Communism and the Family

by Alexandra Kollontai

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Genres: Feminism, Nonfiction, Politics, Philosophy, Gender, History, Sociology

24 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1921

About the author

Alexandra Mikhailovna Kollontai (Russian: Александра Михайловна Коллонтай — née Domontovich, Домонтович was a Russian Communist revolutionary, first as a member of the Mensheviks, then from 1914 on as a Bolshevik. In 1923, Kollontai was appointed Soviet Ambassador to Norway, one of the first women to hold such a post (Diana Abgar was earlier).

Reviews

[Jada Frances Duraee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably my sixth or seventh time reading this text. Each time I return to it, I feel so genuinely touched and inspired. It completely changed how I view loving and intimate relationships and allowed me to open myself up to a vision of loving which transcends the bondage of class society. It helped me to understand this cultural fear of commitment and of love itself not as an issue which is inherent to close relationships or even heartbreak but rather the weight of these things within our present conditions.

“In place of the old relationship between men and women, a new one is developing: a union of affection and comradeship, a union of two equal members of communist society, both of them free, both of them independent and both of them workers. No more domestic bondage for women. No more inequality within the family. No need for women to fear being left without support and with children to bring up. The woman in communist society no longer depends upon her husband but on her work. It is not in her husband but in her capacity for work that she will find support. She need have no anxiety about her children. The workers’ state will assume responsibility for them. Marriage will lose all the elements of material calculation which cripple family life. Marriage will be a union of two persons who love and trust each other. Such a union promises to the working men and women who understand themselves and the world around them the most complete happiness and the maximum satisfaction. Instead of the conjugal slavery of the past, communist society offers women and men a free union which is strong in the comradeship which inspired it.”

With this work having been published in 1920, of course some of the language is slightly dated but I struggle to fault the text for this, given its formative role in the analyses which even made this linguistic shift possible. With that being said, read critically and creatively and consider how these central concepts can be applied today. Despite Kollontai’s writing it a century ago, Communism and the Family feels so incredibly relevant and accurate. Kollontai’s prose is captivating and her ideas are truly beautiful.

[Maja Solar · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the beginning of the twentieth century, Alexandra Kollontai knew that a women’s oppression would disappear when the so-called reproductive work (work in the household, individual care of children and the elderly—i.e., non-wage female labor) becomes a social concern. A truly emancipatory society would liberate woman from the chains of the family & housework on the basis of socialized domestic services & collectivized care and responsibility for the children and the elderly

[ılgın]

“Kapitalistlerin kendileri eski ailenin kadının köle, erkeğin ise ailenin bakımı ve refahından sorumlu olduğu bu tip ailenin proleteryanın özgürlük çabalarını boğmak için işçi kadının ve işçi erkeğin devrimci ruhunu zayıflatmak için en iyi silah olduğunu bilmiyor değillerdir. Ailesi için endişe işçinin belini büker, sermaye ile uzlaşmaya zorunlu kılar.”

[cemre · Rating 4 out of 5]

aıleyı yedım

[Milena · Rating 1 out of 5]

Este pequeño escrito hecho durante la revolución rusa puede resultar revolucionario para su época y en realidad lo es, pero no hacia un buen camino. Lo que propone la autora es prácticamente un Estado totalitario que este inmiscuido en la vida de todos los ciudadanos; cito: "Desde ahora, la madre obrera que tenga plena conciencia de su función social, se elevará a tal extremo que llegará a no estblecer diferencias entre los tuyos y los míos; tendrá que recordar siempre que desde ahora no habrá más que nuestros hijos, los del Estado Comunista, posesión común de todos los trabajadores.". Me sorprende la magnitud de las ideas que tenía esta mujer, en teoría puede que resulte utópico pero en la práctica acabaría privando la libertad de muchos.
Evidentemente es un libro muy comunista así que no me puedo quejar ya que yo elejí leerlo.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un texto muy interesante sobre la situación de la mujer proletaria en Rusia antes y después de la Revolución, y las expectativas de la mujer proletaria en la sociedad comunista. Muy breve, pero bastante enriquecedor para dar una ligera idea sobre el aspecto familiar del comunismo.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mainly of historic interest but is also a very short introduction to the communist view of women and the family.

