39). EXAM NOTES 2 The Marxist Perspective on the Family Marxist perspective on the family Marxists reject the view that the nuclear family performs an important function for all of society, as functionalists suggest. Hi does anyone knows how to refer this website in Harvard system. Key to understanding this theory of the family as a "unit of consumption" is the idea of "false needs." Middle-class children are also likely to know the 'right' ways of behaving, speaking, and dressing that are valued by other middle-class adults, such as teachers. The nuclear family serves the interest of the capitalist system in several ways: The family reproduces the next generation of workers that will be exploited as labour-power by the capitalist systems of production. The second section deals with aspects of the Socioeconomic Well-Being . Social capital refers to the access to important or influential contacts or networks. However, this conflict of interests rarely boils over into revolution because institutions such as the family perform the function of ideological control, or convincing the masses that the present unequal system is inevitable, natural and good. This could be for the whole family sick as a new car or parents giving their children high-status clothes or electronics. In particular, he focused on the experiences of middle-class and working-class children in education and work, namely through the lenses of economic, cultural, and social capital. Bourdieu argued that all of the above factors mean that working-class children have a 'cultural deficit'. Karl Marx had many theories that dealt with many different aspects of society. Family relations, based on clear legal contracts, facilitate inheritance and therefore when rich people die it is their children who keep hold of their wealth. I was wondering if you have a list of your sources on this subject as well as the subject of Marxist Sociology in general. Marx on gender and the family: A critical study (Vol. This benefits society as a whole, not just a particular group. A single parent is someone who is unmarried, widowed, or divorced and not remarried. 48 Vitosha Boulevard, ground floor, 1000, Sofia, Bulgaria Bulgarian reg. This essay was written by a fellow student. This includes access to private education and tutors, enriching school trips, and computers or laptops. Univ of North Carolina Press. (1978). Ultimately what this arrangement does is to reproduce inequality The children of the rich grow up into wealth, while the children of the poor remain poor. ?>, Order original essay sample specially for your assignment needs, https://phdessay.com/marxist-view-on-the-family/, Assess the Marxist View That the Main Role of the Family Is to Serve the Interests of Capitalism, Marxist, Neoclassical and Deep ecologist theories of ecological crises. Families instill acceptance of hierarchy and give the bourgeoisie a way to "reproduce class inequality" through inheritances. The movie Up directed by Pete Docter reflects the love between two main characters and exposes the braveness of Carl for protecting a Snipe nearly extinct animal. Simply put, a Marxist perspective is one that originates from the theory of Marxism. The perspective recognises the impact of the family on women and the poor. Institutions generally work in the interests of the small, elite bourgeoisie class who have economic power or those of the much larger working class, or proletariat. Marxist Criticism Is Always Concerned with the Class Struggle in History. Real needs, for example, are basic material things such as food, shelter, clothing, transportation, health, education, and general welfare. Therefore the family maintains capitalism because it prevents the proletariat from acknowledging its oppression and starting a revolution. The New Right argues that there are benefits of the nuclear family, such as the support given to children by two parents. Marxists believe that the family unit upholds capitalism and recreates social class inequalities. An Integrated Multi-Level Approach. Friedrich Engels' study, "The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State [1884] clearly derives from Marx's basis theory in which the Economic Base heavily influences the nature of the Superstructure. http://monthlyreview.org/2014/06/01/marx-on-gender-and-the-family-a-summary/. In order to sell the workers' goods, however, they must create demands for their products. Lastly, we will evaluate the Marxist perspectives on the family. The Marxist Perspective on the Family and Overiew: This post has been written primarily for students studying the families and household option as part of A-level sociology. This means that Marxists see society as being structured along class lines. Instead, property was collectively owned, and this was reflected in family structures. There are significant amounts of advertising and TV programmes influencing parents in this way. This way it was an ideal mechanism for the proof of paternity. This could include toys, tablets, and subscriptions to entertainment. According to Engels, the nuclear family promotes inheritance and consequently intergenerational inequality. Marxists suggest that single parents, especially teenage mothers, have been scapegoated by regular moral panics about social problems which are caused by structural factors such as unemployment, poverty, racism and the decline of the inner-city. Marxism is a structural conflict perspective. Worth noting that Capitalist power structures and labour relations are foreign concepts to early humans, so it reproducing capitalist power structures are necessary in order to hijack ones human nature per se (pre-agricultural societies were largely collective), therefore rationalizing it or conditioning consumers. as it is based on ie. There are three Marxists views of the family, Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels and Eli Zaretsky; they all see all institutions such as education, the media and the family as maintaining class inequality and capitalism. Marx's family was originally non-religious Jewish, but had converted formally to Christianity before his . Post it in the comments. When analysing the family, functionalists focus on two main areas. If capitalism is overthrown, women could be freed not just from the capitalist society but also the patriarchy. Reading Capital (B. Brewster, Trans.). The Single-Parent Family. d. All of these responses are . well thanks info is quite simple but qualitative. 