Marxist And The Family

Question 1

What does Marxist say about family ?

Answer 1

Family is a negative institution as contributes to exploitative capitalism society/system

Question 2

Theories for Marxism ?

Answer 2

• Friedrich Engles
• Eli Zaretsky
• David Cooper

Question 3

What are the three ways according to Zaretsky family mantains capitalism ?

Answer 3

• the family as refuge
• reproductive of labour force
• unit of consumption

Question 4

What is family as refuge according to Zaretsky?

Answer 4

Work become alienating so workers have little control over work and unable to achieve real satisfaction so family life seen as refuge from pressure of work and workers could control lives

Question 5

However what does Zaretsky say about family as refuge is ?

Answer 5

Zaretsky say this is an illusion as family is unable to overcome the effects of capitalism unless capitalism is abolished

Question 6

What is reproduction of labour force according to Zaretsky?

Answer 6

Women reproduce and bring up children which capitalist employers benifit from unpaid domestic labour as next generation of worker brought up with no expense

Question 7

What is unit of consumption according to Zaretsky ?

Answer 7

Buying products of capitalist and allowing capitalist to continue to make profit from businesses

Question 8

What does David Cooper argue about the family ?

Answer 8

Family relationship reflects property relationship of capitalist as individuals develop a sense of their own partners and children which restricts ability for individual to develop

Question 9

What does David cooper see the family as ?

Answer 9

Ideological conditioning device

Question 10

What is ideological conditioning , according to David Cooper ?

Answer 10

Family indoctrinates children to accept capitalist society

Question 11

What society do we live in according to David Cooper ?

Answer 11

Live in unequal and hierarchical society where those higher up control those lower

Question 12

What does family do according to David cooper ?

Answer 12

• Children learn to submit to capitalism ideology , those at bottom must accept position and be obedient to them
• family to parents, adults to employers
• children socialised to accept place

Question 13

Family has developed in evolutionary way according to Engels why ?

Answer 13

In past no restrictions on sexual behaviors and anyone had sexual with anyone as no restrictions

Question 14

In past no restrictions on sexual behaviors and anyone had sexual with anyone as no restrictions, what is this referred as according to Engels ?

Answer 14

Promiscuous horde

Question 15

As society become more complex and more restrictions place what did society go from to According to Engels ?

Answer 15

Went from polygony to monogamy

Question 16

Engels , due to evolution of monogamy what did this mean ?

Answer 16

Evolution of monogamy due to private property, property held down by males and passed to male heirs

Question 17

What did monogamy ensure to Engels ?

Answer 17

Wealth and property go the rightful heir and stays within the family and does not reproduce inequality

Question 18

Why did monogamy according to Engels reproduce inequality

Answer 18

Children of rich grow on wealth and poor remain poor so wealth can be for bourgeoisie more than proletariat as wealth passed down to same social class

Question 19

What was women I earlier society and what happened after according to Engels ?

Answer 19

Earliest society women held power but men took control and become first property owners so women were seen as chattels

Question 20

What was women seen as Chattels according to Engels ?

Answer 20

Women possessive of men and provide husband with heirs and raise them to adulthood

Question 21

What example is used for Engels for communist society ?

Answer 21

Israeli Kibbutz if all children raised by community no individual passing down wealth will be shared (communist society )

Question 22

What is the Evaluation of Engels ?

Answer 22

• weak evidence : Engels idea of evolution considered weak evidence as many simple societies that have little interest in private property but still practise monogamous
• most same sex relationship sre monogamous but not a legitimate biological hier so capitalist is not needed for monogamy still pursue it
• does Engels theory explain unregulated sexual behavior among the rich ? celebrities scandals around cheating or multiple partners with children so Engels incorrect as does not apply to them to preserve wealth

Question 23

What is the overall evaluation if Marx

Answer 23

• assumes individual are passive : assumes individual personal lives centred on economic forces of capitalism but ignores how people can make choices on own lives as many choose to reject nuclear family life
• ignore family diversity :
  Marx can be seen as outdated as focus on nuclear family than alternative little on diversity
• over focused on class :
  Fails to consider other division in society:
  Ethnicity, gender and sexuality
• ethnocentric:
  Focused on western societies and little on nature of family in other parts of world