The Marxist perspective on the family

• Marxist assumptions:

  See capitalist society as based upon unequal conflict between the capitalist (ruling) class and the working class. They see all of society's institutions (education system, media, religion and family) as helping to maintain class inequality and capitalism. Then they see the functions of the family as purely benefitting the capitalist system; greatly contrasting functionalism, who see it as benefitting society as a whole and individual members of the family.
• Inheritance of property:

  Marxists argue mode of production (who owns and controls society's productive forces) determines the share of all social institutions. In modern society, capitalist class have control - as the means of production evolve, the family does too. Marx calls the earliest, classless society as 'primitive communism' - no private property, members owned production communally. At this stage, there was no 'family' as such, instead Engels calls it a 'promiscuous horde' with no restrictions of sexual relationships.
• Inheritance of property - private property (1):

  As forces of production have developed, society's wealth has increased which causes the development of private property, as a class evolved who could secure control of means of production. This change bought the patriarchal monogamous nuclear family
• Inheritance of property - private property (2):

  Engels - argues monogamy is essential as men had to be certain of the paternity of their children in order to ensure they were legitimate heirs. Claiming this represents a 'world historical defeat of the female sex' where women become a 'mere instrument for the production of children'. Arguing only an overthrow of capitalism and private ownership of production means will allow women liberation. In the classless society there won't be a need for the patriarchal family as there is no reason to transmit property down generations.
• Ideological functions:

  Ideology - a set of beliefs that justify inequality and maintain the capitalist system by persuading people to accept it as fair, natural or changeable. Family does this by socialising children into the idea that hierarchy and inequality are inevitable. Parental power over children accustoms them to the idea that someone is in charge, preparing them for working life in which they accept orders from their capitalist employers.
• Ideological functions - Zaretsky:

  Family also performs an ideological function by offering an apparent 'haven' from harsh and exploitative of capitalism, in which workers can 'be themselves' and have a private life. Though, Zaretsky argues that this is largely an illusion - the family cannot meet its members' needs. For example, it is based on the domestic servitude of women.
• A unit of consumption:

  Capitalism exploits the labour of the workers, making a profit by selling the products of their labour for more than it pays them to produce these commodities. The family therefore plays a major role in generating profits for capitalists, since it is an important market for the sale of consumer goods.
• A unit of consumption:

  Advertisers urge families to 'keep up with the Joneses' by consuming all the latest products.
• A unit of consumption:

  The media target children, who use 'pester power' to persuade parents to spend more.
• Children who lack the latest clothes or 'must have' gadgets are mocked and stigmatised by their peers.
• A unit of consumption:

  Marxists see the family as performing several functions that maintain capitalist society: the inheritance of private property, socialisation into acceptance of inequality, and a source of profits. While these may benefit capitalism, they do not benefit the members of the family.
• A03:


  Marxists tend to assume that the nuclear family is dominant in capitalist society. This ignores wide variety of family structures found in society today.
• A03:


  Feminists - emphasis on class and capitalism underestimates the importance of gender inequalities within the family. These are more fundamental than class inequalities and the family primarily serves the interests of men, not capitalism.
• A03:


  Functionalists - Argue Marxists ignore the very real benefits that the family provides for its members.