(1920) - Communism and the Family - Alexandra Kollontai
In Communism and the Family, Kollontai argues that the traditional bourgeois family is being transformed by socialism, as women gain economic independence and state-supported services begin to replace domestic roles. She envisions a future where communal institutions, like childcare and kitchens, liberate women from household labour, enabling equal participation in society. Kollontai advocates for relationships based on mutual respect and emotional connection rather than economic necessity, emphasizing that the family is a historical construct, not a permanent institution.
The workers’ state aims to support every mother, married or unmarried, while she is suckling her child, and to establish maternity homes, day nurseries and other such facilities in every city and village, in order to give women the opportunity to combine work in society with maternity.