Phenomenology, Marxism and Feminist Consciousness-Raising Practices

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the connection between feminism, phenomenology and Marxism by exploring the feminist practices of consciousness-raising groups and feminist standpoint theory. We argue that feminist consciousness-raising practices and the associated feminist standpoint theory have departed from their phenomenological and Marxist roots. This has contributed to the reappropriation of a certain rhetoric pertaining to these practices by the dominant capitalist ideology, with a substantively different content and purpose. In order to produce situated theory from Latin America, we argue that it is necessary to start from the materiality of one's own experience. In order to do that, we will vindicate the phenomenological and Marxists roots of consciousness-raising practices and feminist standpoint theory. Finally, we argue that it is possible to recover the revolutionary imprint of these practices, within the framework of the current post-identitarian and intersectional feminism paradigm, especially in its Latin American expression.