Overall strengths. Marx's ideas were so influential that a third of the planet was ruled under his ideas in . How does the Marxist view of the family differ to that of functionalists? 9essays/ essay plans spanning all the topics within the families and households topic. The perspective is overly deterministic and views individuals as too passive. It is also the institution through which the wealthy pass down their private property to their children, thus reproducing class inequality. argues that there are benefits of the nuclear family, such as the, The nuclear family is a common family type found. 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. 2. Upload unlimited documents and save them online. Marxists argue that the nuclear family performs ideological functions for Capitalism the family acts as a unit of consumption and teaches passive acceptance of hierarchy. Within the family, this is usually the father; outside the family, it is teachers and employers. Zaretsky claims that the family performs both an ideological function and economic function. These can include things that make life in a capitalist system bearable, such as things that fulfill a need for distraction. 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. What are disadvantages of Marxist perspective of family? This is because it does not take into account the essential greediness and selfishness of the human being. Talcott Parsons claims that the family has positive functions, such as providing a 'safe haven' and place of comfort for its members. Positive feelings and associations with the family aren't necessarily always due to false class consciousness or subjugation; some women, for example, may genuinely feel fulfilled and satisfied with their role in a nuclear family. The Strengths and Weaknesses of Marxism. Weakness. Coming from a research background in biology and archaeology, Charlotte currently studies how digital and physical space shapes human beliefs, norms, and behaviors and how this can be used to create businesses with greater social impact. A strength of marxism is that this theory analyses power and conflict in society. Marx gives society the knowledge and may pass on unknown information to the proletariat about their unfair treatment within society in comparison to the bourgeoisie. Purchases parents make to give their family a sense of status to outsiders. For example, tutoring or preparatory schools could widen inequality. Fran Ansley argues that men unload their stress and anger towards the capitalist system on women, which leads to domestic violence. However, the weakness of the new right is that they are negatively influenced the government which makes benefits more difficult to get. 1. Marxist philosophy on education sees economics lying at the root of every human activity, though this is not absolutely factual on scientific point of view, as economics occupies the pivotal position in the curriculum is one of the main objectives to acquire productive skills, which would result to creative faculties of children being neglected. The Marxist perspective on the family focuses on the nuclear family and ignores other family types that exist in contemporary society. This weakness benefits the boss. There is no weakness except communication gap. Zaretsky believes the family performs both an ideological function and an economic function that benefits the bourgeoisie. Essay Sample. As a result, women would not be subject to male control for the purposes of reproduction. The Marxist perspective of education in society can be very questionable because Marxist theorists such as; Louis Althusser, Bowles and Gintis, David Reynolds and Willis all seem . 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. By socializing children into ruling-class values, the family ensures that children will become uncritical and conformist adults and passive workers who accept exploitation with little complaint. The importance of culture in structuring society is identified. We will now consider the advantages and disadvantages of the different Marxist perspectives on the family. Zaretsky believes that the nuclear family has several important functions that benefit the capitalist structure: imparting capitalist ideology, and acting as a unit of consumption. Communism is a possible occurrence in Marxism, as this philosophy is believed to lead to dictatorship. Bourdieu claimed that the family reproduces social class inequalities in every generation through its children. Although historically the Marxist paradigm went into eclipse during the early twentieth century, the field has developed rapidly during recent years. Eventually, the bourgeois started to look for ways of creating intergenerational wealth, rather than having it distributed among the masses of society. This is just as important for an understanding of Marx as are The Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital. 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. 2. Strengths And Limitations Of Karl Marx's Conflict Theory. Lenin and philosophy and other essays (B. Brewster, Trans.). He argued that we went from an age of primitive communism to capitalism through the establishment of family norms such as private ownership and inheritance, and this was done through the oppression of women. teachers, employers and the state. Marxists believe that the ruling classes, known as the bourgeoisie, use the different institutions in society to maintain their position . It helped preserve capitalism by depositing wealth in a private family instead of passing it on to the community. But by examining its key strengths and weaknesses, we will be able to decide whether it is best for society or not. 2002-2023 Tutor2u Limited. of the users don't pass the Marxist Perspectives on the Family quiz! 