Making Death and Life in Palestine: Social Reproduction in Settler Colonialism

by Tithi Bhattacharya (Editor), Susan Ferguson (Editor)

Social reproduction theory is a big idea. It explores how the daily renewal of human life, and therefore human labour, is essential to capitalism. Here, leading feminists come together to apply the theory to one of its most extreme settings - that of Palestine.

Israel’s settler colonialism is premised on the eradication of Palestinian lives, undermining Palestinian social reproduction at every turn. This project, which ramped up after October 7th, does have a logic, and by examining the concrete, historically specific details, the authors begin to reshape and refine the theory of Social Reproduction, shedding light on why Israel’s assault is so brutal.

Chapters look at Israel’s mass murder of a generation of Palestinians in Gaza, the effects of ecocide, the relationship between land dispossession and class, Israel’s selective pronatalism, scholasticide and other topics. By understanding this deadly logic, we can look deeper into the heart of the evils of capitalism, and stand in solidarity with Palestine.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Feminism

194 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 20, 2025

About the author

Tithi Bhattacharya is Associate Professor of South Asian history at Purdue University. She is a prominent Marxist feminist and one of the national organizers of the International Women's Strike on March 8, 2017. She is a vocal advocate of Palestinian rights and Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions.

Reviews

[Sunny Lu]

Anyone who wants a better understanding of Palestine from a Marxist-feminist lens should read this!!!

Discussing with lesbian feminist book club tomorrow. https://www.instagram.com/p/DTVlPQ_jo...

[Emma Call]

Wish I could give this a 4.5! Really incredible anthology with varied author perspectives and focuses. While I don’t have much or really any background in Marxist-feminist theory or Social Reproduction Theory, most of the essays (save one) were accessible enough for me to understand and really sink my teeth into.

And WOW what a necessary, thorough, and brutal collection. Showing both the sides of death-causing settler colonialism and Palestinians determination for liberation and flourishing, this book felt nauseating at certain times and inspiring at others.

While very academic and anthropological, it remained thoroughly engaging, educational, and emotional. Tough but important read for sure.

[SK]

A deeply impactful read that reshaped how I understand daily life under extreme occupation. It centers lived experience, care, relationships, and the resilience of people determined to build meaning and dignity in unimaginable circumstances. What’s going to stay with me most is that life is more than just survival; everyone deserves the conditions to flourish, not merely endure. It’s a book that makes clear how political systems shape whose lives are allowed to fully exist, and whose are constrained to endurance and worse.

[T Brown]

I enjoyed this collection of essays and the differences of voice between chapters that were unified by the topic of social reproduction theory. I especially liked the chapter about the home and art history photographs. Sometimes I wish the arguments were pushed a bit further but overall I felt this was very compelling in concern with the paradox of labor and illogical motion of genocide