▁women ▁and ▁ref using ▁to ▁acknow ledge ▁traditional ▁domestic ▁labor ▁as ▁equally ▁valuable , ▁the ▁working - class ▁male ▁is ▁cult ured ▁into ▁an ▁opp ress ive ▁structure ▁which ▁marg inal izes ▁the ▁female . ▁ ▁Product ive ▁and ▁un product ive ▁labor ▁ ▁Marx ▁categor ized ▁the ▁value ▁of ▁employ ment ▁in ▁two ▁ways , ▁product ive , ▁and ▁non product ive . ▁▁ ▁Fund amental ▁definitions ▁include : ▁▁▁ ▁Product ive ▁labor : ▁Production ▁of ▁materials , ▁craft ing ▁of ▁materials ▁into ▁products , ▁roles ▁which ▁support ▁production . ▁ ▁Un product ive ▁labor : ▁Cir cul ation ▁of ▁comm od ities , ▁financial ▁exchange , ▁market ing , ▁etc . ▁ ▁Marx ist ▁femin ist ▁authors ▁popular ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁USA ▁such ▁as ▁Margaret ▁Ben ston ▁and ▁Peg gy ▁Mort on ▁re lied ▁heavily ▁on ▁analysis ▁of ▁product ive ▁and ▁un product ive ▁labor ▁in ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁shift ▁the ▁per ception ▁of ▁the ▁time ▁that ▁consumption ▁was ▁the ▁purpose ▁of ▁a ▁family , ▁present ing ▁arguments ▁for ▁a ▁state - pa id ▁w age ▁to ▁hom em akers , ▁and ▁a ▁cultural ▁per ception ▁of ▁the ▁family ▁as ▁a ▁product ive ▁entity . ▁In ▁capital ism , ▁the ▁work ▁of ▁maintain ing ▁a ▁family ▁has ▁little ▁material ▁value , ▁as ▁it ▁produces ▁no ▁market able ▁products . ▁In ▁Marx ism , ▁the ▁maintenance ▁of ▁a ▁family ▁is ▁product ive , ▁as ▁it ▁has ▁a ▁service ▁value , ▁and ▁is ▁used ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁sense ▁as