Pushing the Boundaries of Social Reproduction Research

Social reproduction research is informed and defined by debates and evolutions in social reproduction feminism. It is broadly concerned with making visible and reclaiming social reproduction as a form of work and exposing the inequalities embedded in the division of labour, across the overlapping relations of reproduction and production (see Winders and Smith, 2019; Cantillon et al., 2023). Crucially, it entails shifting the lens through which we understand the organization of life and work, foregrounding questions of what is needed for the reproduction of the population, including nature and ecology, and the commodity labour-power (Bakker and Gill, 2003; Naidu, 2023). It further foregrounds how this is shaped by geographically and historically specific structural, institutional, cultural and ideological configurations (Katz, 2001; Hoskyns and Rai, 2007). Grounded in Marxist-feminism, social reproduction scholarship is typically concerned with gaining a better understanding of capitalism or, more specifically, of the articulations between social reproduction and capitalist production (Winders and Smith, 2019).

Across the board, social reproduction is conceptualised as a totality of work and practices necessary for the reproduction of life and society (Bhattacharya 2017; Luxton, 2018). As such, much social reproduction scholarship focuses on labour relations, work dynamics and the use of time to gain a holistic understanding of the interconnections between work and life, and how these relate to capitalist forms of accumulation. Frequently, the focus is on the most neglected form of social reproduction work: unpaid labour in households (Stevano et al., forthcoming). This leaves much scope for further analysing other dynamics, including the multitude of sectors, resources and practices that are central social reproduction in different parts of the world (see Mezzadri et al., 2025). Thus, with the aim of pushing the boundaries of social reproduction research, Adrienne Roberts (University of Manchester) and Sara Stevano (SOAS University of London) organised a workshop to discuss conceptual and methodological issues in extending social reproduction research in the following areas: i) land and food, ii) health, iii) finance and debt, iv) infrastructure, and v) migration. We consider methodological questions to be key as, thus far, there is not much guidance on the most appropriate methodological approaches for social reproduction research.

The workshop was held in May 2024 at the University of Manchester, and brought together the following participants: Gemma Gasseau, Lena Gempke, Ellie Gore, Aliki Koutlou, Jayanthi Lingham, Alessandra Mezzadri, Katherine Moos, Farai Mtero, Anna Peixoto-Charles, Fiorella Picchioni, Shirin Rai, Adrienne Roberts, Sara Stevano, Kevin Tan, Ish Tominey-Nevado, and Silke Trommer. Each participant shared reflections based on their work on social reproduction. Their contributions informed the five social reproduction briefs which are organised by theme and which aim to showcase different methodologies at work in social reproduction research.