Use relations between alism? Between class s between the sexes? or women's liberation cialism? The answers tions are not easy or GARET COULSON Finally, a brief discussion of certain aspects of the ideology of the family ideological commitmeot to the family will illustrate more of the problems we have to work on.
Ideologically, the patriarchal division between the sexes in capitalism is perpetuated merely as justilication of the way relationships between women and men are actually relation to the capitali economy and sate. it which cling with a spocial persistence around Consider, for example.
SOTHES. established in the relationships witbin tbe bourgeois family, defended and reinforced through a range of psychological beliefs and 'explanations'. Challenging that means challenging the past and the present and the past in the present.
Warking bourgeois family is a commitment to sexist, and the oppression of wonten. problems of how to confront this effectively The issue is so complicated because the reproduction of buman beings most peopie are emotionally dependent on family relationships and see personal relationslups Inevitably tied together. Alternative ways of and of For never "properly" form.
sort of reflection and within the structured means an the question of A heteroserin norm is clearl very structure of in the strucies of worrien.
transform low co personal sirugeles. commitment lo the But tbe LATINCE SH Because the and tamily relationships as La whole organising human reproduction and personal. are nardly cast or aromardy to mou to coist as the media exposés of AID and lesbian mothers lustrates. And yet the ideal of family security is becoming more mythical as families increasingly break up, break down, The ccobomic dependency of the housewile family extends into and is psychological, and sexual dependency operating at tbe level of ideas and emotions. Because the development of personal identity and sexual identity are fused in one process — and for women thar identity of inferiority problenis of trying to reconstrict personal identity in the process of struggling against oppression are acutely and inrimately raised We do not yet have a clear or adequate understanding of how to develop the strugele personal identity from deference, dependence, and passivily loward: some ideal of revolutionary autononly, or of generalise and collectivise those But we have to recognise their validity as a necessary part of the struggle for women's liberation. Moreover, thedevelopment of any revolutionary concepts and practices collectivity and democracy is daumed to failure if divorced from the derelapment towards personal autonomy. This is just onc example of the way in which the struggle jo women's Tomation, and the Questions rusoL in urying to define the links beeween patriarchy and capitalism. raise important questions for the revolctionary movement as SOCIALIST CHALLENGE, 26 January. 1978, page 9 ITALIAN ABORTION IN ABEYANCE ABORTION in Italy remains a very big issue The old fascist law Is still on the books. declaring abortion lo be a 'crime against the Itallan race."
In 1974 the Radical Party collected 700,00 signatures for a referendum to get cid of it and since then the issue has come up s number of times in parliament - but with no reform. In 1975, under the impact of massive women's demonstrations for free abortion on demand, parliament was dissolved, as the main political parties (the Christian Democrats and the Communist Party) could come to no agreement on ine issug sked controntation witn the barnol Church If the referendum was to be held dissolving parilament and haiding elections the referendum was postponed The Communists (PCI) aimed to reach a rapid compromise with the Christian Democrats has not hatened oar The Bi-part has not happened so six-party agreement of recent months (which ended with the current governmental crisis reviewed most of the main political problems The parties were afraid of repeating the split of June 1977. Then the abortion reform aw had col 00 18r 83 t0e sene where be Christian Democrats broke their tacit agreement with the PC to vote according to Conscience ano 0989 the bill.
The same law has now been presented again and discussion in the Chamber of Deputies should have begun in Decembe Again It was postponed, but will have to come up by February or the referendum wil law is not the most liberal of laws, but the Christian Democrats, under the influence of Vatican-backed right 10 life movements have hardened their position even further.
The PCI, on the other hand, has to 'historic TECONCHOI ATTaLOUS compromise' with the main ruling class party with the aspirations of its own rank and tile paruculany bie NOTED influenced by the women's movement support for free abortion on demand.
WHILE THE Earopean women's movement Is taken up with debates on the relationship hetween femmisns and the class things in the United States are a little different.
"Feminism" has become the stock in trade of half the bourgeois politicions in the country. At the recent National Women's Conference In Houston there were delegations dominated by the Ku Klus Klin fincinding men) which — not surprisingly - were antiThere was another big problem with the conterence. The Curter administration had spent 55 million setting the thing up. so il wasn't meant to challenge government policies. Nevertbeless, at a time when abortion rights and alfirmative action programmes are under attack, Equal Rights Amendment is still hanging fire in state legislatures, the conference overwhelminet" hacked childeare provisions, abortion, the FRA, and gay rights. It also passed a strong resolution against the domble oppression of women from racial minorities.
But the problem was that liberal feminists, were ahle do use the presence of right-wing resolutions, suving they would undermine the Seminis saisi of the conference, But En minories women resolution, druwn up by minority women's caucuses, showed that a stronger alternative was possible. It went Far overwhelmingly.
printinga reply hs the Communist Party to our recent Serplus Yuhie, The Communist Party und Women'kl theration".
committee in Coalisland, The organisers of the conterence expected no more than a couple of hundred people Republican Movement, MarxIst organisations, community TOUDS. SOU TELL ESOTRUS such as the Social Democratic and Labour Party and the recently formed Trish Independence Party had all been circulated.
If nothing eise, hoped the organisers, a wide spectrum of opinion would be represented at the conference.
UNITY In the event, over 700 people from all over the Six Counties turned up. Representation and the demand for genuine WASTE clear Techie expressed from the floor of the COMICICACE. Al spenkers were warmly applauded, and when these included speakers trom both the Provisional Official Republican Movements that says a lot.
Delegates organisations Roy Mason's recent epitaph for the Irish resistance to British imperialism has proved to be premature. This is the message from last weekend's conference against repression, organised by the local Relatives Action Co. Tyrone.
Coalisland, AILEAN O'CALLAGHAN reports.
last Tuesday. The conference aiso resolved to build Relatives The the Six Counties, possible in the th Countes.
This and similar activity ains to build the type demonstrations which were characteristic the main themes will be for the ending of torture and for the immediate return status for all centre and the women dominate political thinking, with good reason. Despite worldwide British ganda. people Counties are fully aware that torture is central to Brain's war effort.
John McAnulty told the conference of the case of Ronnie Bunting, a member of and Party. Nine months ago Ronnie torture centre and had the CLOSET CANCE BEHS EH TROOPS OUT and where This time the of political Republican •forture men and propathe national liberation. Consequently, need practical ma co toe delermina Members of the United Troope Out Movement pleketed the headquarters of the Special Air Services regiment in Chelsea, in London last Saturday, They were drawino attention to the rolo o socialists in Britain lo give the utmost A Nation Mea The tree NO lion of Col.
Rates: 3p per word, Display 22 the SAS In the North of Ireland. particularly the recent assassins. plainciothes soldier. SOCIALIST CHALLENGE, 26 January, 1978, page 10
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en's ssion
•We do not have a clear understanding of how to develop the struggle to transform personal identity from passivity towards revolutionary autonomy.'
AMERICAN WOMEN DEFEAT RIGHT WING
ALL PAS TO BE SH CAT GATE HO