Social Reproduction Theory, Hegemony and Epistemicide as a Historical Materialist Framework for Evaluating Intersectional Research on Race, Gender, Disability and Class: A Method for Social Science Literature Reviews

Piper A Bell; Aidan Cornelius-Bell; Sharlene Leroy-Dyer

doi:10.53103/cjess.v5i5.398

Authors

Piper A Bell The University of Queensland, Australia
Aidan Cornelius-Bell The University of South Australia, Australia
Sharlene Leroy-Dyer The University of Queensland, Australia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53103/cjess.v5i5.398

Keywords:

Social Reproduction Theory, Hegemony, Epistemicide, Historical Materialism, Intersectionality, Knowledge Production, Framework

Abstract

In this paper, we present an historical materialist framework to evaluate academic research literature focused on intersecting systems of oppression, specifically race, gender, disability and class. We integrate social reproduction theory (SRT) and Gramsci’s concept of hegemony, as well as theorisation on decolonisation, epistemicide and disability, as a proposed framework to critically assess literature in higher education. SRT emphasises the significance of unpaid domestic and care work in maintaining capitalist relations, highlighting how gender and race are integral to capitalism’s functioning. Gramsci’s notion of hegemony is explored to show how dominant ideologies are perpetuated in academia through cultural institutions. We additionally explore imperialism and epistemicide, which marginalise non-western and Indigenous knowledge systems, reinforcing expropriative capitalism. We critique the exclusion of scholars with disability and scholars of colour, emphasising systemic ableism and racism within academic structures. We assert that deploying an intersectional analysis for systematic literature reviews reveals how multiple oppressions shape educational experiences, and urge scholars to consider positionality and reflexivity in their research. Our proposed framework includes guiding questions for researchers to analyse dimensions such as the treatment of oppression, author positionality and alignment with participant voices.

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