Marxist Views on Family (WJEC Eduqas GCSE Sociology): Revision Note

Marxist views of the family

• Unlike functionalism, the Marxist perspective is critical of the nuclear family

  • Marxists, in contrast to functionalists, believe that the family socialises children into accepting the values of capitalism

• Marxists argue that social inequality is passed down from one generation to the next primarily through the family as:

  • the bourgeoisie are able to pass on their wealth to family members, maintaining the social class system

  • educational advantages are passed down through families, e.g., only wealthy people can afford to send their children to expensive private schools

  • working-class people may learn to accept their subordinate position in capitalist society and see the system as fair through socialisation

Key thinker: Zaretsky (1976)

• Marxist Zaretsky (1976) argues that the family was a unit of production before the early 19th century

  • During the early days of the textile industry, every member of the family produced cloth at home

• Work and family life became increasingly separated with the rise of industrial capitalism and factory-based production

  • The family and the economy are now seen as two separate spheres:

    • The private sphere

    • The public sphere

• Women became in charge of the family's personal relationships and welfare as a result of the division of work and home

  • However, Zaretsky thought that families could only serve as a buffer against the negative effects of capitalism, not as a source of emotional support

• The family serves the interests of capitalism:

  • The family has an economic function

    • Women carry out unpaid labour within the home, e.g. child-rearing and housework

    • Women work for the capitalist system for free by keeping workers fed and clothed

    • Domestic labour is devalued, as it is viewed as separate from the world of work

  • The role of the family is to reproduce labour

    • The bourgeois family passes down its private property from one generation to the next

    • The proletarian family reproduces the labour force by producing future generations of exploited workers

  • The family is a vital unit of consumption

    • Families buy and consume the products of capitalism and enable the bourgeoisie to make profits

    • For instance, children are frequently the target of advertising, which encourages them to put pressure on their parents to buy expensive items

• Zaretsky believes that only socialism can end the separation of family and public life and make it possible for people to be personally fulfilled

Criticisms of Zaretsky and the Marxist perspective

• Postmodernist critique

  • Postmodernists argue that the family is not simply a tool of capitalism

  • They suggest that family consumption can be enjoyable, offering choice, comfort, and pleasure, as well as a good standard of living

  • This challenges the Marxist idea that family life only serves the needs of the capitalist system

• Positive experiences of family life

  • Many people report being happy and fulfilled within their families

  • They see marriage, love, and having children as valuable personal goals

  • Marxists ignore the emotional satisfaction and stability that families can provide to individuals

• Alternative agents of capitalist control

  • Critics argue that other social institutions, particularly the education system and the mass media, now play a greater role in serving capitalism

  • These institutions are more influential in shaping values and maintaining conformity than the family, making the Marxist focus too narrow and outdated

• Feminist critique

  • Feminists criticise Marxists for working with an outdated model of the traditional nuclear family with a male breadwinner and a female housewife

  • This ignores family diversity, such as lone-parent, reconstituted, same-sex, and cohabiting families, which can also function effectively in society

• Functionalist critique

  • Functionalists disagree with Marxists, viewing the family as a positive institution that benefits both individuals and society.

  • They argue that the nuclear family meets emotional needs and supports the smooth functioning of industrial society, rather than exploiting its members