Sheila Rowbotham

Sheila Rowbotham (born in 1943 in Leeds, West Yorkshire) is a British socialist feminist theorist and writer.

Rowbotham was born in Leeds, the daughter of a salesman for an engineering company and an office clerk [Hughes-Warrington, Marnie "Fifty Key Thinkers on History", London: Routledge, 2000 page 270] From an early age, she was deeply interested in history [Hughes-Warrington, Marnie Fifty Key Thinkers on History, London: Routledge, 2000 page 270] . Rowbotham was to write that traditional political history “left her cold”, but she credited Olga Wilkinson, one of her teachers with encouraging her interest in social history by showing that history “belonged to the present, not to the history textbooks” [Hughes-Warrington, Marnie "Fifty Key Thinkers on History", London: Routledge, 2000 page 270] . Rowbotham attended St Hilda’s College at Oxford and then the University of London. She began her working life as a teacher in comprehensive schools and institutes of higher or Adult education. While attending St. Hilda’s College, Rowbotham found her syllabus with its heavy focus on political history to be of no interest to her [Hughes-Warrington, Marnie Fifty "Key Thinkers on History", London: Routledge, 2000 page 270] . Through her involvement in the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, and various socialist circles, Rowbotham was introduced to Karl Marx's ideas [Hughes-Warrington, Marnie Fifty Key Thinkers on History, London: Routledge, 2000 page 270] . Already on the left, Rowbotham was converted to Marxism [Hughes-Warrington, Marnie "Fifty Key Thinkers on History", London: Routledge, 2000 pages 270-271]

Her political activism began with her involvement in the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and the British Labour Party’s youth wing, the Young Socialists. Disenchanted with the direction of party politics she immersed herself in a variety of left-wing campaigns, including writing for the radical political newspaper "Black Dwarf".

Towards the end of the 1960s she had become involved in the growing Women’s Liberation Movement (also known as Second-wave feminism) and, in 1969, published her influential pamphlet ‘Women’s Liberation and the New Politics' which argued that Socialist theory needed to consider the oppression of women in cultural as well as economic terms. She was heavily involved in the conference and book called "Beyond the Fragments", which attempted to draw together democratic socialist and socialist feminist currents in the UK.

Since then, Rowbotham has produced numerous books and articles expanding upon her theory, which argues that as women’s oppression is a result of both economic and cultural forces then a dualist perspective (socialist feminism), which examines both the public and private sphere, is required to work towards liberation.

Rowbotham was especially influenced by Marxist social history as practiced by E. P. Thompson and his wife Dorothy [Hughes-Warrington, Marnie "Fifty Key Thinkers on History", London: Routledge, 2000 page 271] Combining a Marxist analysis with feminism, Rowbotham contends that capitalism not only systematically oppresses the working class, but also particularly oppresses women [Hughes-Warrington, Marnie "Fifty Key Thinkers on History", London: Routledge, 2000 page 271] . In Rowbotham’s view, women are doubly oppressed as they are forced to sell their labor in order to survive, but also forced to use their labor to support their husbands and children [Hughes-Warrington, Marnie "Fifty Key Thinkers on History", London: Routledge, 2000 page 271] . Rowbotham is critical of traditional Marxist history for what she sees as the neglect of such issues as family history, the role of housewives in supporting the economy, sexuality, and maternity [Hughes-Warrington, Marnie "Fifty Key Thinkers on History", London: Routledge, 2000 page 271] . Likewise, she argues for a Marxist history that accords equal importance to the role of both sexes in the history of revolutions, unions, political parties and protest movements [Hughes-Warrington, Marnie "Fifty Key Thinkers on History", London: Routledge, 2000 page 271] .

