Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism

And Other Arguments for Economic Independence

By: Kristen R. Ghodsee

Narrated by: Esther Wane

Length: 5 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

A spirited, deeply researched exploration of why capitalism is bad for women and how, when done right, socialism leads to economic independence, better labor conditions, better work-life balance, and yes, even better sex.

In a witty, irreverent op-ed piece that went viral, Kristen Ghodsee argued that women had better sex under socialism. The response was tremendous—clearly she articulated something many women had sensed for years: The problem is with capitalism, not with us.

Ghodsee, an acclaimed ethnographer and professor of Russian and East European studies, spent years researching what happened to women in countries that transitioned from state socialism to capitalism. She argues here that unregulated capitalism disproportionately harms women and that we should learn from the past. By rejecting the bad and salvaging the good, we can adapt some socialist ideas to the 21st century and improve our lives.

She tackles all aspects of a woman's life—work, parenting, sex and relationships, citizenship, and leadership. In a chapter called "Women: Like Men, but Cheaper", she talks about women in the workplace, discussing everything from the wage gap to harassment and discrimination. In "What to Expect When You're Expecting Exploitation", she addresses motherhood and how "having it all" is impossible under capitalism.

Women are standing up for themselves like never before, from the increase in the number of women running for office to the women's march to the long-overdue public outcry against sexual harassment. Interest in socialism is also on the rise—whether it's the popularity of Bernie Sanders or the skyrocketing membership numbers of the Democratic Socialists of America. It's become increasingly clear to women that capitalism isn't working for us, and Ghodsee is the informed, lively guide who can show us the way forward.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2018 Kristen R. Ghodsee (P)2018 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"Wonderful ... Kristen Ghodsee doesn't wear rose-tinted spectacles ... but she seeks with great brio and nuance to lay out what some socialist states achieved for women ... That Ghodsee also makes this a joyous read is the cherry on the cake."—Suzanne Moore, Observer

"Brilliant ... engaging ... Ghodsee is not naive [and] brings the necessary scepticism to her thesis [which] comes into sharp focus when she looks at what happened after the Wall fell ... [a] valuable record of how things were and how they could be."—Rosie Boycott, Financial Times

"The virtue of Ghodsee's smart, accessible book is that it illustrates how it might be possible for a woman—or, for that matter, a man—to have an entirely different structural relationship to something as fundamental as sex, or health...
Ghodsee approvingly notes the growing appeal of socialist ideas among young people in the United States and Western Europe, and her book is a useful reminder that the spread of these ideas would not just advantage the Bernie bros but might also better women's lives in significant ways. More orgasms alone might be a fine thing. But a change in the structural conditions under which more orgasms might be possible is another level of turn-on entirely."—Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker

Excellent

Title says it all. Informative, thoughtful, well-written, add inspiring. Looking for more like it.

Very Good

I was recommended this book by a YouTuber thought the book seemed interesting as someone who is a socialist the title seemed interesting if not a little funny. As someone who also studies anthropology I found it equally compelling. Needless to say I thought the book was amazing has a very strong argue from a materialist and cultural perspective that exemplifies the failures of a capitalist economy to achieve gender equity. Definitely would recommend it to anyone who is interested in a more comprehensive understanding of the connection between capitalist-patriarchy.

Great quick read

I really like this book and believe the author did a good job highlighting the complexities socialist feminism in existing socialist countries. Even though Ms. Ghodsee entertains the traditional liberal understanding of Stalin and Soviet “authoritarianism” this does not greatly hamper the book’s feminist analysis.

Story was excellent, but the narration…

The book is excellent, very glad I finally got around to listening to it and I’m going to purchase a physical copy for my collection of leftist books. That being said, the narration did not match imo and quite a few times the new mispronounce words, but overall it was good

An interesting take

I’m learning about collectivist ideas. Economics can be such a complex topic, but viewing certain ideas through a digestible framework like sex makes complicated ideas a little easier to grasp. I appreciate the work that went into this book.

Excellent

Every Millennial woman (which I am one) needs to read this! Very well written. Easy to follow and well sourced.

Amazing

Besides being a huge fan of narrations by Esther Wane, I really enjoyed listening to this book for its well-researched content. The arguments for socialism/economic independence for women are put into real figures and not just cleverly cherry-picked anecdotes. I also loved the challenge toward the end of the book for people to go out and educate themselves politically. This is absolutely vital reading/listening material for everyone, not just feminists. 12/10

Thoughtful, well researched and compelling

Compelling and thoughtful summation of the entanglements of our personal lives with our governments’ economic systems. More of a “page turner” than I could have imagined. Performed by a British person, even though the author is American, which I felt undermined the connection to the author. Overall, excellent read.

Phenomally clear call to action for all women and men who care

A must read that will confirm all your feelings about sex and capitalism. I just sent it to my 32 year old daughter who teaches high school.

Great summary of Socialist ideas for women and men

Very enjoyable, even as a dude who's not particularly vulnerable to some of the faults of Capitalism that are discussed. It takes a fairly even-handed approach with equal criticism to Soviet bloc as the United States.

It doesn't dig too deeply into prescriptions, but does point towards programs that have been and could be successful in any society that strives for more equality and which favours life satisfaction over dogmatic affiliation to either economic system. If any argument is made, it is for a Democratic Socialist model similar to the Nordic model with an emphasis on data.

For such a short listen, it compresses a huge amount of refutations, supporting arguments, and empathy-driven rhetoric on many topics beyond just good sex.