Families & Households - Marxist Perspectives On The Family

Question 1

What the key ideas that Marxists have on the family?

Answer 1

The family & other institutions help to maintain capitalism & class inequality
The family performs 3 key functions

Question 2

What are the 3 functions that they family provide suggested by Marxism?

Answer 2

Inheritance of property
Ideological functions
A unit of consumption

Question 3

What is the inheritance of property function of the family?

Answer 3

Key factor determining the shape of the family - mode of production (who owns & controls society’s productive forces)
Marx - early classless society ‘primitive communism’ (no private property,means of production owned communally)
Forces of production developed, bringing increased wealth & development of private property
Engles - this change brought about the patriarchal monogamous nuclear family (men certain about paternity so legitimate heirs inherited from them)

Question 4

What is the ideological functions function of the family?

Answer 4

Children are socialised into believing hierarchy & inequality are inevitable - parental power accustoms them to the idea that someone is always in charge (usually a man)
Zaretsky - family opens an apparent ‘haven’ from the harsh & exploitative world of capitalism so workers can be themselves
Illusion (family cannot meet its members needs)

Question 5

What is the unit of consumption function of the family?

Answer 5

Capitalism exploits the labour of workers (profit of selling works of their labour for more than they’re paid)
Advertisers urge families to ‘keep up with the Joneses’ by consuming
Media targets children using ‘pester power’ to persuade parents to spend more
Children who lack latest clothes etc are mocked/stigmatised by their peers

Question 6

What are the criticisms of the Marxist perspective on the family?

Answer 6

Marxists assume that the nuclear family is dominant in capitalist society - ignores wide range of family structures found today
Feminists argue that Marxists emphasise class & capitalism but underestimate the importance of gender inequality in the family
Functionalists argue Marxists ignore benefits that the family provides for its members
Deterministic - assumes people passively accept socialisation & family life