Marxist Role Of The Family

Question 1

What is socialisation?

Answer 1

-Althusser
-Ideological state apparatus- passing on norms and values of capitalism to the next generation
-Persuades people to accept capitalism as intrinsic and fair
-Makes children accept inequality and a hierarchy
-Accustoms them to the idea that there always has to be a superior

-Feminists: family ideology supports patriarchy- men and women’s differing roles leads to the subordination of women

Question 2

What is economic?

Answer 2

-Unit of consumption - buys and uses goods to sustain economy
-Important market for the sales of goods
-‘Keep up with the Joneses’
-Media target children who use ‘pester power’
-Children who lack the latest products are mocked
-Reserve army of power- women used for economic growth and subordinated into home during downtime

-Functionalists: family as a unit of consumption is vital to economic growth and breadwinner role

Question 3

What is the myth of the warm bath theory/ saftey valve?

Answer 3

-Zaretsky- family provides haven from capitalism
‘safety valve’- ruling class put stresses and frustration of working men on women
-Capitalism get Buy One Get One -Free (BOGOF)- one worker who works and one that completes all domestic work

-Rad Fems: Marxists emphas on social class underestimates importance of gender inequality

Question 4

What is reproduction?

Answer 4

-Reproduces the labour force
-More members in the family=more workers
-‘Wage slaves’ primed for capitalist exploitation

-Functionalists: Marxists ignore benefits of family- intimacy and mutual support- children help stabilise adult personalities

Question 5

What is sexual regulation- inheritance of property?

Answer 5

-Family is mode of production- organisation of economy and productive forces
-Marx- ‘primitive communism’- no private property- society owned means of production
-No family instead ‘promiscuous horde’- Engels
-Engels- need for nuclear family arose when societies started to value private property- capitalism emerged with shift to modern society
As the bourgeoisie evolve so does society

-Historically Inaccurate- Monogamous marriage found in hunter- gatherer tribes