Delphy, Christine

Created: 2022-Oct-04

Bio: (1941-) French sociologist. Christine Delphy studied sociology at the University of Paris and the University of California, Berkeley. She began working for the Centre National de Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) in Paris in 1966. Delphy became famous for her Marxist approach to feminism, marriage, and the issue of gender. She believes that marriage is still a structurally unequal relationship, because the opportunities for women in the public sphere are fewer (especially in the sphere of work), while the gender division of work is still maintained within the domestic sphere.

In her opinion, there are two main ways of production in modern society. The industrial type of production is based on capitalist ownership and exploitation, and the patriarchal mode of production defined by patriarchal exploitation. In this sense, she views marriage as an institution based on the male appropriation of female labor. Both modes of production are autonomous and separate. The patriarchal mode of production leads to the fact that women belong to a single class, so the status of every woman is independent of the status and wealth of her husband. The patriarchal way of production implies that the man, as the head of the house, appropriates the free work of the woman and other subordinates of the household. Women do the vast majority of all household chores, take care of children and the elderly, and also perform emotional, reproductive, and sexual roles. In addition to control over work, men have complete control over property, money distribution, and consumption. Women, even when working, perform all domestic roles, while still having no control over the property. All women are united by common oppression by men.