FAMILY+HOUSEHOLD - Marxism and the family

Question 1

What is the big statement of the purpose of the family in marxism
- and how is this true

Answer 1

WHAT: its an important instrument for the ruling class as it maintains their position - it performs SOCIAL REPRODUCTION 
HOW: Because it forms part of the superstructure and thus passes on ruling class norms and values

Question 2

What are the 3 functions of the family for marxist

Answer 2

1) Inheritance of property
2) Ideological functions
3) A unit of consumption

Question 3

Engels

• Keyword
• What is the history of this theory
• What therefore happened to families
• How does this link to Marxism
• How does this also link to feminism
• What does Engels argue about the state and their role in this

Answer 3

KEYWORD: Inheritance of property
HISTORY: Pre-tribal societies = CLASSLESS and PRIMITIVE COMMUNISM w/ no private property
Post-capitalism = PRIVATE OWNERSHIP and the onset of nuclear families
WHAT: Need for MONOGAMY rose so fathers could pass their property down the family line with no question
MARXISM: Serves the ownership of property and reproduced inequality as the rich stay rich
FEMINISM: Rise of monogamy = world historical defeat of females as their sexuality is under male control
STATE: Is a bureaucratic mechanic ensuring the continuation and legality of marriage and family

Question 4

Engels

• • Evaluation
• Feminists
• Contemporary evidence
• Ethical argument

Answer 4

FEMINISTS: Role of women influenced by economics which is a patriarchal control over women’s sexuality
CONTEMPORARY: Infidelity still exists
- Paternity isn’t certain despite monogamous marriages
ETHICALLY: Family is worth more than your property when you die

Question 5

Zaretsky

• Keyword
• What ideological function does the family perform for children
• How is this done

Answer 5

KEYWORD: Ideological functions
WHAT: Family socialises children into a capitalist accepting society
HOW: Through parental power, which accustoms them to inevitable hierarchy that mirrors the workplace

Question 6

Zaretsky.2

• What ideological function does the family perform for itself
• How is this done
• But why does Zaretsky argue this is an illusion

Answer 6

WHAT: Offers a safe haven from the harsh capitalist world 
HOW: Because Proletarian men have a place where they are boss and can take out their stress and frustrations to comply the next day at work for the ruling class 
WHY: The family cant meet its members needs. Its based on the domestic servitude of women

Question 7

Zaretsky ‘safe haven’

• • Evaluation
• Outdated
• Functionalists

Answer 7

OUTDATED: assumes there’s only 1 worker in the family
FUNCTIONALISTS: Ignores the benefits of the family
- Murdock, and stabilisation of adult personalities

Question 8

Marxists

• Keyword
• What is their argument
• How does this happen

Answer 8

KEYWORD: Unit of consumption
WHAT: Wages for workers are kept down to maintain profit for the ruling class with the help of consuming families who stimulate and keep capitalism
HOW:
- ‘Keeping up with the Joneses’ - must keep up with modernity = buying latest products
- ‘Pester power’ - Media targets children = they persuade parents to buy things they want
- ‘Must haves’ - Stigmatisation in school = children want to buy latest materials to avoid getting bullied

Question 9

Hochschild

• Keyword
• What does he argue about the family
• How is this evident - explain
• Why has this happened to families

Answer 9

KEYWORD: Commodification
WHAT: Family has become a transaction in the 21st century
HOW: Relationships are more like connections which are likely to be severed if it negatively impacts the individual
WHY: Alienation = dissatisfaction by capitalist society can’t be soothed by the family so emotional struggled make the ‘transactions’ less valuable

Question 10

Hoschschild

• • Evaluation
• Changes in society
• Beck

Answer 10

CHANGES: Some focus more on family than work so they are worth more than work
BECK: Precarity of unemployment = men more likely to label themselves by their role as a father than by their occupation

Question 11

Overall criticisms of Marxism and the family

• Deterministic
• Diversityt
• Feminists
• Functionalists (+Parsons)
• Family breakdown

Answer 11

DETERMINISTIC: Assumes everyone accepts socialisation and that life is predetermined
DIVERSITY: Ignores family diversity, thinking the nuclear family is the dominant family type
FEMINISTS: Underestimated the patriarchy and impact of gender inequalities of the family serving men not capitalism
FUNCTIONALISTS: ‘Warm bath’ theory = benefits of the family
- Parsons believes the family has adapted to an industrial society
FAMILY BREAKDOWN: May be better for capitalism as divorce is expensive and lower classes money has to be spent on maintaining family relationships and later on new families

Question 12

Marxism - theory criticisms

- Feminism

Answer 12

FEM: Feeley: family is authoritarian, reproducing patriarchy - contradicting zaretskys ideology of capitalism and isa