The Marxist Perspective On The Family

Question 1

Inheritance of property - ( Engels’s idea )

Answer 1

-The patriarchal monogamous (being married to one person) nuclear family evolved due to capitalisms evolution
-the family developed the same time as ownership of private property did
-after a man’s death the house needed to be passed down to the children and insured this by being the ‘father of the children’ and does this by making a woman his property (wife)

Question 2

Criticism or Evaluation of Engels

Answer 2

• no evidence that promiscuous horde ever existed
• according to Murdock nuclear family existed before capitalism in many areas
• Gender inequality clearly came before capitalism - the vast majority of tribes in Africa are patriarchal (man dominated) - and not allowed to own property

Question 3

What do you Marxists believe why women get oppressed?

Answer 3

Because of Capitalism

Question 4

Ideological functions

Answer 4

Cooper - ‘ the family is an ideological conditioning device ‘ ideology means ideas

Question 5

3 ways to ensure the maintenance of capitalism

Answer 5

-hierarchy and inequality is inevitable ( certain to happen )
-Family is a ‘ safe haven ‘ - Zaretsky
-Family as a unit of consumption

Question 6

Hierarchy and inequality is inevitable -

Answer 6

-families that teach that they will always be someone in charge and have authority , some may argue that age hierarchy occurs in most society is not just capitalist ones

Question 7

The family is a ‘ safe haven ‘ -Zaretsky

Answer 7

• Zaretsky sees the family as a prop for the capitalist system , the nuclear family provided comfort to the adult as they pushed him through hard terms at work so they can come back the next day and work hard for the capitalists

Question 8

Family as a unit of consumption

Answer 8

-most people prefer to their families as a unit of consumption , the bourgeoisie ( capitalist class ) need families to consume in order to maintain profit

Question 9

Marxist perspective vs functionalist perspective

Answer 9

Marxist
-Hierarchy is inevitable , don’t question about authority , family is safe Haven , society is unequal

Functionalist
-positive for functioning society , primary functioning society , sees society who worked together to promote stability

Question 10

What is the primary focus of the Marxist perspective on the family?

Answer 10

-The primary focus is on the family as a social institution that reflects and reinforces class structures and capitalist interests.

Question 11

What role does the family play in the socialization of children, according to Marxists?

Answer 11

The family socializes children into accepting the norms and values of capitalism.

Question 12

Althusser argued that…

Answer 12

In order for capitalism to survive the W/C ( working class ) must submit to the ruling class ( bourgeoisie )

Question 13

Capitalists are in place to:

Answer 13

-keep the workers alive so they can work for capitalists
-To keep people quiet and make them think that capitalism is caring
-Benefits people in poverty

Question 14

Foucault …

Answer 14

• Develop the concept of surveillance ( observing and monitoring ) to describe the way the states can exercise social control over people
• surveillance can be to external pressure eg mum talk

Question 15

Henderson…

Answer 15

-has developed Foucault more recently and agrees that social institutions no longer need to enforce social control over how people behave as they do it themselves - keeping an eye on own behaviour constantly
-this surveillance can make mothers feel guilty if they don’t live up to self imposed parent expectations

Question 16

Criticisms or Evaluation of Marxists

Answer 16

-failing to identify clearly who benefits from policies of surveillance as for Marxist, it’s ruling class, for feminists its women
-to deterministic ( narrow minded ) - little families are high consumption families, not all children except authority
-Marxism ignores benefits of nuclear family
-Feminist argue that Marxists focus too much on class and not enough of equalities between men and women