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. Otherwise, love n affection makes a family strong and becomes a source of a fulfilling life. Here is also commentary on his ideas and cites the mentioned texts. Nie wieder prokastinieren mit unseren Lernerinnerungen. Stern, B. J. It acknowledges the influence of structural factors on the family. Marxist ideas illustrate the power of the economy in shaping relationships and ideas as well as offering a solution or alternative to society. Feminists argue that Marxists overlook the role of the family in maintaining gender inequalities. It creates a system of true equality. Due to these inequalities, Marxism sees society as being in constant conflict between these social classes. Fig. According to Engels, the nuclear family promotes inheritance and consequently intergenerational inequality. (1978). Zaretskys theory is clearly outdated: it assumes the worker is male and that there is only one worker in the family. No direction home: The American family and the fear of national decline, 1968-1980. It also ignores the other benefits that all family members may get from family life: the emotional support, comfort and generally the positive benefits. This is in parallel to the Functionalist Talcott Parsons warm bath theory (Tilly, 1978). In Zaretsky's view, the family works in the interests of capitalism. a spouse and children) that becomes a much more difficult decision. Best study tips and tricks for your exams. Limitations of Marxism: 1. ; In Zaretsky's view, the family also serves as a vital unit of consumption. Before Capitalism, traditional, tribal societies were classless and they practised a form of primitive communism in which there was no private property. That is to say, the family is an ideological agent, a puppet, of the ruling class. It socialises children into accepting capitalist ideologies and authority, which prepares them to accept control and exploitation in the workplace. Over 10 million students from across the world are already learning smarter. The division of labor was, for Marx, the very essence of all that is wrong with the world. Abstract. This is because it does not take into account the essential greediness and selfishness of the human being. The family reproduces the next generation of workers that will be exploited as labour power by the capitalist system. . disprove each other, how do parents support the children in teaching them right and wrong if both parents are working full time? A steady job can be a positive unless the . 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. This could include toys, tablets, and subscriptions to entertainment. 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. Under the Marxist philosophy, communities will be working together to achieve success, where all people would come together to provide for each other, with the help of the government distributing resources as required. Its fundamental argument is that capitalist society is based on inequalities between the 'bourgeoisie' (ruling capitalist class) and 'proletariat' (working class). Marxist studies of medical care emphasize political power and economic dominance in capitalist society. ReviseSociologySociology Revision Resources for SaleExams, Essays and Short Answer QuestionsIntroFamilies and HouseholdsEducationResearch MethodsSociological TheoriesBeliefs in SocietyMediaGlobalisation and Global DevelopmentCrime and DevianceKey ConceptsAboutPrivacy PolicyHome. , especially fathers, to prepare them to submit to authorities e.g. 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. Look at the following phrases, are they strengths of Marx's argument or weaknesses of Marxism. It does also consider that if a person is ill they cannot attend to other aspects of life e. education, family. The functionalist approach illustrates how a social institution can work at two different levels - both fulfilling the needs of each individual and meeting the needs of the whole society at the same time. While you are given a place to live as part of a community and contribute to the common good, you will have no private property ownership, which means that you might not have much control over your residence and your contributions. The strengths and weaknesses of this philosophy show some sets of benefits and drawbacks, creating a system of government that is prone to abuse, that is why Marx to fix its flaws. The Marxist perspective on the family is criticised generally and by other structural theories: More about Marxist Perspectives on the Family, Social Construction of Health and Illness, Representation of Social Class In The Media, Distribution of Wealth, Poverty, and Income in the UK, Theoretical Approaches to Welfare Providers. A strength of the functionalism theory is socialisation and how social order is achieved through it. 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. Indeed, Marxists have done little research to investigate whether members of families actually do have this relationship with capitalism. Earn points, unlock badges and level up while studying. Stop procrastinating with our study reminders. This perspective is a macro-level approach most identified with the writings of German philosopher and sociologist Karl Marx (1818-1883), who saw society as being made up of two classes, the bourgeoisie (capitalist) and the proletariat (workers), who must compete for . 