Marxism and the Family Flashcards
What do Marxists argue the family serves as?
Serves to maintain and legitimise capitalism
- inheritance of property
- spreading and justifying the RC ideology
- the family acting as a unit of consumption
What does Marxist Engels argue RC men want to pass on in the family?
Want to pass on their wealth to a legitimate heir after death
How does marxist Engels argue a monogamous relationship ensures a legitimate heir?
Monogamous relationship ensures any child the wife gives birth to is his legitimate heir because she only has sexual relations with him
How does a monogamous relationship within the RC benefit capitalism?
Benefits capitalism because it ensures that the RC stay in power and the wealth isn’t distributed between everyone which maintains class inequality
What does Althusser argue are the ideological functions of the family?
Family is part of the ideological state apparatus
Socialises the next generation to accept RC ideology
Children obey father - later to obey boss
Maintain a false class consciousness - accept capitalism and don’t challenge it
Why does Zaretsky argue the family is a unit of consumption?
Family consumes the products of capitalism
Children are socialised to value consumerism through Christmas and birthdays
People think the family is a haven to relax and unwind after work
Why do postmodernists criticise Zaretsky’s view of the family?
Criticise because they argue that the products we buy reflect individual identities and choices
Why does the family being seen as a haven to relax benefit capitalism?
Benefits capitalism because the family maintains workers for the RC as the man returns to work fresh and calm which means his boss can keep exploiting him and make more profit
What are the criticisms of Marxists views of the family?
Marxists have a negative view of the family. Functionalists argue this ignores the positive benefits of the family for individuals and society
Postmodernists argue Marxists focus on the nuclear family, ignoring family diversity
Marxist feminists argue it’s women who are most exploited by capitalism
What comparisons can be made between functionalists and marxists with the family being a unit of consumption?
Similarity - nuclear family is a unit of consumption
Difference - functionalists only view the post industrial nuclear family as being units of consumption
What comparisons can be made between functionalists and marxists with the nuclear family?
Similarity - the family structure is the same
Difference - functionalists see the nuclear family wife as only being there to reproduce a legitimate heir to keep the RC in power
