Social Reproduction

Introduction

Social reproduction is a concept little used in mainstream psychology. In contrast, the concept of socialization is widely used and explored. Yet the two processes are closely related. An analysis of social reproduction is important for a critical understanding of the relations between individual and society, how through the action of people, the social system is perpetuated, yet its nature is not reducible to those actions. Understanding its limits helps us understand the scope for social transformation. The way in which these questions are tackled influences the way in which individuals and society are each construed for social psychological theory – a fundamental question, especially in the search for nonindividualistic approaches to psychology.

Definition

Social reproduction is the process by which a society reproduces itself from one generation to another and also within generations.

Keywords

Social reproduction; biological reproduction; Marxism; labour; feminism;...