theories of the family - marxist Flashcards
According to Marxist views, what is the primary function of the family?
To maintain and reproduce social inequality
True or False: Marxists believe that the family serves as a safety net for individuals in society.
False
who talks about inheritance of private property, what do they say?
Engels - we used to live in primitive communism with promiscuous hordes.
How do Marxists view the nuclear family structure?
As a tool to maintain the capitalist system
what was primitive communism according to Engels?
no private property, nuclear family did not exist, no monogamy or restriction on sexual activity (promiscuous hordes).
who talks about ideological function of society?
Zaretsky - set of beliefs biased to serve capitalism. family transmits ideas that maintain capitalism in primary socialisation.
According to Marxists, how does the family contribute to the reproduction of the labor force for capitalism?
By socializing children to accept their future roles as workers
What does the term ‘unit of consumption’ refer to in Marxist views of the family?
The family’s role in consuming goods and services produced by capitalism
examples of ideas taught in the family that maintain capitalism?
listening to authority, materialism, individual achievement, acceptance of private property.
who talks about the comfort zone/cushioning effect, what do they say?
Zaretsky - family acts as comfort for worker against hardships of exploitative workplace. alienation can be forgotten to be freshly exploited at home.
what does Althusser talk about?
ideological state apparatus - family reinforces capitalist ideology.
What role does the family play in reproducing social inequalities according to Marxist theory?
By passing down wealth and privilege to future generations
what do we mean by ‘the family is a unit of consumption’?
capitalism makes money from products it sells to families.
what is pester power?
children become consumers and gain bargaining power over their parents.
5 criticisms of marxist views of the family?
ignores family diversity.
ignores positives of the family.
feminists - ignores huge contribution of women to family life.
postmodernists think class is irrelevant.
many people enjoy living in nuclear families.
