Marxism Flashcards
Marxist view of the family
Marxist view the function of the family as benefiting capitalism and inequality plus exploiting the working class
Unit of consumption
Zarketsky
Family plays a major role in generating profits and purchase the sale of consumer goods which benefits the capitalists in society
What 3 things does Zaretsky say that happens within the family as a unit of consumption?
- keeping up with the Joneses - advertisements encourage families to consume latest products (false needs)
Children use pester power to consume latest products
Children without these latest products are stigmatised and mocked by peers
What does Zaertsky suggest the family provides
haven from the harsh world of capitalism
what is cushioning affect?
Zaretsky
Similar to warm bath theory
sees the family acts as a comfort from stress and strains of society
However, he believes that the family allows a man to feel control which I don’t feel in the workplace due to exploitation
Inheritance of property
Engles
A class of men who secured the means of production and wealth
The family developed so that men could control women and children and pass wealth on
so they stayed in monogamous family so they could be certain of paternity of their children
So they could be certain of paternity of their children so they could pass wealth to their rightful heir
What were women known as ?
The instrument of reproduction which led to the world historical defeat of female sex
ideological functions
Althusser and Poulantzas
marxist say the family transmits a set of ideas and beliefs that justify inequality and maintain capitalism
this is done by getting children to accept these beliefs as fair, unchangeable, and natural through socialisation
What is parental power?
parents have power over children and accustoms them to the idea that someone is in charge of them and prepares them for work
criticisms of Marxist
assumes nuclear family is dominant in a capitalist society and fails to ignore away variety of families we have today
some families are anticapitalism and socialise children to be critical of the working-class
criticisms of Marxism
feminists
marxist emphasise on capitalism and social class underestimate the importance of gender inequalities in the family
criticisms of marxism
functionalists
marxist ignore the real benefit that the family provides for its members, such as intimacy and mutual support
criticism of marxism
Zaretsky
Zaretsky has been criticised for exaggerating the extent to which the family can escape alienating work as he ignores the fact that the family can be a place of cruelty
