Term
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Definition
Marxism: society's institutions function in a way that contributes to capitalism.
Family is a microcosm of society.
Father: bourgeoise
⚡️exploitative relationship! ⚡️
Mother: Proletariat
Children: Consumers with pester power to access the economy |
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Term
| 3 FUNCTIONS OF THE FAMILY |
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Definition
• Inheritance of property
Marriage - men had to be sure of the paternity of their children in order for them to be legitimate heirs
- bringing a woman's sexuality under male control
• Ideological function - socialising children into the idea that hierarchy and inequality are inevitable
- offering a 'haven' (see Zaretsky, 1976)
• A unit of consumption - advertisers urge families to 'keep up with the Joneses'
- media targets children who use pester power
- children who lack latest clothes etc are mocked and stigmatised by peers |
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Term
| KEY THEORIST: ZARETSKY (1976) |
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Definition
• family is a crucial agent in socialisation of children into capitalist ideology
• family offers a 'haven' to help workers manage their resentment of the capitalist workplace that generally oppresses and exploits them
• family is a major unit of consumption |
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Term
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Definition
The monogamous nuclear family only became popular after the industrial revolution because the ruling class encouraged it in order to protect the property and wealth they had accumulated.
- monogamous marriage conferred legitimacy on children and members of bourgeoisie could ensure that their fortunes were inherited by direct descendants |
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Term
| EVALUATION OF THE MARXIST VIEW OF THE FAMILY |
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Definition
• Marxists tend to assume that the nuclear family is dominant in capitalist society. This ignores the wide variety of family structures today
• Feminists argue that Marxists underestimate the importance of gender inequalities within the family
• Functionalists argue that Marxists ignore the benefits that the family provides for its members, such as intimacy and mutual support |
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