For functionalists, society is seen as a system of social institutions such as the economy, religion and the family all of which perform socialisation . Thus the nuclear family benefits the Bourgeois more than the proletariat. Marxist approaches challenge the orthodox thinking of the time. Here is also commentary on his ideas and cites the mentioned texts. Examine Marxist Views on the role of the family (30 marks) A key feature of the Marxist perspective is the belief that society is centred around an unfair class division which is maintained through Capitalism. (1978). Now, Marxism was able to predict the inevitable tendency towards monopolization, where free competition was a standard. Through mass media and advertising, families are influenced to compete through consumption. Marxists see the role and function of the family as upholding the capitalist superstructure. Because people need to feel secure and absolve themselves of their own guilt, Freud believed that they choose to believe in God, who represents a powerful father-figure. Boston House, , suggesting that it is functional and chosen by families. Althusser, L., & Balibar, E. (1970). The division of labor pits man against his fellow man; it creates class differences; it destroys the unity of the human race. Here are its strengths and weaknesses: List of Strengths of Marxism. Consumer goods and services that signify a family's wealth and status include the best cars, designer clothing, expensive toys, and luxurious holidays. Family strengths can also be their weaknesses. Quick revise. The family structure builds demand for goods in several ways. As a result, the Marxist perspective does not give a full understanding of the role of the family. They may be forced to leave school early due to poverty and/or the need for extra income. The theory of religion attempts to explain its origin, how it functions, and its effects on the minds of every individual who believes to be religious. 3. With the emergence of capitalism, the bourgeoisie began owning private property for the purposes of personal profit. Organized. Before capitalism, traditional and tribal societies were classless and did not have private property. The last hundred years has also ushered in a diversity of family forms such as dual-career families, single-person households, same-sex couples, polyamorous groups, and so on. Marxist ideas illustrate the power of the economy in shaping relationships and ideas as well as offering a solution or alternative to society. Media and companies target children through advertising. This is because it does not take into account the essential greediness and selfishness of the human being. This reinforces social class inequalities. The reason it does this is because one of the key features of Marxism is to have everyone be fully equal - and religion would meddle in that aspect as it automatically puts some people in superiority or inferiority of others within the religion. 5. One way in which this happens is that there is a hierarchy in most families which teaches children to accept there will always be someone in authority who they must obey, which then mirrors the hierarchy of boss-worker in paid employment in later life. This is because it does not take into account the essential greediness and selfishness of the human being. Conflict theory looks at society as a competition for limited resources. The reality is that it is "freedom for them.". We can read more about Marxist perspectives on the family below. It is also the institution through which the wealthy pass down their private property to their children, thus reproducing class inequality. So if marriage is harmful for women, what about divorce? It includes a broad range of issues that women face within the criminal justice system and society. For example, both Marxists and Feminists argue that the way in which roles are constructed in the family is not merely a matter of individual negotiation, but a reflection of how power is distributed in wider society. If you look at the Marxist theory, it considers society as a whole, which means that it acknowledges all the social forces involved, including the power interests of different groups. Marxian economics is a school of economic thought based on of the work of Karl Marx . Bourdieu argued that all of the above factors mean that working-class children have a 'cultural deficit'. On the other hand, working-class children are unable to achieve similar feats due to a lack of economic capital, even if they are fully capable. He sought for the answers to how to live the best possible life and be a fruitful citizen who cares for others in the community. Essay Sample. Instead of smaller families, there were large groups of hunters and gatherers working together to survive. How does the nuclear family serve the interests of the capitalist system? Cite evidence from the text to support your response. 