Families and households- Marxisim

Question 1

What are the Bargeoise and proletriat?

Answer 1

-Bargeoise- ruling class, employ the rest of society, own businesses
-the proletariat- forced to work to survive, exploited, except for their position in society (False class consciousness), working class

Question 2

What is meant by class conflict?

Answer 2

The proletariat wants more money and does not get it while the bourgeoisie benefit

Question 3

How are we socialised into the bourgeoisie ideas?

Answer 3

Media and education as it is controlled by them

Question 4

Why does the nuclear family accept capitalism?

Answer 4

You inherit it and are then stuck in a cycle

Question 5

What is the solution to capitalism?

Answer 5

Communism

Question 6

What are the 3 Marxist functions?

Answer 6

-Inheritance of property
-Ideological function
-Unit of consumption

Question 7

What do Marxists argue?

Answer 7

-The family is shaped by the economic needs of capitalism
-The family continues and legitimises family life within capitalism
-The family teaches children to submit to capitalism and to be docile

Question 8

What does Marx argue?

Answer 8

-Private property
-Profit
-Riddled with conflict between social classes with opposing interests

Question 9

What does Engels argue (1820-95) ?

Answer 9

-Passing on property
-Monogamy- proof of paternity so land is passed onto the right people
-Women provided sex in return for economic security from their husband

Question 10

What does Althusser (1971) argue?

Answer 10

-Ideological state apparatus, the family, education and media
-Social control is passed on in the family
-Through socialisation into the ideology the ruling class tries to maintain a false class consciousness

Question 11

What is the ideological state apparatus?

Answer 11

-Ideological state apparatus- agencies which serve to spread the ideology and justify the power of the dominant social class

Question 12

What does Zaratsky (1976) argue?

Answer 12

-The family is an escape from oppression in the world of work and exploitation
-A private place where workers (especially males) can enjoy a personal life and have some control over their lives

Question 13

What is meant by Inheritance of property?

Answer 13

-Capitalists own means of production
-Production increased society’s wealth did to
-Resulted in private property
_This was passed on through generations

Question 14

What is meant by ideological functions?

Answer 14

-maintain a capitalist system by persuading people to accept it
-Socialise children into hierarchy and inequality
- parental power over children can convince them that it prepares children for work

Question 15

What is meant by unit of consumption?

Answer 15

-Capitalism exploits labour workers by making a profit off the products they make
-Advertisers urge families to consume new products
-Media target children who pester their parents
-Children who do not have new products are mocked and stigmatized by their peers

Question 16

Why do feminists criticise Marxists?

Answer 16

-Emphasises class and capitalism
-Undermines gender inequalities within the family
-Serves the interests of men, not capitalism

Question 17

Why do functionalists criticise Marxists?

Answer 17

-Ignore the real benefit the family provides

Question 18

What are other criticisms of Marxists?

Answer 18

-Old fashioned- passing on land is not the only reason to get married
-Many women now have work-independent incomes, more successful than men in some areas of the labour market so they are less likely to marry for economic security
-less of a social necessity
-People marry more now for love and affection