Evaluation

• Why is Marxism not important for understanding society today

  .only looks at the economical factors and over looks gender and ethnicity

  .Neo-Marxists have criticised Marx for economic determinism ,they claim this ignores the impact of other significant factors on behaviour and beliefs such as culture and media

  .Class systems within capitalist societies have changed rapidly —> growth of middle class
• Why is Marxism important for understanding society today?

  .National and global inequalities can be explained through a Marxist analysis (eg exploitations)
• Does social class have a big impact on our lives and society

  .No as Marxism is essential in understanding social class and its impact on people access to wealth and power

  .No as lots of evidence suggests social class has a big impact on health,education and poverty rates

  .Yes as postmodernists argue class is becoming less important to people

  .Yes-false class consciousness can be criticised as people do not realise they’re oppressed
• What are some strengths to the Marxist perspective of the family.

  .It recognises the darker sides of family life,and it’s dysfunctions

  .It identifies the ways in which women are exploited by capitalism in their roles as ‘producers of children’

  .Shows they ways in which family’s act as consumers

  .Relevant to our materialistic culture and socialising children into it(eg pester power)
• What are some weaknesses of the Marxist perspective of the family.

  .Functionalists argue Marxists ignore the real benefits and positive contributions of the family

  .Feminists argue that Marxists underestimate the importance of gender in shaping people’s experience of family