Theories of the Family - Marxist Perspective on the Family Flashcards
Bourgeoisie
Middle class
Proletariat
Working class
Who owns and controls means of production in modern society?
Middle class (capitalist class)
Primitive communism
Earliest classless society where there was no private property or family
Engels belief of primitive communism
There was a ‘promiscuous horde’ where there were no restrictions on sexual activity
What happened as the forces of production developed?
Society’s wealth increased resulting in men controlling means of production
What family type did men gaining control of means of production bring about?
The patriarchal monogamous nuclear family
Engels belief about monogamy
It became essential due to the inheritance of private property
How do Marxists believe women will achieve liberation from patriarchal control?
If capitalism is overthrown
What does Althusser believe the family is?
An ISA (Ideological state apparatus)
How will capitalism survive according to Althusser?
If the wc continues to submit to the ruling class (or Bourgeoisie)
How is the family an ISA along with education and media?
It’s concerned with passing the beliefs of the ruling class
How do we come to accept capitalism according to Althusser?
Through socialisation in the family
What are social policies made by capitalists in place to do? (3)
-Keep workers alive so they can work
-Keep people quiet and thinking that Capitalism is a caring face
-Benefits keep people in poverty
What concept did Foucault develop?
Surveillance
Surveillance
Observing and monitoring to describe the way the state can use social control over people
What is surveillance traditionally associated with?
External pressure through social institutions such as the criminal justice system
What does Foucault say social norms will confirm?
What a ‘good’ family should be for an individual
What does Foucault believe about surveillance in post modern societies?
It’s internalised
What do individuals do to follow social norms?
They police themselves
What does Henderson agree about Foucault’s idea of surveillance?
He agrees social institutions no longer need to reinforce social control over how people behave
What do people constantly do according to Henderson?
They constantly monitor and keep an eye on their own behaviour
How do mothers spread conformity to social norms according to Henderson? (exercising…)
Conformity is established as mother exercise surveillance informally over themselves and others
What is surveillance maintained by according to Henderson?
Maintained by mothers guilt if they don’t live up to parent expectations
How can the perspective be seen as too deterministic?
Not all families are high-consumption
What does the perspective ignore?
Ignores benefits of nuclear families (may be the bet families against advertising and consumption). Ignores family diversity
How do feminists criticise perspective?
Argue that Marxists focus on class ignored inequalities between men and women
Why is Marxism seen as a conflict theory?
Because it sees capitalist society as consisting of two main social classes
3 ways in which the family is an important market for the sale of consumer goods according to Marists
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
Example of how the family socialises children into the hierarchy and capitalist society of o equalities: parents
Parental power over children accustoms them to idea that there always has to be someone in charge
How does capitalism exploit the labour of the workers?
It makes a profit by selling the products of the workers’ labour for more than it pays them
3 functions the family forms which maintains capitalist society without benefitting the family
Inheritance of private property
Socialisation into acceptance of inequality
Family is a source of profits
What do functionalists argue that Marxists ignore?
Believe Marxists ignore the very real benefits that the family provides for its members
