Marx on Gender and the Family: Historical Materialism, Volume 39

8vo, br. ed. 232pp. This, the first book-length study devoted exclusively to Marx&;s perspectives on gender and the family, offers a fresh look at this topic in light of twenty-first century concerns. Although Marx&;s writings sometimes exhibit sexism his work often transcends these phrases. Brown studies his writings on gender, as well as his 1879-1882 notebooks on precapitalist societies and gender. "This short, comprehensive handbook will no doubt provide the basis for a new wave of feminist engagement with Marxism and is a clarion call for all those who regard themselves as Marxists to re-evaluate their ideological conceptions." ó Barry Healy, Links: International Journal of Socialist Renewal Overall, from Marx on Gender and the Family emerges a dialectical Marxism, one that points to the beginnings of a unitary theory of gender and class. Noted throughout is that Marx did not systematically examine gender as a category and the aim of the book is not to try and construct one. Brown is not scared to highlight some of Marxís failings, in particular when he falls back on prejudice or moralism when discussing the oppression of women Ö The most important aspect of the work is that in providing a systematic overview of the totality of Marxís work on the topic, Brown is able to indicate openings for analysis that can construct the base for the redevelopment of a Marxist-feminist theory. óJenny Morrison, International Socialist Group L'autore Heather Brown Ph.D. (2009), Purdue University, is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Westfield State University. Her research interests are in modern and contemporary political thought especially involving the intersections of gender, race and class.