50 pages of revision notes covering all of the sub-topics within families and households, mind maps in pdf and png format 9 in total, coveringperspectives on the family. This means that there would be no organized religion, which would affect prominent beliefs followed around the world, including Christianity and Judaism. London: New Left. They see society as structured along class lines with institutions generally working in the interests of the small elite class who have economic power (the 'Bourgeoisie') and the much larger working class (the 'Proletariat'). London: Penguin Press. The division of labor was, for Marx, the very essence of all that is wrong with the world. Conflict theories assume that all societies have structural power divisions and . Stop procrastinating with our smart planner features. The Marxist perspective ignores family diversity in capitalist society, the nuclear family is no longer the main type of family. with a focus on class conflict, other . DATE. Due to these inequalities, Marxism sees society as being in constant conflict between these social classes. Functionalists point out that, in the vast majority of societies, humans live in families and that in fact the essential form and function of those families remain quite similar: it is not simply a feature of capitalist society. It does not value the concept of private ownership. Marx's interpretation of human nature begins with human need. Identify your study strength and weaknesses. Marxism is a conflict perspective in the family that argues that the working-class, the proletariat, is exploited by the capitalist class, who profit off of their labor. Families of middle-class children are more likely to possess social capital and use it to give their children opportunities, such as a respectable work placement or a spot at a top university. Although this system had some disagreements with socialism and communism, but still they had some views in common. Marxists believe that although the nuclear family is upholds capitalism, divorce is also good for capitalism because the couple will have to spend a lot of money on divorcing. 2 The Traditional Natural Law Theory: Strengths and Weaknesses The theory provides a clear understanding of procreation as an inherent gift important to animals and plants. This is called 'pester power'. Marxism perspectives on the role and functions of the family are explained in this study video.#aqasociology #aqaALevelSociology #ALevelSociology #FamiliesAn. As you can see, it would not allow anyone to be an individual, which is believed to lead to a dangerous society without anybody being motivated. they must create demand for their products. The family harms women more than the working class, as there are gender inequalities within the working class too. Thus, the nuclear family served to benefit the bourgeois more than the proletariat. Marxist views on Family Marxists see the nuclear family as serving the ruling class (bourgeoisie) as it promotes capitalist values and discourages disagreement and criticism of inequality the way capitalism is organized. Assess the strengths and weaknesses of Marx's analysis of Capitalism Marxism is a critique of Capitalism that had its greatest strength in its argument against human isolation and tyranny. This allows individuals to pursue goals by attaining to the rules and by . And why is the ownership of private property important? According to Althusser, the role of the family is to produce submissive individuals that will benefit the capitalist system. It is a set of structural conflict approaches which views society as a conflict between men and women. Economist, philosopher, sociologist, revolutionary socialist and journalist Karl Marx is regarded in history as the Father of Marxism, where much of the philosophy has to do with his obsession with the ideas of George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, who has been called the Aristotle of modern times and used his system of dialectics to explain the whole of the history of philosophy, art, science, religion and politics. A nuclear family refers to a traditional family structure consisting of a two-parent family with one or more children. Bourdieu argues that a lack of economic, cultural and social capital means working-class children suffer from a ____ ____. Key to understanding this theory of the family as a "unit of consumption" is the idea of "false needs." Functionalism is a consensus perspective, whereby society is based on shared values and norms into which members are socialised. It creates a system of true equality. Here Are the Pros of Marxism. An interesting variation on Parsons warm bath theory, Zaretsky argued that family life gave proletarian men something they could control and a space where they could be the boss. View this answer. Marx on gender and the family: A critical study (Vol. they do not wait for marriage before sex, Feminists argue Marxists emphasise to much on social class and capitalism rather than gender inequalities, Many families and individuals are aware of their exploitation but choose to ignore it, Marxists tend to assume the nuclear family is dominant in a capitalist society, Strengths and weaknesses of the functionalist, 10 marker Applying material from Item A, anal, Strengths and Weaknesses of The New Right vie, Psychology - Social Key Question (Abu Ghraib, The Language of Composition: Reading, Writing, Rhetoric, Lawrence Scanlon, Renee H. Shea, Robin Dissin Aufses, John Lund, Paul S. Vickery, P. Scott Corbett, Todd Pfannestiel, Volker Janssen, Byron Almen, Dorothy Payne, Stefan Kostka, Eric Hinderaker, James