Inheritance of Property

• The key factor determining the shape of all social institutions is the mode of production - whom owns and controls society’s productive forces. In modern society, it is the capitalist class and as the mode of production evolves, so does the family.
• • Earliest, classless society = ‘Primitive Communism’
  • There was no private property, but all members of society owned the means of production
  • There existed ‘promiscuous horde’ or tribe, with no restrictions on sexual relations (Friedrich Engels)
• As the forces of production develop, society’s wealth increased, which also came with the development of private property; a class of men emerged, who were able to secure control of the means of production → Patriarchal Monogamous Nuclear Family
• Engel believes that monogamy became essential because of the inheritance of private properties → Men had to be certain of the paternity of their children (Legitimate heir)
• The rise of monogamous nuclear family represented a “world historical defeat of the female sex” → Women’s sexuality were under the control of men and they became instruments for the production of children
• • Marxist argue that only with the overthrow of capitalism and private ownership of the means of production will women achieve liberation from patriarchal control
  • A classless society will be established in which the means of production are owned collectively