This thesis explores the role of the theory of social reproduction in understanding contemporary neoliberal capitalism. It is based on the assumption that social reproduction—that is, the daily and generational renewal of the labor force and the maintenance of social life—constitutes a fundamental condition of capitalist accumulation yet remains overlooked in classical economic analyses. Using a qualitative approach and an analysis of primary and secondary literature, this thesis demonstrates that capitalism is based on unpaid or underpaid reproductive labor, which the welfare state supports less under neoliberalism, shifting the burden onto individual households and women as the primary agents of reproduction. The analysis reveals the limitations of the two-system theory in understanding the interconnection between capitalist and patriarchal exploitation and shows how neoliberal states fill gaps in social care with a racialized, migrant, and precarious workforce in the sectors of care, nursing, and reproductive labor. The paper concludes with a discussion of the possibilities for the collectivization of social reproduction.
|
