Marxist view of the family Flashcards
What are the ruling class?
The owning class that have the economic means to own industry and exploit the subject class to make more profit, wealth and capital.
What are the labouring class?
The non-owning class who lack power,privileges and wealth who are likely to be economically exploited by the owning class and suffer from a false consciousness.
Why are these classes depended on each other?
The bourgeoisie require the proletariat to work for them to create capital but because the proletariats have no wealth they are dependent on the bourgeoisie to survive
What do Marxist believe families encourage/reproduce and how?
Hierarchical inegalitarian relationships:
1) Children are socialised to accept hierarchical patterns of authority to become subordinate and subservient
2) Children observe and accept hierarchy as the family is based on inegalitarian relationships between adults and children
What do Marxists say the family act as?
A safety valve dampening down discontent
What did Marxist Zaretsky say/argue?
That in a capitalist society work is alienating and exploitive and this leads to feelings of discontent, as a result of this the family is seen as a source of satisfaction,achievement etc so cushions the effects of capitalism.
What does Zaretsky observe as the fundamental irony of the family dampening down discontent?
That the less fulfilling work is the more people cling to the family for satisfaction and to be valued when all this does is allow the structure of inequality to continue: the family dampening down discontent perpetuates the very system which produces it.
