marxist perspective on the family Flashcards
what is the marxist view on the family?
Marxists see the family as a tool of capitalism (capitalists) that maintains class inequality and benefits the ruling class.
Marxists see the whole system to be based on what?
exploitation of the working class. This leads to the bourgeoisie having more wealth due to using the proletariat class skills and paying them small money for their labour.
Marxists believe that nuclear families benefit what?
nuclear families benefit the capitalist class, which contributes to the inequality between classes.
why does Engels think that the nuclear family benefits the ruling class?
Engels argues that the monogamous nuclear family (the wife & husband and their kids) is developed to ensure that wealth is passed down to their biological heirs. Therefore, this secures bourgeoisie power. (nuclear families ensure that the rich can pass on their wealth to their family members and in this way the social class system was reproduced from one generation to the next)
what did marxists say about the family acting as a unit of consumption?
families act as a unit of consumption.
- Families constantly buy capitalist goods and services. Capitalists profit twice because they exploit their workers (by paying them less than the value that they produce) and then sell the products back to them at a higher price. Advertising, peer pressure and ‘pester power’ (children nagging their parents for products) encourages more spending and the ruling class gaining more wealth.
According to Zaretsky how does the family create a false class consciousness?
Zaretsky came up with the ‘safe haven’ illusion and this means that family life is used as a distraction from the exploitation of capitalism. The expressive role of the wife, which is providing emotional support and comfort helps distract the man from the exploitation of his work environment. Families prevent the exploitated worker from rebelling against capitalism due to the comfort being provided once the man gets home. This emotionally recharges them.
According to Althusser, how does the family act as an ideological state appartus.
Families teach children to accept certain attitudes like obedience, respect to authority, punctuality and hard work, which prepares them for the workplace.
what does cooper say about the ideological function (can be used to expand althusser’s view)
Cooper argues that the family trains children to be obedient workers through authoritarian parenting. For example, parents acting like bosses and children learning to follow the orders)
one criticism of marxism is that they focus on the negative side of the family.. explain.
Marxists put too much emphasis on the negative side of the family and ignore the happiness that family life can bring. Family can bring support, intimacy and security to both males and females.
another criticism is that the marxist theory may no longer be valid.
Marxists theory may no longer be valid because now in contemporary society, there is diversity in family structures
what is the marxist feminist critique of marxism?
1) marxist feminists say that the family benefits both capitalism and the oppression of women.
Ansley says that women act as “takers of shit” they absorb their husbands frustration from capitalist exploitation, keeping men productive workers.
