Anna Warburton

Asses the Marxist view that the main role of the family is to serve the interests of capitalism.

There are many different types of perspectives in sociology particularly regarding the family. One view point being Marxist, all started by Karl Marx, they view the family in a negative, critical manor. They believe the family is an institution which is in place to maintain the position of the ruling class (bourgeoisie), and that the main role of the family is to serve the interests of capitalism.

The Marxist take a capitalistic approach on society this shows an unequal divide in the economic system. Karl Marx emphasises how the upper and middles classes (bourgeoisie) exploit the working class (proletariat) and their labour. In regards to the upper and middle class the working class as seen as a tool to generate profit via exploiting their labour. While the upper classes gain profit from the working classes labour they simply earn a wage. Marxism argues that the upper class nuclear family is necessary due to property and business inheritance, the men needed to know their children in order to pass their property/business on. This system was creates to control women and property giving males a dominating role through inheritance.
Marxist state that one of the families functions is to socialise within the ruling class ideology. The family is seen as an institute that obeys and maintains the position of the ruling class. The state that the family class is split into two categories; a powerful ruling class dominated by upper and middle class families and the second category being the working class. They enforce the norms and values of the ruling class simply to benefit the ruling class. Marxists also argue that another of the family’s main functions is reproduction, they believe that reproduction is vital to reproduce a new work force. They have children and bring them up to socialise in the ruling class ideology.
Freidrich Engels argues that a monogamous nuclear family has become vital in society as men had to be certain of their offspring to guarantee that their legitimate heir inherits the property from them. In Engels eyes this made for a ‘historical defeat for the females’ as men had greater control over women and were seen as just an object to provide offspring to become an heir to the inheritance. Marxist say that woman will never receive freedom from patriarchal control with the way of capitalism and private ownership nearby. Another point that Marxist point out is that families socialise children in to an idea of hierarchy and inequality. An example of this is when parent’s power over children making them accustom to the idea that there is always someone above or better than them and they will have to obey there orders. This leads them to the working life where you work under capitalists and accept orders from capitalist employers. So they prepare for your working life which benefits the capitalists. In addition, Eli Zaretsky argues that the family also acts as a support to the capitalist system. They benefit from the unpaid labour done by women and children within the family, and the worker is refreshed daily from the rest and comfort they receive from their home. Therefore they are