'Social Reproduction' emerged as a term in feminist thinking in the 1970s to describe the reproduction of daily life and the labour force under capitalism. This complex work, exceeding but incorporating child-rearing and domestic labour, has historically been excluded from analyses of the productive economy and from the system of wages.
The reading group meets every two months to discuss texts chosen by its members. Our explorations began with Silvia Federici’s 'Wages Against Housework' (1975) and have spanned queer futures, sex work and witchcraft. We seek to expand an understanding of what social reproduction encompasses today and ask how it is negotiated in the art field.
Download our reading lists here: #1 and #2
Social Reproduction Reading Group was founded in 2015 by Victoria Horne and Kirsten Lloyd (The University of Edinburgh) and has been hosted by Collective since May 2017. It aims to be a space for discussion, research and practice that is collectively led by its members – Fiona Anderson, James Bell, Ben Callaghan, Siobhan Carroll, Glyn Davis, Angela Dimitrakaki, Karen Gregory, Laura Guy, Georgia Horgan, Victoria Horne, Kirsten Lloyd, Kirsteen MacDonald, Shona MacNaughton, Ben Nichols, Harriet Plewis, Camilla Rosvik, Angeliki Roussou, Nicola Singh, Kirstie Skinner, Catherine Spencer, Frances Stacey, Catherine Street, Jennie Temple, Denisa Tomkova, and Harry Weeks.
Collective and the School of History of Art at the University of Edinburgh established a research partnership in 2017 to convene and support activities that centre on art's intersection with social reproduction and feminist thought.
