The Contested Domain

Lise Vogel is a unique voice in feminist theory. This book collects her best essays, opening a window into the last half century of US socialist feminism.

A trailblazer in the 1970s, Vogel planted the seeds for contemporary Social Reproduction Theory with her ‘unitary theory’ of exploitation and the oppression of women. Along with others, she challenged established views within the academy and movement by insisting that Marxist theory can accommodate not only class, but also race and gender. Today her work is more popular than ever, inspiring socialist feminists to develop inclusive liberatory ideas for the next generation.

Collecting five decades of Vogel’s work, including long out-of-print material, this collection is a crucial resource for readers interested in the intellectual history of Marxist-feminism and twentieth-century activism.

Author Biography

Lise Vogel is a feminist sociologist from the United States. Growing up in a politically active family, she was heavily involved in the Civil Rights and women’s liberation movements. She earned doctorates from Harvard University and Brandeis University, and is best known for developing our understanding of the relationship between Marxism and feminism. She is the author of many books, including Marxism and the Oppression of Women: Toward a Unitary Theory.

Kirstin Munro is an Assistant Professor of Economics at The New School for Social Research in New York. She is the author of The Production of Everyday Life in Eco-Conscious Households: Compromise, Conflict, and Complicity. Paula Varela is a Professor and Senior Research Fellow at the University of Buenos Aires and CONICET in Argentina in the areas of working-class studies and gender studies.