Social reproduction as a terrain of class struggle?

Approaches of social reproduction emphasize that capitalism cannot reproduce on its own but is essentially depended on a non-capitalistic outside, for example in form of the reproduction of life. This central insight should not be limited to the explanation of gender and racial inequality. Rather if expanding to the analysis of social struggles this perspective allows to reflect the realities of the Global South more accurately by broadening the understanding of class struggles. As a result, not only do the struggles over social reproduction appear as a reaction to the multiple forms of expropriation (of land, raw materials and unpaid labor), but also the sphere of social reproduction can be seen "as a site of class conflict" (Bhattacharya 2017:79). The paper explores the thesis that expropriation and therefore the ongoing primitive accumulation is accompanied by the formation of so-called extended class struggles that express themselves in the sphere of social reproduction and which have characteristic features. This is not to claim that class struggles in the sphere of production and in the sphere of social reproduction are the same. After all, struggles over social reproduction lack the structural power that workers have when they stop production and thus the creation of surplus value. The aim is rather to uncover the modes of operation and characteristics of struggles for social reproduction. The presentation is based on a comparative study of urban development and urban social movements in Buenos Aires, Hamburg and New York City, for which approaches of feminist political economy, urban sociology and social movement studies have been combined. On an empirical level it will be shown on the one hand to what extent the valorization of urban land (f.e. in form of gentrification) is central to the economies and to what extent this is linked to massive displacement and homelessness. On the other hand, the comparison reveals which and how urban protest movements react to this situation. It becomes clear that despite all the differences in terms of social and political contexts, there are shared patterns. The comparison demonstrates that those groups that anchor territorially and that offer services of alternative social reproduction - for example by running canteens, social centers or housing cooperatives - can built up a stronger organizational power. The appropriation of space and the improvement of concrete living conditions is therefore the basis for the development of solidary relationships and networks, which in turn form the basis for protest. Collectivization can thus be interpreted as a result of the extended class struggles. The possibility of achieving better living conditions through labor struggles is limited in the Global South due to various reasons. Therefore, many class struggles express themselves as struggles over social reproduction, as they demand access to f.e. land, health care and transport. By applying the understanding of the dialectical relationship between production and reproduction not only to the economy but also to social struggles, the paper aims to contribute to the development of a new class theory.