The Operation and Collapse of Social Reproduction

This article analyzes the crisis of social reproduction through the concept of the operational cost of the social reproduction system itself and gives a different perspective than “care crisis”. It reveals the operation of family and its functions, which is to transfer the cost of social reproduction to people. Also, it deduces that labor in the family does create value in Marx’s term.

Moreover, a concept of abstract contribution is created in order to clarify various measurements, such as use value and value, into one measurement when showing in the process of social reproduction. The operational cost is divided from the cost of reproduction of labor power, and it is deduced that the logic of accumulation of capital in sphere of reproduction leads to the contradiction of social reproduction of capitalist society through the continuous decrease of the affordability of people by the impoverishment of the proletariat. A historical materialistic analysis is given in order to demonstrate the specific change and trend of social reproduction.

This article uses some real examples to illustrate the trend. Furthermore, it shows how nations try to solve the problem by examples and analysis. Eventually, this article makes a conclusion toward a radical change of the society.