2 Strengths. According to Engels, the nuclear family promotes inheritance and . In a communist society, there would be no need for a private family unit as there would be no private property. Universality is when one group takes power and seeks to justify it on the grounds that it represents "freedom for all.". Conflict theory looks at society as a competition for limited resources. 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. 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. A nuclear family refers to a traditional family structure consisting of a two-parent family with one or more children. There are two additional main factors that drive the family as a unit of consumption in the view of contemporary Marxists (Delphy, 1980): Families must keep up with the material goods and services acquired by neighbors and peers. In particular nuclear family is seen as an ideological apparatus (Marxists believe that this is any institution that is involved in the transmitting of the ruling-class e.g . While Marxists focus on the nuclear family by way of showing how it meets the needs of capitalism, Marxists ignore recent economic and educational changes which seem to have resulted in a radical change in how women think of their careers. How does the nuclear family serve the interests of the capitalist system? Why? The perspective recognises the impact of the family on women and the poor. If you are in doing business under Marxism, then basically, you would be working for the government, which means that are not going to work as an entrepreneur, freelancer or sole business owner because everything would run through the government. Conflict theory is a general term coving a number of sociological approaches, which appose functionalism, and which share the idea that the basic feature of all societies was the struggle between different groups for access to limited resources. It was a "proto-Marxism" suitable for criticizing positivist psychiatry but not for engaging in social change on a large scale. Overall weaknesses. LS23 6AD 1) Families must keep up with the material goods/services acquired by their neighbours and peers e.g. Such demands are created through targeted advertising from companies. Purchases parents make too advantageous for their children educationally. Violent and radical social change cannot be explained adequately by a theory that emphasizes consensus. In Engels view, the monogamous nuclear family emerged with capitalism. Evaluation of the Marxist Theory of the Family. The health system mirrors the society's class structure through control over health . We will start by recapping our knowledge of Marxism generally. Marxists such as Engels and Zaretsky acknowledge that women are exploited in marriage and family life, but they emphasise the relationship between capitalism and the family, rather than the family's effects on women. we have private and state schools which can make our education system unequal. StudySmarter is commited to creating, free, high quality explainations, opening education to all. 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. DATE. But when that worker has to also take dependents into account (e.g. they must create demand for their products. A family is a stable unit and institution that keeps society stable. In such societies, property was collectively owned, and the family structure reflected this there were no families as such, but tribal groups existed in a kind of promiscuous horde in which there were no restrictions on sexual relationships.Hunter-gatherer societies promiscuous hordes? 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. 1. It protects the rights of unions. Through mass media and advertising, families are influenced to compete through consumption. 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. , suggesting that it is functional and chosen by families. Team Player. Hi does anyone knows how to refer this website in Harvard system. Marxism relies on people to work hard just because they should and to forego the ability to get rich from their efforts. The New Right argues that there are benefits of the nuclear family, such as the support given to children by two parents. 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. We will look at the key terms presented by each Marxist. I was wondering if you have a list of your sources on this subject as well as the subject of Marxist Sociology in general. Marxists reject the functionalist view that society is based on value consensus and therefore operates for the benefit for all. Before reading this post, you might like to look at this summary of the key ideas of Marxism. 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. Its too deterministic it assumes people passively accept socialisation and family life, and that the future is pre-determined. They are exploited for unpaid domestic labour and for their ability to reproduce, which benefits men and capitalism respectively. Thus, the nuclear family served to benefit the bourgeois more than the proletariat. This type of feminism is based on the understandings of Marxism, proposed by Karl Marx and collaborator Friedrich Engels in the 19th century. The Marxist theory of crime has the benefit of a holistic view - it accounts for a range of deviant acts committed by people from different social backgrounds, with different motivations. Althusser argues that the family, as part of the superstructure of capitalist society, socializes children into norms and values that are useful to the capitalist ruling class. Engels theory is certainly not a very romantic take on marriage! They are exploited for unpaid domestic labour and for their ability to reproduce, which benefits men and capitalism respectively.
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