be trying to set up something in the local community where neighbours who know and trust each other can make arrangements to help each other out with the childcare, although that could be difficult because we might not see as many men participating as women. I think there would also be legal barriers to any kind of community nursery type thing.

I was interested in other people's thoughts about childcare and sexism.