[Priscylla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great reading!

[Mohammad Dashti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comrade Kollontai provided us with a short introduction about the communist view of women rights and the family role and responsibilities in the communist society. It was really a good book.

[Jassmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not entirely positive if this is the book I read - I read the Czech edition which is not here and there is no description of this book, so... but yeah, it seems like this is the book to me.
I read this for my history of feminist thought class and it wasn't my favourite read, but that doesn't mean it was a bad one. I think this might be a good introductory primary text on socialist/communist "feminism" (or maybe socialism targeted toward women, it's kind of complicated). One of the most interesting things here - for me - was how practical the book gets, stating which groups should be supported by what amount and means etc. it's clear that it was written by a politician who thinks about issues and changing aspects of society and tries to work with them. There is of course a lot of things we might not agree with or that had some red flags for me - the communal education of children, the usage of the word "property" in relation to them or just the fact that we know it didn't work out so well with communism. But the text is well written, it is quite well structured and the reasoning isn't unsound (even if we might not agree with her). So I guess I don't really have a reason to rate Kollontai's text poorly.

[aitana · Rating 3 out of 5]

aunq sus ideas en su momento serian revolucionarias, se sigue notando cierto rastro de misoginia en sus palabras, sobretodo cuando dice q en la sociedad comunista la mujer obrera no tendrá que ocuparse de los quehaceres domésticos pq habrá un grupo de *mujeres* profesionales que se dedicaran a ello. Aunque el concepto es muy bueno, no deberian ser trabajadores y ya, sin especificar el género?
tampoco estoy segura de si las ideas que promovía siguen siendo utiles en algunos aspectos

eso si, kollontai una gran referente que no tenia miedo de mostrar una sociedad comunista Y feminista

[Giulia Covino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alcune posizioni assolutamente attuali ed ancora del tutto condivisibili, alcuni punti inevitabilmente da aggiustare in relazione al contesto radicalmente mutato di oggi, ma tutto sommato molto valido nel porre attenzione sulla necessità di dare riconoscimento (anche in termini economici) al lavoro riproduttivo che grava come onere esclusivo e quasi essenzialista sulle donne, ma del tutto irriconosciuto e non restribuito considerato improduttivo.
Scritto in modo chiaro ed efficace.

[Alex Rodríguez Villarán]

"Sobre las ruinas de la vieja vida familiar, veremos pronto resurgir una nueva forma de familia que supondrá relaciones completamente diferentes, basadas en una unión de afectos y camaradería, en una unión de dos personas iguales, las dos obreras, las dos libres, las dos independientes. No más servidumbre doméstica para la mujer. No más desigualdad en el seno mismo de la familia. No más temor por parte de la mujer de quedarse sin sostén y ayuda si el marido la abandona." 1921

[Soledad Montoya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excelente visión de una mujer comunista sobre la familia, el matrimonio burgués y la igualdad de género.

[Dani Tovar · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 en realidad.

[JUNO · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best options to understand why women can't be free in capitalism.

[Auri Carreño · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muy interesante, aunque en algunos aspectos discrepo, recomiendo su lectura.

[Kida · Rating 4 out of 5]

Que miedo que siga siendo tan actual lo que se escribe aquí. Un texto muy despierto.

[Rosario Diaz · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was okay, it wasn’t as passionate as the other one I read from her but I really liked her argument on prostitution

[raphaela · Rating 4 out of 5]

como pode algo escrito em mais de 100 anos ser tão atual

[Mamoru Hosoya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Essentially, under communism, what the family looks like. Felt like basic stuff for me, but maybe not for others? Idk how to rate this, it's a good essay, but I don't wanna give more than three as I didn't get nothing out of it.

[Amani Al-harbi Al-harbi · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://www.marxists.org/arabic/archi...

[Romany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uses the phrase "comradely love" a lot, which is nice.

[Jake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book summarising the Communist position on family relationships and the emancipation of women from this aspect of 'life'