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. For example, children learn obedience and respect for those in authority within the family. 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. There is the belief that women are oppressed and/or disadvantaged by various social institutions. Bourdieu argued that all of the above factors mean that working-class children have a 'cultural deficit'. We will do this by considering criticisms generally, and criticisms from other structural theories. 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. Why is the Marxist perspective of the family seen as overly deterministic? This weakness allowed antipsychiatry to degenerate into a The traditional Marxist view on families is that they perform a role not for everyone in society but for capitalism and the ruling class (the bourgeoisie). Company Reg no: 04489574. Its weaknesses lie in the reductionist view of health - the roles Parsons requires are not cut and dry due to influences from internal and external sources - for example, the requirement of seeking professional advice is something . However, a counter-argument to that is that Parsons himself suggested that the nuclear family evolved to suit an industrial economy (as well consider in the next section) which could be said to back the idea that it is a feature of capitalism rather than all societies. 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. The Marxist Perspective on The Family. 9essays/ essay plans spanning all the topics within the families and households topic. The family and change. The Marxist perspective on the family focuses on the nuclear family and ignores other family types that exist in contemporary society. Science & Society, 42-64. 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'). The basic principle of Marxist theory is that society is in constant conflict because it is divided into two social classes. Psychoanalytic View. (Quizlet . It is the best way of guaranteeing that you are passing on your property to your son, because in a monogamous relationship you have a clear idea of who your own children are. Within the family, this is usually the father; outside the family, it is teachers and employers. London: New Left. Zaretsky sees the family as a major unit of consumption of goods and services. The family harms women more than the working class, as there are gender inequalities within the working class too. It tends to create a system of true equality. The Marxist perspective ignores family diversity in capitalist society, the nuclear family is no longer the main type of family. Eventually, the bourgeois started to look for ways of creating intergenerational wealth, rather than having it distributed among the masses of society. Marxism points out the unpleasant aspects of family life and the inequalities of power within the family. Theory of Dialectical Materism Lacks Originality: The theory of Dialectical Materialism of Marx stands borrowed from Hegel. For decades, the leading philosopher and one of Europe's most famous atheists, Jrgen Habermas has emphasized the need for moral development in the West. False needs, meanwhile, arise due to the demands of the capitalist system rather than the real needs of individuals. The bourgeoisie, or capitalist class, used their personal wealth to invest in businesses in order to make a profit which they did not invest for the benefit of everyone else. There is no weakness except communication gap. Tilly, L. A. Have all your study materials in one place. Rather than exploiting managers, Marxism encourages unions to stand up for personal rights, creating a system of checks and balances for a maximum production level to be achieved. Something else Marxists suggest about the family (like the Functional Fit theory) is that the family type generally changes with society more specifically, the nuclear family emerges not because of the needs of industrialisation, but because of the needs of the capitalist system. It reduces the tendency of debt. For Engels, then, family is all about blood lines and proof of parentage. They are exploited for unpaid domestic labour and for their ability to reproduce, which benefits men and capitalism respectively. Marxism relies on people to work hard just because they should and to forego the ability to get rich from their efforts. Marx believed that there should be no ownership of private property because this reproduces social class inequalities and benefits the bourgeoisie. The family structure builds demand for goods in several ways. According to Engels, the nuclear family promotes inheritance and . Mass media and advertising campaigns help to feed this. Zaretskys theory is clearly outdated: it assumes the worker is male and that there is only one worker in the family. It does not value the concept of private ownership. Overall strengths. A strength of marxism is that this theory analyses power and conflict in society. Living standards have improved vastly since Marx's day, and the welfare state and compulsory state education have . According to Marxists what is the role of the family? As a result, women would not be subject to male control for the purposes of reproduction. Here are its strengths and weaknesses: List of Strengths of Marxism. As a result, the Marxist perspective does not give a full understanding of the role of the family. Feminists argue that Marxists focus too much on social class inequalities whilst disregarding the role of the family in maintaining gender inequalities. Now that we have outlined the general thesis of Marxism, let us consider the Marxist perspectives on the family. Whilst functionalists see the family as a positive, harmonious unit, Marxists see the family as a reason for social class inequalities in capitalist society. Such demands are created through targeted advertising from companies. Marxists see the role of the family quite differently to that of functionalists. Media and companies target children through advertising. As Marx believed, there should be equality before the law and societal services, where everyone has an equal stance and opportunity with no dominant gender. However, we can consider that the youthful phase of capitalism is gone beyond recall. View this answer. Its fundamental argument is that capitalist society is based on inequalities between the 'bourgeoisie' (ruling capitalist class) and 'proletariat' (working class). How does the nuclear family serve the interests of the capitalist system? Thus, the nuclear family served to benefit the bourgeois more than the proletariat. This is because it does not take into account the essential greediness and selfishness of the human being. Marxism perspectives on the role and functions of the family are explained in this study video.