Marxist theory of the family

• Marxist views on the family

  • Families set you up to be a consumer of bourgeoisie products
  • Whatever a family owns, they pass it down to the next generation of their family
  • Families set you up to go to work and be a good worker, and offer you support when you have a bad day, and to get back on your feet
• engles (marxist)


  • Suggested that the family unit and monogamy evolved in response to the private ownership of property
  • Hiers to pass on property led to the control of sexual behaviours and the development of monogamous relationships
  • (-) feminists suggest that Engels sees the role of women and children as being influence solely by economics – patriarchal control is another factors
  • (-) little historical evidence of the “promiscuous hordes” that Engels describes as monogamy and pre-dating inheritance
  • (-) Adultery still exists and paternity is not certain even within a marriage
• boudieu (marxist)

  • argues that family is an important cause of social class differences that continue capitalism
  • children without cultural capital and social capital will suffer
• zaretsky theory

  • Marxist perspective of the role of the family in modern era
  • Family changed from being a unit of production to a unit of consumption
  • Family provides a ‘safe haven’ from alienating effects of capitalism
  • Family props up the capitalist system
• the family as a unit of consumption (Zaretsky)

  • In pre-industrial era the family was a unit of production – with all family members engaged in activities that contributed to family income
  • In the industrial era, urbanisation meant that families would often have to consume goods rather than produce them
  • In contemporary society families are rarely involved in production – more likely to be consumers of food, clothing etc
  • This reinforces the need for labour in order to purchase new goods and services
  • Links to changes in childhood, children no longer an economic asset but an economic liability
• the family as a 'safe haven'

  • Zaretsky argued that work in the modern era is labour intensive and unfulfilling for workers
  • Workers suffer alienation from not seeing the results of their labour
  • Home provides a ‘cushioning blow’ from the effects of capitalism- leaves worker refreshed and replenished for another days labour
  • Zaretsky suggested that family alone was not enough to satisfy the needs of workers
  • The concept of family being a safe haven is similar to Parsons ideas but the motives behind the two differ
• evaluation of zaretsky

  • focuses on economic functions of family – do people choose to have families based upon economic considerations
  • Focuses on consumption in contemporary society proves Zaretsky arguments about family propping up capitalist profits
  • Lack of focus on the female roles within the family – women absorbing the anger of the workers or being ‘the slaves of wage slaves’
• althusser - the ideological state apparatus

  • Controls the behaviours of the working class through social institutions such as family
  • Suggests the ways in which family life should be organised and this is passed through social institutions such as family
  • Policed through other agencies e.g., education, social services etc
  • (-) based on no research evidence
  • (-) how do we know families are influenced by the behaviour of the elites
  • (-) ignores the meanings that people assign to their own actions
• • women are seen as a reserve army of labour
  • men will go to work and be the breadwinners and women will be used as a reserve
  • expect women to do the house and emotional work
• Criticisms with marxist theory

  • tend to assume that the nuclear family is dominant in capitalist society
  • ignores the wide variety of family structures found in society
  • feminists argue that marxists emphasis on class and capitalism underestimates the importance of gender inequalities within the family
  • functionalists argue that marxists ignore the very real benefits that the family provides for its members