In such books as "Women, Resistance and Revolution" (1972) and "Hidden from History" (1974), Rowbotham put her ideas into practice by examining the experience of women in radical and revolutionary movements in Cuba, Algeria, Vietnam, China, Russia, France and Britain from the 17th century to the 20th [Hughes-Warrington, Marnie "Fifty Key Thinkers on History", London: Routledge, 2000 page 272] . In Rowbotham’s opinion, working within the established order has never brought women any gains, and only through revolutionary socialist movements have women made any social gains [Hughes-Warrington, Marnie "Fifty Key Thinkers on History", London: Routledge, 2000 page 272] . Rowbotham has argued that through male revolutionaries are willing to accept women as partners as long as the revolution lasts, once the revolution is over, women are accepted to return to their traditional roles [Hughes-Warrington, Marnie "Fifty Key Thinkers on History", London: Routledge, 2000 page 272] . Rowbotham has praised Vladimir Lenin and the other Bolshevik leaders for legalizing abortion, divorce, and contraception plus founding the "Zhenotdel" (women’s department) and socialized restraurants, health care and laundries [Hughes-Warrington, Marnie Fifty Key Thinkers on History, London: Routledge, 2000 page 272] . Rowbotham has criticized Soviet policies starting with the First Five Year Plan of 1928-33 for not only expecting women to work full time, but also to take on the burdens of house work and child raising [Hughes-Warrington, Marnie "Fifty Key Thinkers on History", London: Routledge, 2000 page 272] . Rowbotham has contended that to achieve women’s liberation requires a “revolution within the revolution” or freedom from the “colony within the colony” [Hughes-Warrington, Marnie "Fifty Key Thinkers on History", London: Routledge, 2000 page 272] . Rowbotham maintains that capitalism and sexism are so closely linked that only one way to destroy both is a radical change in the “cultural conditioning” of humanity as regards child-rearing, homes, laws, and the work [Hughes-Warrington, Marnie "Fifty Key Thinkers on History", London: Routledge, 2000 page 272] . Rowotham’s books were, and are still well received in radical feminist circles [Hughes-Warrington, Marnie "Fifty Key Thinkers on History", London: Routledge, 2000 page 273] .

In her 1973 book, "Women’s Consciousness, Men’s World", Rowbotham presented her analysis of contemporary social conditions from a Marxist-feminist perspective [Hughes-Warrington, Marnie "Fifty Key Thinkers on History", London: Routledge, 2000 page 273] . Rowbotham argues that origins of sexism predate capitalism, and that the institution of marriage closely resembles feudalism [Hughes-Warrington, Marnie "Fifty Key Thinkers on History", London: Routledge, 2000 page 273] . Rowbotham argues that as in feudalism serfs were obliged to serve their masters, she contends that wives are likewise contracted to serve their husbands [Hughes-Warrington, Marnie "Fifty Key Thinkers on History", London: Routledge, 2000 page 273] . In her books, Rowbotham has used a broad variety of sources such as government statistics, pamphlets, novels, interviews, songs, secondary sources, and her own history [Hughes-Warrington, Marnie "Fifty Key Thinkers on History", London: Routledge, 2000 page 274] . A major source of criticism of Rowbotham is her heavy reliance on secondary sources for such books as "Women, Resistance and Revolution" and "Hidden from History" [Hughes-Warrington, Marnie "Fifty Key Thinkers on History", London: Routledge, 2000 page 272] .

In her 1977 book "Dutiful Daughters" co-written with Jean McCrindle, Rowbotham interviewed fourteen women of lower-middle class and working class origin [Hughes-Warrington, Marnie "Fifty Key Thinkers on History", London: Routledge, 2000 page 274] . Through Rowbotham notes that the life stories women interviewed for "Dutiful Daughters" were not intended to be representative of all British women, she argues that these snap-shots of different lives if combined with enough other oral histories can provide an understanding of the experience of ordinary women [Hughes-Warrington, Marnie "Fifty Key Thinkers on History", London: Routledge, 2000 page 274] .

Besides for her work as a historian, Rowbotham has been active in left-wing causes [Hughes-Warrington, Marnie "Fifty Key Thinkers on History", London: Routledge, 2000 page 274] . In her pamphlet "Beyond the Fragments" co-written with Hilary Wainwright and Lynne Segal, Rowbotham called for various for the various fractions of the British left to unite, and work for a socialist Britain through grass-roots activism [Hughes-Warrington, Marnie "Fifty Key Thinkers on History", London: Routledge, 2000 page 274] . Rowbotham has great faith in activist social movements working from the bottom up to change society [Hughes-Warrington, Marnie" Fifty Key Thinkers on History", London: Routledge, 2000 page 274] . Rowbotham feels that historians have a duty to contribute to social change by writing books expose what she sees as the evils of society [Hughes-Warrington, Marnie "Fifty Key Thinkers on History", London: Routledge, 2000 pages 274-275] . As such, Rowbotham is highly critical of those historians who influenced by theories of French structuralism and post—structuralism write in a style unlikely to appeal to the general public [Hughes-Warrington, Marnie" Fifty Key Thinkers on History", London: Routledge, 2000 page 274-275] .

