Marxist views of the family Flashcards
What are the 4 roles of the family?
Socialisation
Economic
Reproduction
Sexual regulation
What is the Marxist view of the Socialisation role?
Althusser sees the family as an Ideological State Apparatus which brainwashes children to accept that Capitalism is fair and unchangeable, and that there will always be someone in charge of them. E.g. the father at home
What are some AO3 points for the Marxist view of the Socialisation role?
Feminists argue that family doesn’t support Capitalism as Althusser says, but actually supports the patriarchy, showing that men are always in charge, even at home
Functionalists disagree as well, saying that Socialisation is about helping individuals integrate into society, not about protecting Capitalism
What is the Marxist view of the Economic role?
The family is a unit of consumption (a group which buys products). It keeps the economy moving, and keeps profiting the bourgioisie, because the family keeps on buying things. Children use ‘pester power’ to nag their parents into buying new things, and everyone is encouraged to ‘keep up with the Joneses’ by buying the latest gadgets etc.
What are some AO3 points for the Marxist view of the Economic role?
Functionalists argue that it is essential for the family to perform this role. Without it, the economy would collapse, which would mean people losing their jobs and livelihoods
What is the myth of the warm bath theory?
Zaretsky describes the warm bath in a very similar way to Functionalists, but he calls it a ‘safe haven’ instead. The main difference is that while Functionalists say the warm bath benefits the individual by helping them destress, Zaretsky says it actually helps benefit Capitalism, because if the working class are kept happy at home then they are less likely to have a revolution against the bourgioisie who exploit them
What are some AO3 points for the myth of the warm bath theory?
Radical feminists criticise Marxism for ignoring the gender inequalities in the family, which they believe serves men more than it serves Capitalism
Liberal feminists could argue that the role of women in the household has changed from acting as a housewife/stress relief as more women are now in the working world
What is the Marxist view of the Reproduction role?
Marxists argue that the main benefit of Reproduction is to create more workers for the bourgioisie who can act as wage slaves; working for low pay, in poor conditions, but never complaining
What are some AO3 points for the Marxist view of the Reproduction role?
Functionalists say that Marxists ignore the very real benefits that the family provides its members, such as intimacy and mutual support, which is only increased by having children
What is the Marxist view of the Sexual regulation role?
Marx states that human society used to be ‘primitive communism’ where everything was shared. Engels adds that humanity was a ‘promiscuous horde’, engaging in sexual activity with whoever they wanted.
They argue that this is basic human nature, but Capitalism introduced monogamy as private property became more important. This was to ensure that the rich Capitalists’ heirs/inheritors were their own family
What are some AO3 points for the Marxist view of the Sexual regulation role?
Evidence suggests that these views are historically inaccurate. There are archeological records, and case studies from contemporary hunter-gatherer societies, showing both private property and monogamous relationships
Functionalists would disagree as well, saying that the nuclear family developed to fit modern society (Functional Fit theory)
