Reflections on Class, Gender, and the American Family Farm in the 20th Century

Abstract

This essay reflects on some of the key insights of Elizabeth Ramey’s analysis in Class, Gender, and the American Family Farm in the 20th Century. By documenting the self-exploitation of ancient farmers and the feudal exploitation of farm wives and children, Ramey disrupts the simplistic embrace of “the family farm” as a progressive alternative to “industrial farming.” Her class analysis of the dynamics within farm families contributes to feminist scholarship that addresses the extent and import of women’s unpaid domestic labor and also to ongoing debates about the nature of familial household relations writ large. Ramey also provides a sophisticated class analysis of the political economy dynamics of U.S. agriculture in the first half of the twentieth century.

Key Words:

• Exploitation
• Family Farm
• Gender
• Household
• Hybrid Class Structure