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ever, that women should wait to demand freedem from discrimination. There is a mater-
jal basis for women's status: we are not merely discriminated against, we are exoloit~
ed. At present, cur unpaid labor in the home is necessary if the entire system is to
function. Pressure created by women who challenge their role will reduce the effect~
iveness of this exploitation. In addition, such challenges will impede the function~
ing of the family and may make the channeling of women out of the labor force less
effective. All of these will honefully make quicker the transition to a society in
which the necessary structural changes in production can actually be made. That such
a transition will require a revolution I have no doubt; our task is to make sure

that revolutionary changes in the society do in fact end women's oppression.

Biblicgraphy and Notes

1. Marlene Dixon ‘Secondary Social Status of Women” Available from U.S. Voice of
Women's Liberation Movement, 1940 Bissell, Chicago, Illinois, 60614
2. The biological arqument is, of course, the first one used but it is not usually
aken seriously by socialist writers. Marqaret Mead's Sex and Temperament is an
early statement cf the importance of culture instead of biology.
3. This applies to the group cr category as a whole. Women as individuals can and do
free themselves from their socialization to a great dearee (and they can even

come to terms with the economic situation in favorable cases) but the majority of

women have nce chance to do so.

4. Ernest Mandel, “Workérs Under Neocapitalism”, naner delivered at Simon Fraser Uni-
versity. Available through the Department of Political Science, Sociology and
Anthropology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., Canada

5. Ernest Mandel; Introduction to Marxist Economic Theory, Merit Publisher, New
OrK 00 100, 7 Aree | 3

6. Juliet Mitchell, “Women: The Longest Pevolution,” New Left Review, December, 1966.

Fredrich Engels, Origin of the Family, Private Property anc. the State, Progress

Publishers, Mcscow (1968), Chanter T¥, np. 158. The anthronological evidence known

~J
°

cmork of Engéls do not require the former dominance of women but merely their for-

¢, For evidence of such teaching see any high school text on the family.