3.0

credits

Average Course Rating

Social Reproduction is a critical theme in contemporary sociology. In our daily lives, social reproduction includes activities such as caring for children and elderly, performing household work, caring for the sick family members, schooling for children, to name a few. In other words, social reproduction refers to a wide range of activities that reproduce society and its members on a daily basis and generationally. Gendered division of labor is central to understanding institutions and social units through which social reproduction is managed in societies. For instance, women in general tend to do a lot more of unpaid ‘reproductive labor’ in households and communities. The course will focus on developing countries, which are incorporated into global capitalism differentially and unequally, to understand how capitalist relations shape the practices of social reproduction for various societies in the global south. The idea of ‘reproduction’ as separate from ‘production’ is specific to the history of capitalism. Therefore, by examining ‘social reproduction’ in context of developing world, the course will also offer a critical reading of expansion of capitalism itself, since it will engage with how marketization breaks down traditional ties, institutions, and networks that are instrumental for survival of communities outside the developed world. In short, this course will introduce students to theories of social reproduction and engage with ongoing sociological writings on the topic with a focus on developing world. By the end of this course, students should be familiar with key theories of social reproduction and be able to critically examine them in context of contemporary capitalism. Some specific themes that will be covered in the course include childcare, medical care, old age care, surrogacy, household work, schooling, mental health, and climate change.