In Rowbotham opinion, an issue of great importance is providing a definition of patriarchy so that women know what they are struggling [Hughes-Warrington, Marnie "Fifty Key Thinkers on History", London: Routledge, 2000 page 273] . Rowbotham finds fault with those feminists who deny men a role in the battle against sexism [Hughes-Warrington, Marnie "Fifty Key Thinkers on History", London: Routledge, 2000 page 273] . In her opinion, women and men should stand equally against both capitalism and sexism to achieve radical social reorganization [Hughes-Warrington, Marnie "Fifty Key Thinkers on History", London: Routledge, 2000 pages 273-274] .

In 2004, Rowbotham was elected as a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. She is currently Professor of Gender and Labour History, Sociology at the University of Manchester, England.

In 2008, Rowbotham's involuntary retirement from the University of Manchester caused protest from students. The Facebook group Save Sheila Rowbotham was established to campaign for her continuation as a Lecturer.

Endnotes

References

*Alxander, S. & Taylor, B. "In Defence of "Patriarchy"", "New Statesmen", February 1, 1980.
*Caine, B. English Feminism 1780-1980, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997.
*Copelman, D. "Interview with Sheila Rowbotham" pages 49-69 from Visions of History edited by H. Abelove, B. Blackmar, P. Dimock and J. Schneer, Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1981.
*Degler, C.N. "Is there a History of Women?", Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1975.
*Hughes-Warrington, Marnie "Fifty Key Thinkers on History", London: Routledge, 2000
*Kaye, H.J. "The British Marxist Historians", Cambridge: Polity, 1984.
*"Radical History Review", 1995, Voluem 63, pages 141-165.
*Seccombe, W. "Sheila Rowbotham on Labour and the Greater London Council" pages 32-37 from "Canadian Dimensions", Volume 21, Issue # 2, 1987.
*Swindells, J. "Hanging up on Mum or Questions of Everyday Life in the Writing of History" pages 68-78 from Gender and History, Volume 2, Issue 1, 1990.
*Zissner, J.P. "History and Feminism: A Glass Half Full", New York: Twayne, 1993.

Bibliography

*"Women’s Liberation and the New Politics" (1969) ISBN 0-85124-008-9
*"Women, Resistance and Revolution" (A Lane, 1973) ISBN 0-7139-0346-5
*"Woman's Consciousness, Man's World" (1973)
*"Hidden from History: 300 years of Women's Oppression and the Fight against it" (Pluto, 1973) ISBN 0-902818-28-7
*"New World for Women: Stella Browne, Socialist Feminist" (Pluto Press, 1977) ISBN 0-904383-54-7
*"Dutiful Daughters: Women Talk About Their Lives" with Jean McCrindle (Viking, 1977) ISBN 0-7139-1050-X
*"The Past is Before Us: Feminism in Action since the 1960s" (HarperCollins, 1989) ISBN 0-04-440365-8
*"Dignity and Daily Bread: New Forms of Economic Organization Among Poor Women in the Third World and the First" with Swasti Mitter (Routledge, 1993) ISBN 0-415-09586-7
*"Women in Movement: Feminism and Social Action" (Routledge, 1993) ISBN 0-415-90652-0
*"Homeworkers Worldwide" (Merlin Press Ltd ,1993) ISBN 0-85036-434-5
*"Women Encounter Technology: Changing Patterns of Employment in the Third World" with Swasti Mitter (Routledge, 1997) ISBN 0-415-14118-4
*"A Century of Women: The History of Women in Britain and the United States" (Viking, 1997) ISBN 0-670-87420-5
*"Threads Through Time: Writings on History and Autobiography" (Penguin Books Ltd, 1999) ISBN 0-14-027554-1
*"Promise of a Dream: Remembering the Sixties" (Verso, 2000) ISBN 1-85984-622-X
*"Looking at Class: Film Television and the Working Class in Britain" with Huw Beynon (River Oram Press, 2001) ISBN 1-85489-121-9

See also: socialist feminism

External links

* [http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2000/428/428p28.htm Shiela Rowbotham and the 1960s] by Phil Shannon, Green Left Weekly, Issue 428, 2000.
* [http://www.aim25.ac.uk/cgi-bin/search2?coll_id=6777&inst_id=65 Administrative/Biographical History] - Women's Library Archive entry
* [http://www.socialsciences.manchester.ac.uk/sociology/staff/rowbotham.htm Staff Profile] - University of Manchester