Gendered Neoliberalism and the Crisis

Much historical materialist analysis of the crisis leaves gender out of focus; while much feminist analysis focuses on culture or experience; although there are exceptions.  This paper offers a re-engagement of feminist theory and historical materialism; it genders neoliberalism and materialises gender. The inequalities on which the financial crisis draws and exacerbates are not only those of class, but also of gender. The paper analyses the intersection of gender with: the deregulation of finance; the ongoing recessions (gendered changes in job loss); government expenditure cuts (tax is a feminist issue); and emergent economic growth strategies (regimes of accumulation are gendered). I argue that the conceptualisation of the crisis as either pushing women out of production into reproduction or as a process of re-familialisation is mistaken.  Rather, the crisis has produced a shift from a more social democratic form of public gender regime to a more neoliberal form of public gender regime.  A more neoliberal form of public gender regime is emerging out of the crisis, in which there is intensification of exploitation but not the re-domestication of women.