Marxism

What type of theory is marxism?

• structural, individuals are controlled by capitalism

• conflict, society is divided by two unequal social classes

• macro, large scale

What is the marxist view of society?

• capitalist, motivated by financial profit

• divided unequally, bourgeoisie and proletariat

• determined by infrastructure (capitalism) and superstructure (families)

• revolutionary, from capitalism to communism

What is the marxist view of the family?

main functions of the nuclear family:

• socially control, teaching children to submit

• reproduce unequal class

• dampen down inevitable social conflict, fear of losing wages

• consumption of commodities

What is engels view of the family?

• the monogamous nuclear family developed as a means of passing on private property to heirs

• women’s position not much different to prostitutes, financial deal was struck (sex and heirs in return for economic security)

• women can only only achieve liberation from patriarchal control with the overthrow of capitalism

What is Zaretsky’s view of the family?

He emphasises the ideological and economic roles of the family:

• primary socialisation and parental power over children, get used to the idea of someone in charge

• illusion of a haven (buffer zone), dependent on the domestic exploitation of women

• unit of consumption, ‘pester power’

What is Althusser’s view of the family?

family is one of the ISAs which is concerned with social control and passing on the ideology of the ruling class, maintaining false class consciousness

What is Donzelot’s view of the family?

identifies state policies and professionals as policing families directly in order to control and change them, such families are seen as ‘problem families’ requiring improvement

What is the evaluation of Donzelot?

Marxists and Feminists criticise Donzelot for failing to identify who benefits from policing families directly, marxists say it’s in capitalist interest but feminists say men are the beneficiaries

What is the evaluation of Engels?

• too economically deterministic

• assumes all family revolve solely around property

• reduces women to economic tools

• modern relevance?

What is the evaluation of althusser?

• overly structural, sees individuals as passive recipients

• lacks evidence

What is the evaluation of zaretsky?

• overly deterministic

• lacks modern relevance

• neglects the intersection of class with other variables