Marxism Views On Family

Question 1

What do Marxists say about families

Answer 1

• Marxism recognise that the family passes on ideas and values and see family members as part of an economic unit
• Marxists believe families are bad for people and society
• families developed through capitalism as wealth is inherited and passed on and pass on capitalism ideology to children becasue it mirrors social inequalities in wider society

Question 2

What do Marxists argue that the purpose of family is

Answer 2

• socialise children into the norms of capitalist society through accepting the father is dominant and in control and therefore learn that different people have powers and they have none. Althusser a french Marxist argues that families taught children to accept inequality
• ensure that women are controlled: their work is unpaid but they support workers and that benefits capitalism
• work is stressful and unpleasant so working men relieve frustrations at home
• the family is a unit of consumption eg: families purchase goods and services that support capitalism

Question 3

Sociologists that are for/against Marxist theory on families

Answer 3

• Althusser (1971) said that the family was an agency of ideological state control so that families socialise children to accept authority and the dominance of capitalism
• Eli Zaretsky (1976) said that families support capitalism because it’s the one place working men can feel power and helps them accept lack of control in society and therefore capitalism only benefits men
• Chester (1985) have pointed out that most people choose to live in nuclear families although many people divorce they also remarry or form blended families. Chester called these neo-conventional families

Question 4

Strengths of Marxism as a theory of family

Answer 4

• Marxists explain the ideological role of families in society and suggest reasons people feel strongly about family structure and organisation
• Marxism offers an explanation of why families first developed in society
• Marxism points out the unpleasant aspects of family life and the inequalities of power with family
• feminist perspectives have based their analysis on Marxist views on family

Question 5

What are the weaknesses of Marxism

Answer 5

• Marxists are criticised for only looking at the negative side of family life and ignores its positives. Families might not be violent or unpleasant we Marxists asserts
• the family is seen in terms of its economic relationship to society and this is simplistic. It also operates on the basic assumption that capitalism is a bad thing. It may not necessarily be so.
• Catherine Hakim and others have pointed out that Marxist views of the role of the women in families are dated. Women now have choices, but many still choose conventional family
• in addition, it’s similar to functionalism in that the female perspective on family life tends to be overlooked