as they only focus on one type the nuclear family which they claim to be most dominant, therefore showing this view is flawed. In order to keep this property, they had to find a way to prevent it from being shared with everyone else. While cushioning the effects of capitalism, the family perpetuates the system and cannot compensate for the alienation between the rich and poor created by capitalist society. ?>, 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. Through mass media and advertising, families are influenced to compete through consumption. Eventually, the bourgeois started to look for ways of creating intergenerational wealth, rather than having it distributed among the masses of society. Need urgent help with your paper? They don't know what couple intimacy means. 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. Marxist theories of the family The origins of the family: Friedrich Engels The first Marxist writer on the family was Friedrich Engels who examined the way in which the family had evolved and changed throughout history. Tip:Remember: Try and keep the intro short and sweet. Hi does anyone knows how to refer this website in Harvard system. There is a romantic concept around the family where, a boy meets girl, they fall in love, get married and have children then live happily ever after. For example, children learn obedience and respect for those in authority within the family. A single parent is often recognized as someone who has children and cares for them primarily on their own, without a spouse or co-parent. 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. This means that Marxists see society as being structured along class lines. Functionalists argue that Marxists hold an overly negative view of the family. However, with the emergence of Capitalism in the 18th Century, society and the family changed. Have all your study materials in one place. Delphy, C. (1980). One way this would be to reduce or eliminate the benefits given to single parents whilst making nuclear family and marriage more financially attractive. What is the relationship between families and consumption? We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. Feminists argue that instead of being policed, female sole parents should be provided with financial and other forms of practical assistance (L'Hullier 1994, p.21; Mason 1989, p.5; Thorpe 1996, p.124). In Engels view, monogamy became essential because of the inheritance of private property as men had to be sure of the paternity of their children in order to ensure that their legitimate heirs inherited from them. They also weaken the position of individual workers in relation to the boss. Talcott Parsons claims that the family has positive functions, such as providing a 'safe haven' and place of comfort for its members. Merton argues this is an untested assumption and he points to the alternative of functional alternatives. 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. Sometimes it is hard to do all the work on your own. The family prepares people to take orders at work. Create flashcards in notes completely automatically. This makes both the parents and children think the exploitation is 'normal' and creates false class consciousness. Writing from the Marxist perspective, the sociologist Zaretsky developed the view that modern capitalist society created an illusion that the "private life" of the family is separate from the economy. He believed that the rise of the monogamous nuclear family represented a world historical defeat of the female sex as it is because it brought womens sexuality under male control, and turned her into a mere instrument for the production of children. Did you know that we have over 70,000 essays on 3,000 topics in our Tel: +44 0844 800 0085. Marxist say the family has three main functions for capitalism: Inheritance of property- Marx called the earliest classless society 'primitive communism' at this stage there was no such thing as family. Tip: For a 30 mark essay plan, add 1 or 2 paragraphs on other perspectives ie functionalism/feminism etc, contrasting them with the Marxist perspective. This essay was written by a fellow student. Sign up to highlight and take notes. Ann Sutoro, and resumed her maiden . Or they can join with other workers and go on strike and temporarily do without pay by way of a protest to push for better pay or conditions. Biography Childhood and early education: 1818-1836. Assess the view that, in todays society, the family losing its functions? can use them for free to gain inspiration and new creative ideas for their writing Marx said with the overthrow of capitalism the means of production would be owned collectively so there would be no need for the nuclear family to exist as a means of transmitting private property down the generations. 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. In fact, family breakdown may be better for Capitalism as divorce is expensive and more money has to be spent on maintaining family relationships and later on forming new families. Which two types of functions does the family perform according to Zaretsky? The family harms women more than the working class, as there are gender inequalities within the working class too. These false need purchases could include, in a family (Zaretsky, 2010): Purchases parents make to quit their children and give them time to manage their lives in situations where parents do not have enough time at home due to their obligation to work in the capitalist system. The nuclear family is a common family type found universally, suggesting that it is functional and chosen by families. For others, such as Marxists, families are the mark of an unequal society. These functions benefit the minority in power (bourgeoisie) and the economy. Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like Giving two people earning $10/hour, one person earning $15/hour, and two people earning $20/hour, what is the median pay rate being earned per hour for these five people?, In Marxism, the distinction between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat was the defining economic relationship in which of the following types of society?, The . cookie policy. Marxists see each institution of society as performing the role of upholding the capitalist superstructure, which ultimately helps to sustain a capitalist society. Get expert help in mere Marxism and Functionalism are both macro or structural theories. Researchers have different ways of categorizing single-parent households. Critical sociologists point out that there is little material incentive to become a single parent. Engels divided the history of humanity into two main eras: The era of primitive communism Instead of seeing a consensual society which works to benefit all its members, they see a society based on class struggle, which works to benefit a rich minority. Along with the creation of social class inequalities, Engels claimed that the nuclear family also created gender inequality as men took control of women's sexuality and labour to reproduce and raise the next generations. Now that we have outlined the general thesis of Marxism, let us consider the Marxist perspectives on the family. Marxists see families as essentially a conservative institution that helps to preserve capitalism. Heterosexuals turn towards same sex sex. Capitalism, increasing wealth and gender equality within a nation seem to be correlated. Explained:For example, the stabilisation of adult personalities; where adults can relax and release tensions, enabling them to feel refreshed when they return to the workplace. Conversely, working-class children suffer from a lack of cultural capital as they may not have the same knowledge or attitudes about education or how to behave. VAT reg no 816865400. In a communist society, there would be no need for a private family unit as there would be no private property. 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. 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. To what extent can Lord of the Flies be considered a Marxist piece? The mother-headed single parent family is the Otherof family forms. Within the family, this is usually the father; outside the family, it is teachers and employers. At a very basic level Marxists believe the . Marxists argue therefore that only with the overthrow of capitalism and private ownership of the means of production will women achieve liberation from patriarchal control. 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. Families are urged to appear trendy or fashionable by buying the latest products and services so they can appear to have a high status to their relatives, neighbours and peers. For example: Husbands are taught to obey their employers and other authorities. Having lived through the relative prosperity of the postwar boom themselves, Baby Boomer parents confidently assured their children that they could be anything they wanted to be when they grew up. Marxists see the family as serving the economic and ideological needs of capitalism. Now look at the crime rate. 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