Barrio Women

Abstract

The importance of struggles in the sphere of reproduction has been debated in terms of whether they are able to develop a revolutionary class consciousness, that is, to elaborate an alternative societal project or be a subject of societal transformation (Assies, 1990: 74). According to orthodox approaches, because organizations formed around collective consumption are heterogeneous in class composition' and do not confront capital directly they have little possibility of giving rise to class consciousness or bringing about important social and political change. This argument rests on the assumption that the social position of subjects in the productive sphere mechanically determines their consciousness. The orthodox view focuses on struggles and underestimates the residence-based political struggles in which women have historically played an important role. Rapid urbanization without infrastructure and services has resulted in struggles for collective consumption, and poor women have usually been at the forefront of such struggles; lack of services such as water, sewers, electricity, health centers, child care facilities, transport, and so on, affects women and men in different ways. Other reasons have been suggested for considering struggles in the reproductive sphere less important than those in the productive one. Moser (1985: 2) argues that production based struggles are more successful not only because they are based but also because they are men's struggles and as such are valued (because what men do is valued) whereas consumption struggles in the private sphere because they are undertaken by women are