THE ABOLITION OF THE FAMILY: A FEMINIST LEGACY

The traditional nuclear family structure has been a cornerstone of society for centuries, providing a framework for relationships, child-rearing, and economic stability. However, in recent decades, feminists and progressive thinkers have called for the abolition of the traditional family unit as we know it. This movement aims to liberate women from the confines of traditional gender roles within the family at the expense of men and children. It believes that the nuclear family is the product or in this case an extension of a tyrannical male push to enslave women in the subordinate role of mother and strip them of their individuality and power. The central idea of the argument is that women are unwitting and unwilling slaves within the nuclear family unit, burdened by unpaid physical and emotional tabor by men and their offspring 

Sophie Lewis is indeed a feminist theorist and geographer who has gained recognition for her view on the concept of motherhood and her advocacy for total communism\ Lewis argues that motherhood, as currently understood within capitalist societies, places an unfair burden on women and perpetuates gender inequalities. She has suggested in her book Full Surrogacy Now: (Feminism Against the Family (verso 2019)), that motherhood has been weaponized against women as a form of control. A theme that remains consistent throughout her writings. She states that mothers or "people carrying fetuses" as she calls them have undergone biological and societal violence as a result of pregnancy. Another means by which men enslave women according to feminist theory.

 

The Roots of Family Abolition

The seeds of the anti-family movement were planted in the 1960s and 70s, a period marked by significant social and cultural upheaval. It was during this time that influential feminist thinkers like Shulamith Firestone emerged with groundbreaking works such as "The Dialectic of Sex". Firestone argued that the nuclear family unit enforces rigid gender roles, stifles women's aspirations, and allows for the oppression and abuse of women and children. Her radical proposition was the abolition of gender-based oppression, starting with eliminating the biological family unit.

Firestone described her theory as a more complete dialectical materialism divorce from the economic considerations and limitations of Marx and Engels. She posited that the biological dependence of women on men during reproduction was the basis of male dominance and Historical transgressions.

Her solution was to propose the development and implementation of artificial reproductive technologies that would liberate women from their biological dependence on men. She suggested the creation of artificial wombs and the separation of reproduction from the female body thereby making men and the patriarchal system she believes they built, obsolete.\ She believed The biological family as an institution turns sex into a tool of oppression. She argued against the incest taboo and Oedipus complex as psychological and barriers to true expressions of love. She argued that men cannot simultaneously respect women and be attracted to them. She also proposed the creation of child-rearing units to free women from the misery of child-rearing and doing so in families. A total abolition of the family structure.

Another prominent figure in this movement was Andrea Dworkin, who highlighted the prevalence of domestic abuse and violence within families. Dworkin asserted that families provide a structure that enables male dominance and abuse. She believed that removing women and children from traditional family units was essential for their safety and liberation. Her argument hinges on the preconception of marriage being an institution created by men to benefit themselves at the expense of women and children.

Rethinking Child-Rearing

A key aim of the anti-family movement is to rethink traditional child-rearing arrangements. Instead of relying solely on biological parents to bear the full responsibility for raising children, some feminists envision a society where child-rearing is communal and collective.

In this envisioned society, children would be cared for and educated collectively, without rigid expectations based on gender or biological relationships. This radical shift could involve the establishment of community parenting centers, professional certified caregivers, involvement of extended families, and caretakers of all gender identities playing an active role in child-rearing.

Communal and collective parenting could potentially provide children, especially daughters, with more diverse role models and mentors. It could also allow women greater freedom to pursue careers and interests outside of the traditional role of child-rearing.

Consequences.

The movement to abolish the Nuclear family has been a mainstay of feminist activism for almost a century. The impact of such advocacy and its companion socialist economic policies are visible for all to see. A plummeting rate of family formation and marriage at a rate of 10% in less than half a decade, a 70% percent illegitimacy rate within the Black community in the United States, and the onset of child poverty at an alarming rate of 12.4% in the united states are all proof of the dialectical materialism of Dworkin and firestone being implemented to its fruition.

Conclusion

The abolition of the traditional nuclear family structure faces substantial criticism. Critics argue that it is an extreme solution that undermines the bonds and stability provided by conventional families. Others contend that collective child-rearing is experimental social engineering with unknown consequences, which has disrupted the social fabric.

An Unfinished Revolution

The abolition of the traditional nuclear family unit remains a controversial and unfinished feminist project. While some of their alterations and models have gained traction, the majority of children continue to be raised in two-parent households. Nevertheless, the feminist revolution marches on apace.

The desire to forge new, anti- male, and materialist approaches to child-rearing and family life continues to inspire feminists today. This unfinished abolitionist vision ensures that the future of the family will remain a site of lively debate, and struggle.