Theories of the Family - Marxist Perspective on the Family

Question 1

Bourgeoisie

Answer 1

Middle class

Question 2

Proletariat

Answer 2

Working class

Question 3

Who owns and controls means of production in modern society?

Answer 3

Middle class (capitalist class)

Question 4

Primitive communism

Answer 4

Earliest classless society where there was no private property or family

Question 5

Engels belief of primitive communism

Answer 5

There was a ‘promiscuous horde’ where there were no restrictions on sexual activity

Question 6

What happened as the forces of production developed?

Answer 6

Society’s wealth increased resulting in men controlling means of production

Question 7

What family type did men gaining control of means of production bring about?

Answer 7

The patriarchal monogamous nuclear family

Question 8

Engels belief about monogamy

Answer 8

It became essential due to the inheritance of private property

Question 9

How do Marxists believe women will achieve liberation from patriarchal control?

Answer 9

If capitalism is overthrown

Question 10

What does Althusser believe the family is?

Answer 10

An ISA (Ideological state apparatus)

Question 11

How will capitalism survive according to Althusser?

Answer 11

If the wc continues to submit to the ruling class (or Bourgeoisie)

Question 12

How is the family an ISA along with education and media?

Answer 12

It’s concerned with passing the beliefs of the ruling class

Question 13

How do we come to accept capitalism according to Althusser?

Answer 13

Through socialisation in the family

Question 14

What are social policies made by capitalists in place to do? (3)

Answer 14

-Keep workers alive so they can work
-Keep people quiet and thinking that Capitalism is a caring face
-Benefits keep people in poverty

Question 15

What concept did Foucault develop?

Answer 15

Surveillance

Question 16

Surveillance

Answer 16

Observing and monitoring to describe the way the state can use social control over people

Question 17

What is surveillance traditionally associated with?

Answer 17

External pressure through social institutions such as the criminal justice system

Question 18

What does Foucault say social norms will confirm?

Answer 18

What a ‘good’ family should be for an individual

Question 19

What does Foucault believe about surveillance in post modern societies?

Answer 19

It’s internalised

Question 20

What do individuals do to follow social norms?

Answer 20

They police themselves

Question 21

What does Henderson agree about Foucault’s idea of surveillance?

Answer 21

He agrees social institutions no longer need to reinforce social control over how people behave

Question 22

What do people constantly do according to Henderson?

Answer 22

They constantly monitor and keep an eye on their own behaviour

Question 23

How do mothers spread conformity to social norms according to Henderson? (exercising…)

Answer 23

Conformity is established as mother exercise surveillance informally over themselves and others

Question 24

What is surveillance maintained by according to Henderson?

Answer 24

Maintained by mothers guilt if they don’t live up to parent expectations

Question 25

How can the perspective be seen as too deterministic?

Answer 25

Not all families are high-consumption

Question 26

What does the perspective ignore?

Answer 26

Ignores benefits of nuclear families (may be the bet families against advertising and consumption). Ignores family diversity

Question 27

How do feminists criticise perspective?

Answer 27

Argue that Marxists focus on class ignored inequalities between men and women

Question 28

Why is Marxism seen as a conflict theory?

Answer 28

Because it sees capitalist society as consisting of two main social classes

Question 29

3 ways in which the family is an important market for the sale of consumer goods according to Marists

Answer 29

Advertisers urge families to consume the latest products
Media targets children, causing them to persuade their parents to spend more
Peers mock children who lack the latest clothes or gadgets

Question 30

Example of how the family socialises children into the hierarchy and capitalist society of o equalities: parents

Answer 30

Parental power over children accustoms them to idea that there always has to be someone in charge

Question 31

How does capitalism exploit the labour of the workers?

Answer 31

It makes a profit by selling the products of the workers’ labour for more than it pays them

Question 32

3 functions the family forms which maintains capitalist society without benefitting the family

Answer 32

Inheritance of private property
Socialisation into acceptance of inequality
Family is a source of profits

Question 33

What do functionalists argue that Marxists ignore?

Answer 33

Believe Marxists ignore the very real benefits that the family provides for its members