families and households - marxist theory Flashcards
engels - inheritance of property
•a new class of men emerged when men started to own their own property and means to production
-this created the patriarchal monogamous nuclear family
•this allowed for money and property to remain within the same family, overall reproducing class inequality
what is a patriarchal monogamous nuclear family?
male dominated, 1 partner and 2 generational family living in the same household
zaretsky- ideological function
•ideology refers to a set of ideas or beliefs that justify inequality and maintains the capitalist system
•zaretsky argues that the family seems to offer a “haven” to the outside world, however this is just an illusion and the family cannot meet its members needs
•zaretsky argues that the family socialises children into the idea that the hierarchy and inequality is inevitable
•he also argues that parental power prepares children for the workplace + to accept orders
marxist overview - the family as a unit of consumption
•the family plays a major role in generating profits for example;
- the media targets children to encourage them to get the latest consumer goods, creating “pester power”. this means children asking their parents for consumer goods
•adverts encourage families to “keep up with the jones” - makes them feel like that have to have the latest consumer goods to be as good as other families
criticisms of the marxist theory of the family
•ignores the wide variety of family structures- marxists assume that the nuclear family is the most dominant
•feminists would argue that marxists only focus on class and not gender inequality within the family
•functionalists would argue that the marxists ignore the very real benefits of the family
