Marxism Flashcards
Engels
the first economy was primitive communism, where everything was shared, including sexual partners. When capitalism emerged, promiscuity became a problem, because their heirs were unclear, and passing on private property to their male heir was important in a capitalist society, so the nuclear family was formed to solve this. This means the family is designed to protect property and control women (sexual promiscuity in women is frowned upon in society)
Zaretsky
The family is presented as a haven against alienation, however, it cannot overcome the oppression created by capitalism. He believed the family is a prop for capitalism in four ways: free domestic labour, reproduction and socialisation of workers, unit of consumption and a safety valve
Althusser
The family is part of an “ideological state apparatus” which means that it is an institution that passes on ruling class ideas. For example, families teach you that hard work = success
