Families - Marxism

Question 1

Marxism and Family

Answer 1

• Critical views of role of the family and how it serves the needs of the elites in society and impacts on the working class
• Engels
• Althusser
• Zaretsky
• Hockschild

Question 2

Engels - Evolution of the family

Answer 2

• Engels suggested the family unit and monogamy evolved in response to the private ownership of property
• Need for legitimate heirs to pass on property led to the control of sexual behaviours and the development of monogamous relationships
• Patrilineal inheritance meant that in order to be sure of a child’s father people formed monogamous relationships to protect claims on their property

Question 3

Evaluation of Engels

Answer 3

• Feminist critics have suggested that Engels see the role of women and children as being influenced solely by economics - patriarchal control is another factor
• Little historical evidence of the promiscuous horde that Engels described as pre-dating inheritance and monogamy
• Infidelity still exists and paternity is not certain despite monogamous marriages

Question 4

Althusser - The ideological state apparatus

Answer 4

• The ideological state apparatus controls the behaviours of the W/C through social institutions such as family
• Elites suggest the ways in which family life should be organised and this is passed through social institutions, such as family, socialising children into acceptable behaviours
• Policed through other agencies: education welfare, social services - children brought up properly

Question 5

Evaluations of Althusser

Answer 5

• Theoretical basis to Althusser’s assumptions - based on no research evidence
• Are families really influenced by the behaviour of the elites? - Subcultural values of different family types
• Ignores the meanings that people assign to their own actions - individual interpretations of the norms and values families should display

Question 6

Hochschild

Answer 6

• More contemporary Marxist view of family - view of family life becoming commodified
• Family life and personal relationships have become transactions in the 21t century
• Alienation occurs not only in work, but at home with a separation of emotional burden of caring for children and others in family
• However, Hochschild suggested that this led to emotional struggles and impacted on self-esteem and self-worth individuals

Question 7

Evaluations of Hochschild

Answer 7

• Emotional work is largely conducted by family members and changes in society have meant some focus more on emotional relationships in society than work
• Beck - Men are more likely to define themselves as a father in the 21st century than by their occupation, due to precarity of employment