A. Henretta, Rebecca Edwards, Robert O. Self. His thinking was initially considered neo-Marxist, following . Overall strengths. It is unlikely that overthrowing capitalism will remove patriarchy altogether. We will now consider the advantages and disadvantages of the different Marxist perspectives on the family. Criticisms of the Marxist view of the family. Their reactions and actions towards them are according to . Strengths of Marxism: The first critical theory which explains the huge and persistent inequalities in society. They are exploited for unpaid domestic labour and for their ability to reproduce, which benefits men and capitalism respectively. Strong People Skills. Which type of theorist is Talcott Parsons and how does he disagree with the Marxist perspective on the family? For Marx (B. Brewster, Trans.). The nuclear family structure arose so that landowners could pass down their properties and wealth to their children. Indeed, Marxists have done little research to investigate whether members of families actually do have this relationship with capitalism. This is because the bourgeoisie had to find a way to keep property from being shared with everyone else. This benefits society as a whole, not just a particular group. Middle-class students are more likely to have positive experiences and higher expectations of education, e.g. It also ignores the other benefits that all family members may get from family life: the emotional support, comfort and generally the positive benefits. It negatively affects the educational system. Marxian economics focuses on the role of labor in the development of an economy, and is critical of the . Marxism is a conflict perspective in the family that argues that the working-class, the proletariat, is exploited by the capitalist class, who profit off of their labor. we have private and state schools which can make our education system unequal. Engels argued that family had a clear economic function for capitalism, by ensuring that wealth remained in the hands of the bourgeoisie. 1. It creates equality: Many injustices and inequalities happen because of the divide in social classes within a society. Thus started the structure of the monogamous nuclear family - with a definitive way of identifying a legitimate heir, the ruling class could pass down their private property and wealth to their children. Talcott Parsons claims that the family has positive functions, such as providing a 'safe haven' and place of comfort for its members. Similar to the Marxist belief that institutions such as education, religion, and the media teach people how to behave, the nuclear family is an, structure that teaches its members to accept imbalances of power in. These children can then persuade their parents to buy more expensive items. On the other hand, working-class children are less likely to enjoy such benefits and thus may miss out on work and educational opportunities. The New Right argues that there are benefits of the nuclear family, such as the support given to children by two parents. Pros of Marxism. complete with a powerpoint explaining Marxism at an accessible level. Indeed Marx's argument for freedom had a propounding moral incentive. 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. the functions of the family from a functionalist, Marxist and feminist perspective. Lastly, we'll look at French philosopher and sociologist Louis Althusser's views on the family. Zaretskys theory is clearly outdated: it assumes the worker is male and that there is only one worker in the family. Its fundamental argument is that capitalist society is based on inequalities between the 'bourgeoisie' (ruling capitalist class) and 'proletariat' (working class). Marxists have been criticized for overemphasizing how the family is shaped by the needs of capitalism. The bourgeoisie owned all of the wealth and resources and passed it down to the next generation of rich capitalists whilst the proletariat, the working masses, had nothing. However, Zaretsky believed that the family allowed the breadwinner man to feel in control and strong, which they did not feel at work due to the oppression of the bourgeoisie capitalist class. (b) What new insight did slower reading help you gain? . It helped preserve capitalism by depositing wealth in a private family instead of passing it on to the community. Although historically the Marxist paradigm went into eclipse during the early twentieth century, the field has developed rapidly during recent years. London: New Left. According to Engels, the nuclear family promotes inheritance and consequently intergenerational inequality. The rich remained rich whilst the poor remained poor. This 'prepares' them for adulthood so that they can be docile, obedient workers and retain false class consciousness. But it was a very personalistic view of Marxism, uninformed by the totality of world events surrounding it. Marxists Views on the Family 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. While the great inequalities in wealth and income continue to exist, t he working class has not got poorer as Marx suggested. Functions of the family: Marxism Living standards have improved vastly since Marx's day, and the welfare state and compulsory state education have .