Socialist feminism: a new approach

Abstract

The book Socialist Feminism: A New Approach (2022), by Frieda Afary, offers an updated perspective on socialist feminism in the face of contemporary authoritarian capitalism. The author brings together Marxist social reproduction theory, materialist feminism, Black feminism, and queer theories to build an analytical framework that accounts for the intersections of gender, race, and class oppression. Among its main strengths are its theoretical synthesis and political relevance, as it addresses issues ranging from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the #MeToo movement to the rise of the far right and the expansion of surveillance technologies. Despite some limitations, such as the lack of programmatic detail for political practice, the book stands out as an original and timely contribution to contemporary feminist debates and to envisioning emancipatory alternatives in the 21st century.