#aqasociology #aqaALevelSociology #ALevelSociology #FamiliesAn. 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. In a communist society, there would be no need for a private family unit as there would be no private property. What is the relationship between families and consumption? (b) What new insight did slower reading help you gain? Assessment on Marx's Religious Viewpoints Recounting Class War in Society While depicting a kind of similarity indicating Marx's empathic religious views with that of Hebrew prophets, who brought in protest against religion having said that temple rituals followed by the priests as a means to sought for their own security and individual comfort instead of establishing . For Zaretsky, the family could only serve as a way of providing psychological support for its members when there is an end to capitalism (Tilly, 1978). Third, I think Marx illustrates the complementary nature of the strengths and weaknesses within a theory. Create and find flashcards in record time. This benefits society as a whole, not just a particular group. The Marxist perspective on the family is normally taught after the Functionalist perspective on the Family, and is normally the second of five perspectives on the family within the families and households module in A-level sociology. Fig. Which type of theorist is Talcott Parsons and how does he disagree with the Marxist perspective on the family? There is thus a conflict of interests between the Bourgeoise and the Proletariat. During the time of 'primitive communism', there was no private property and thus no social classes or private family units. It is also the institution through which the wealthy pass down their private property to their children, thus reproducing class inequality. In Zaretsky's view, the family works in the interests of capitalism. The difference is that Marxists disagree with the way society is currently constituted. 1. But by examining its key strengths and weaknesses, we will be able to decide whether it is best for society or not. 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. The new right also agrees that the welfare have responsibility of other individuals and their families. Next, we'll look at American professor Eli Zaretksy's views on the family. and views individuals as too passive. Provide some examples of the benefits of economic capital. 1. Zaretsky claims that this economic function is a bourgeois ideology perpetuated to ensure families spend money and create profits for the bourgeoisie. According to Engels, this reproduced and reinforced social class inequality. 2. Open Document. The family harms women more than the working class, as there are gender inequalities within the working class too. 2 - The nuclear family structure allows for the inheritance of private property, which reproduces social class inequalities. This means that the family serves not only an ideological function, but also an economic function. The perspective is overly deterministic and views individuals as too passive. This is because it does not take into account the essential greediness and selfishness of the human being. According to followers of the theory, capitalism created the system of what we know as the privatised, monogamous nuclear family. It views individuals as too passive; not everyone conforms to or accepts the values of capitalism. Thus, the nuclear family is only beneficial to capitalism and the ruling class. He believed in putting equality of society . Marxists reject the functionalist view that society is based on value consensus and therefore operates for the benefit for all. False needs can also include many of the products that people buy out of fear, or in order to make themselves safe, especially if that fear is engineered by the capitalist system in order to keep the population under control (Zaretsky, 2010). But when that worker has to also take dependents into account (e.g. The role of socialization in determining behaviour is recognized. Zaretsky claims that the family performs both an ideological function and economic function. He saw how Capitalism fed down to the working class and produced a top down approach to how our present system within our everyday life works. Revision image. 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. Strengths And Weaknesses Of Fascism. Family strengths can also be their weaknesses. Cheering for the oppressed proletarian majority has had, and still has, many . 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. This is also referred to as 'keeping up with the Joneses'. Or your coParent may remarry someone of another faith. But as far as Marxism is concerned, free competition inevitably begets monopoly, where the struggle between big and small capitals always yields to the same result. Simply Sociology. Marxism is a structural conflict perspective in sociology. The Marxist feminist position is further enhanced by Fran Ansley (1972) she grabs hold of Parsons' view of the family as functioning to stabilise adult personalities and turns into Marxist idea. Introduction 1.1. A nuclear family refers to a traditional family structure consisting of a two-parent family with one or more children. Functionalists claim that the Marxist perspective of the family is overly negative. Free and expert-verified textbook solutions. What was the basic principle of Marxist theory? 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. This could be for the whole family sick as a new car or parents giving their children high-status clothes or electronics. Marx demonstrated how capitalism was able to grow through the exploitation of labor. Consumer goods and services that signify a family's wealth and status include the best cars, designer clothing, expensive toys, and luxurious holidays. Hi does anyone knows how to refer this website in Harvard system. 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. Before reading this post, you might like to look at this summary of the key ideas of Marxism. The perspective recognises the impact of the family on women and the poor.