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). Feminist theory is a major branch within sociology. 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. Functionalists argue that Marxists hold an overly negative view of the family. 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 . Fig. Institutions generally work in the interests of the small, elite bourgeoisie class who have economic power or those of the much larger working class, or proletariat. aspiring to university education, due to their parents' own positive experiences. 2. Its 100% free. The strengths and weaknesses of Marx's analysis of Capitalism Marx and Engels believed that the monogamous nuclear family emerged from, and benefits, capitalism. This reinforces social class inequalities. It socialises children into accepting capitalist ideologies and authority, which prepares them to accept control and exploitation in the workplace. In theory, equality sounds great, seeing a lot of examples where people are treated fairly, but keep in mind that an individual is taken out of the scenario under Marxism. It was a "proto-Marxism" suitable for criticizing positivist psychiatry but not for engaging in social change on a large scale. Ignores family diversity in capitalist society, and that many women now work full time as wellandMarxism ignore the benefits of nuclear family e.g. It creates a system of true equality. SWOT Analysis of Your Family | coParenter Reading Capital (B. Brewster, Trans.). 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 . Ironically, when huge multi-nationals dominate the entire world economy, capital advocates would tell us that the future lies with small businesses or always state that Small is beautiful. DOCX Unit 2: Marxist theories - Qehs.net The Marxist perspective on the family focuses on the nuclear family and ignores other family types that exist in contemporary society. However, the weakness of the new right is that they are negatively influenced the government which makes benefits more difficult to get. Zaretsky claims that this economic function is a bourgeois ideology perpetuated to ensure families spend money and create profits for the bourgeoisie. It helps with capitalism. Team Player. Althusser, L., & Balibar, E. (1970). Weakness: The functionalist approach is too optimistic. We will look at the key terms presented by each Marxist. These children can then persuade their parents to buy more expensive items. (b) What new insight did slower reading help you gain? 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 perspective is overly deterministic and views individuals as too passive. 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. Marxist Feminist Perspectives on Family Life - ReviseSociology Delphy, C. (1980). For functionalists, society is seen as a system of social institutions such as the economy, religion and the family all of which perform socialisation . But when that worker has to also take dependents into account (e.g. This article has been fact checked by Saul Mcleod, a qualified psychology teacher with over 17 years' experience of working in further and higher education. London: New Left. In Zaretsky's view, the family works in the interests of capitalism. Marxists Perspective on the Family - Simply Sociology What is the relationship between families and consumption? How does the Marxist view of the family differ to that of functionalists? 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. This is because it does not take into account the essential greediness and selfishness of the human being. Johnson, D. P. (2008). Children are taught to obey their parents, especially fathers, to prepare them to submit to authorities e.g. Feminist theory aims to highlight the social problems and issues that are experienced by . Before Capitalism, traditional, tribal societies were classless and they practised a form of primitive communism in which there was no private property. 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. Marxists view the family in a very disparaging light and regard the family as a tool of capitalism and the bourgeoisie. Marxism is a challenging theory to understand therefore before you read anymore content on the Marxist view of the family it's best if you get a broader understanding of Marxism. Lastly, we'll look at French philosopher and sociologist Louis Althusser's views on the family. marxism - Advantages and disadvantages table in GCSE Sociology What are the weaknesses of Marxism? Terms in this set (10) Strength. Functionalism is a consensus perspective, whereby society is based on shared values and norms into which members are socialised. If capitalism is overthrown, women could be freed not just from the capitalist society but also the patriarchy. Feminists and Marxists say exploitation and inequality exist in many forms and that functionalism failed to acknowledge this meaning its views are outdated, which shows flaws in their approach and is therefore a weakness. This makes both the parents and children think the exploitation is 'normal' and creates false class consciousness. that the inequality between social classes is 'normal' and 'natural'. 4. Differences And Similarities Of Functionalism And Marxism Instead of smaller families, there were large groups of hunters and gatherers working together to survive. It tends to create a system of true equality. According to Engels, the nuclear family promotes inheritance and . 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. Rather than the modern nuclear family, family tribal groups existed in groups where there were no restrictions on sexual relationships. We'll start by looking at German philosopher Friedrich Engels' views on the family. Strengths and weaknesses of the functionalist approach of capitalism and its main function is to 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. Society does not have a life of its own (organic analogy), it is dependent on the . The word Fascist is taken from fascio, an Italian word which mean a tied bundle of sticks, fascio is used in . It acknowledges the influence of structural factors on the family. 39). 2. CRITICISMS OF THE MARXIST VIEW OF THE FAMILY - Help please. social inequalities. This means that the family serves not only an ideological function, but also an economic function. Marxist Perspectives on the Family: Definition | StudySmarter Set individual study goals and earn points reaching them. Workers who have families are also less likely to rebel against their bosses, such as by going on strike, because the loss of earnings could affect not only them, but also their dependents. A nuclear family refers to a traditional family structure consisting of a two-parent family with one or more children. According to Engels, the monogamous nuclear family only emerged with Capitalism. It includes a broad range of issues that women face within the criminal justice system and society. 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. 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. 4 - Bourdieu states that working-class children don't have adequate economic capital which means they cannot benefit from advantages such as enriching school trips. Tel: +44 0844 800 0085. Family strengths can also be their weaknesses. 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. He has been published in psychology journals including Clinical Psychology, Social and Personal Relationships, and Social Psychology. The perspective recognises the impact of the family on women and the poor. Cheering for the oppressed proletarian majority has had, and still has, many . A church may be supportive when you are married but have harsh rules about divorce. 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. What was the basic principle of Marxist theory? 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.