3rd December, 2012. Ideal for A-Level sociology. Evaluating New Right views on the functions of families and households. According to Marxists these may benefit capitalism but not members of the family. Introduction Examine the Marxist view of the family Marxists believe that the nuclear family is dominant in capitalist?s society. cite it. Single parent households usually have a shortage of finances, which can have emotional effects on the children, such as increased frustration and anger and an increased danger of violent behavior. The differences between First Wave Feminism, Second Wave Feminism and Third Wave Feminism can themselves be described to some extent in terms of the differing emphases given within these "waves of Feminism" to Liberal, Marxist, Socialist, Radical and Black Feminism. It socialises children into accepting capitalist ideologies and authority, which prepares them to accept control and exploitation in the workplace. As a result, the Marxist perspective does not give a full understanding of the role of the family. The New Right point out that this is the most functional type of environment in which to raise children, and the nuclear family is found in most societies around the world, suggesting it is something people choose. Besides, in the same year, 3.23 million children were living with their single fathers. Engels said the patriarchal monogamous nuclear family emerged (male dominated). They are exploited for unpaid domestic labour and for their ability to reproduce, which benefits men and capitalism respectively. teachers, employers and the state. People can be nurtured, supported, and have their individual needs met by the family. Zaretsky sees the family as a major unit of consumption of goods and services. Now that we have outlined the general thesis of Marxism, let us consider the Marxist perspectives on the family. Women are doubly oppressed, both by capitalism and patriarchy. Marx believed that there should be no ownership of private property because this reproduces social class inequalities and benefits the bourgeoisie. Marxists see the family as serving the economic and ideological needs of capitalism. , such as providing a 'safe haven' and place of comfort for its members. The family is described as an ideological apparatus this means it socialises people to think in a way that justifies inequality and encourages people to accept the capitalist system as fair, natural and unchangeable. Fran Ansley argues that men unload their stress and anger towards the capitalist system on women, which leads to domestic violence. Science & Society, 42-64. On the other hand, working-class children are less likely to enjoy such benefits and thus may miss out on work and educational opportunities. (2016, Dec 11). Marxism is a as conflict perspective as it describes a form of inequality where groups could potentially competes for power. Functionalists claim that the Marxist perspective of the family is overly negative. 2 - The nuclear family structure allows for the inheritance of private property, which reproduces social class inequalities. Thus the nuclear family benefits the Bourgeois more than the proletariat. Feminists would point out that sex inequalities exist within all families, irrespective of social class background. Families are encouraged to constantly purchase the latest products and services to appear 'fashionable' and show off their 'high' status to their relatives, neighbours, and peers. Similar to the Marxist belief that institutions such as education, religion, and the media teach people how to behave, the nuclear family is an imbalanced structure that teaches its members to accept imbalances of power in wider society. This creates a false class consciousness. Modern Marxist agrees that: Families socialise children to be obedient and hardworking, which benefits capitalists; Wealth is passed down families, perpetuating inequalities; Families are too privatised, discouraging wage-labourers from uniting against capitalism. both parents support the children. The powerful social class, the bourgeoisie, exploits the weaker social class, the proletariat. In single-parent families, children may not respect their parent's privacy. In order to ensure the legitimate heir inherited from them. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Postmodernists would argue that in todays postmodern society, the collective consciousness has become fragmented, and society nowadays is too diverse to subject to a single definition. Here, you have explained the postmodernist perspective, and therefore within this essay, for example, you could then comment that e.g. Upload unlimited documents and save them online. In this report, single-parent households have a sole adult living with at least one biological, step or foster child under age 18. Gender inequality clearly preceded Capitalism.. , suggesting that it is functional and chosen by families. both by capitalism and patriarchy. The Marxist perspective ignores family diversity in capitalist society, the nuclear family is no longer the main type of family. This weakness benefits the boss. Functionalists argue that Marxists hold an overly negative view of the family. Lastly, we'll look at French philosopher and sociologist Louis Althusser's views on the family. For example parsons assume primary socialisation is best performed by the nuclear family, but it may be that single parent families do just as well. Whilst functionalists see the family as a positive, harmonious unit, Marxists see the family as a reason for social class inequalities in capitalist society. The family and change. Fig. and views individuals as too passive. Talcott Parsons is a functionalist and he claims that the family has positive functions, such as providing a 'safe haven' and place of comfort for its members. The family reproduces the next generation of workers that will be exploited as labour power by the capitalist system. Critical sociologists point out that there is little material incentive to become a single parent. It is unlikely that overthrowing capitalism will remove patriarchy altogether. Create the most beautiful study materials using our templates. Capitalists/business owners want to keep workers wages down so they can make a profit, but to do so they must also be able to sell the workers goods i.e. Scanzoni, J. According to Althusser, the role of the family is to produce submissive individuals that will benefit the capitalist system. Sharing the same table: consumption and the family. Theory of Marxism, let us consider the Marxist perspectives on the functions of families and households out work! 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