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In the mid-1970s, a Marxist-feminist movement with revolutionary aims shook up resurgent feminism. This was the International Feminist Collective, better known as the Wages for Housework movement, a network of groups based in Europe and North America. With essays by Silvia Federici, Mariarosa Dalla Costa, Selma James, Leopoldina Fortunati, Wilmette Brown, Gisela Bock, Barbara Duden, Maria Pia Turri, and more, this is the first comprehensive anthology of the key texts of the international Wages for Housework movement. The theories of these leading feminist thinkers bear witness to the originality and political strength of the social reproduction movement, which, ahead of its time, offered a revolutionary analysis of the intersections of gender, sex, race, and class. With essays by Silvia Federici, Mariarosa Dalla Costa, Selma James, Leopoldina Fortunati, Wilmette Brown, Gisela Bock, Barbara Duden, Maria Pia Turri, and more, this is the first comprehensive anthology of the key texts of the international Wages for Housework movement.
"If ever there was a time to read another powerful chapter in the genealogy of feminist theory and activism, now is that time! Working for Nothing is a dazzling collection showcasing that distinctly 1970s urgency around wages for housework, shining a light once again on the age-old question of why women's labour is undervalued and underpaid, and why and how to reignite the fight for economic equality."
"To shape radical feminist futures, we need to know our past. This anthology, Working for Nothing, is a beautiful and accessible resource for everyone. The eloquence, the powerful energy, and the confidence expressed in these essential texts should motivate us to revive this fundamental fight, and to call for a feminist general strike wherever we are in the Global North and the Global South."
"The texts gathered in Working for Nothing remind us how crucial the Wages for Housework movement of the 1970s was to the feminism of that era. Theorized by Marxist intellectuals, particularly Italian and American women, the demand for wages for housework sparked numerous debates within the feminist movement before being marginalized and almost forgotten. Yet, the call for wages for housework was based on a novel analysis of the condition of women, emphasizing the common labour performed by all of them and the need to value it. In a context where the demand for wages for housework is resurfacing, Louise Toupin offers us the opportunity to revisit the foundational writings of this movement and appreciate its revolutionary potential."
"With this anthology, Louise Toupin offers unique access to the international Marxist feminist Wages for Housework movement's most powerful writings at a time when it is most needed."
"Based on Louise Toupin's exhaustive research and archival work, Working for Nothing offers a unique overview of the main texts of the Wages for Housework movement. Bringing together both classics and previously unpublished translations from different countries, the book provides an insight into the richness and relevance of Marxist feminist thought, rooted in women's struggles and everyday lives. It will certainly provide inspiring material for activists and researchers from a variety of fields."
"If ever there was a time to read another powerful chapter in the genealogy of feminist theory and activism, now is that time! Working for Nothing is a dazzling collection showcasing that distinctly 1970s urgency around wages for housework, shining a light once again on the age-old question of why women's labour is undervalued and underpaid, and why and how to reignite the fight for economic equality."
"To shape radical feminist futures, we need to know our past. This anthology, Working for Nothing, is a beautiful and accessible resource for everyone. The eloquence, the powerful energy, and the confidence expressed in these essential texts should motivate us to revive this fundamental fight, and to call for a feminist general strike wherever we are in the Global North and the Global South."
"The texts gathered in Working for Nothing remind us how crucial the Wages for Housework movement of the 1970s was to the feminism of that era. Theorized by Marxist intellectuals, particularly Italian and American women, the demand for wages for housework sparked numerous debates within the feminist movement before being marginalized and almost forgotten. Yet, the call for wages for housework was based on a novel analysis of the condition of women, emphasizing the common labour performed by all of them and the need to value it. In a context where the demand for wages for housework is resurfacing, Louise Toupin offers us the opportunity to revisit the foundational writings of this movement and appreciate its revolutionary potential."
"With this anthology, Louise Toupin offers unique access to the international Marxist feminist Wages for Housework movement's most powerful writings at a time when it is most needed."
"Based on Louise Toupin's exhaustive research and archival work, Working for Nothing offers a unique overview of the main texts of the Wages for Housework movement. Bringing together both classics and previously unpublished translations from different countries, the book provides an insight into the richness and relevance of Marxist feminist thought, rooted in women's struggles and everyday lives. It will certainly provide inspiring material for activists and researchers from a variety of fields."