In Marxist feminist theory, what does social control of the working class do?

• A. It promotes labor union growth.
• B. It enforces parliamentary democracy.
• C. It keeps people conforming to dominant norms, including expectations about work and parenting, sustaining the workforce.
• D. It erodes class distinctiveness.

Answer: (C)

In Marxist feminist theory, social control describes how society enforces norms that keep the labor force intact for capitalism. By shaping expectations about who should work, who should provide care, and how parenting should be done, the dominant ideology bounds people to roles that reproduce the workforce. The family, especially the unpaid domestic labor often performed by women and the gendered division of labour, acts to sustain and discipline workers across generations, ensuring a steady supply of capable labor and cushioning the costs of production. This focus on conformity to work and parenting norms shows how social control helps maintain the capitalist system by normalizing and legitimating the ways gender and labour are organized. It’s not about promoting unions, enforcing democracy, or dissolving class distinctions; it’s about reproducing the workforce within a framework of gendered expectations.