Outline and evaluate Marxist views of the role of the family in society [33]

• On the next slide is a plan for the Marxism essay.
It has headings of issues to cover, which are colour coded. On the 3rd slide are the arguments and evidence that fit into these headings.
• Move the evidence/arguments into the right sections on the plan.
• The colour of the headings matches the headings.
If you want to make it harder use the terms which are in black and white on the 4th slide.

Outline and evaluate Marxist views of the role of the family in society [33]
Outline
Marxist view of society:
Society is based upon the economic inequalities of the capitalist system where the rich (bourgeoisie) control the means of production
(big companies) and employ the working class (proletariat) at a lower wage than their labour deserves. They offer a conflict view.
View of the role of the family within society:
The family helps maintain the capitalist system in a number of ways- socialisation of children, gender roles and by being a unit of consumption. How does the nuclear family emerge?
Engels- the nuclear family emerges to help solve the problem of inheritance in bourgeoisie families. It does this by controlling the bodies of women e.g. making sure people have monogamous relationships. Evaluation
Functionalist view of society:
Society is based upon a value consensus (agreement of shared patterns of behaviour and beliefs). They offer a consensus view, seeing society as a positive thing.
View of the role of the family within society:
Within an organic analogy of society, which sees it as a body the family is the heart. It is what helps to shape other institutions due to socialisation, gender roles and its economic role.
How does the nuclear family emerge?
Murdock- its universal- the nuclear family has been present in all societies historically
Parsons- it emerges with industrialisation because it is the ‘best fit’e.g. its easy to move around and suits the needs of the society better.

View of primary socialisation:
Zaretsky- children are socialised into a false class consciousness e.g. to accept their position in an unequal society because they don’t know any different

Parsons- one of the 2 basic and irreducible functions (things only the nuclear family can do). Necessary to teach children norms and values.

View of gender roles:

Murdock- one of his 4 functions- education. It’s a necessary role (in addition to economic, sexual, reproductive).

Engels- control of women in the family means they are little more than ‘glorified prostitutes’- there to support the desires of their husbands. Zaretsky- women as housewives are being used as free labour by the capitalist system.
Men feel alienated at work (unhappy/cut off) their home life allows them to feel like they have control. Women act as their ‘safety valve’ so that men can take their frustrations out on them.

View of primary socialisation:

View of gender roles:
Parsons- men and women’s roles are necessary and based on biological differences. Men as instrumental (breadwinners), women as expressive
(home makers).
Other evaluation:
Postmodernists- Alan Crow- families are now based on choice, they don’t go through clear lifecycles.
Radical feminists- Marxism doesn’t go far enough in explaining the exploitation of women in the home- Ansley ‘ women are the takers of shit’
Marxists overemphasise the role of the economy in shaping the lives of people Parsons- men and women’s roles are necessary and based on biological differences. Men as instrumental (breadwinners), women as expressive
(home makers).

Society is based upon a value consensus (agreement of shared patterns of behaviour and beliefs). They offer a consensus view, seeing society as a positive thing.

The family helps maintain the capitalist system in a number of ways- socialisation of children, gender roles and by being a unit of consumption. Marxists overemphasise the role of the economy in shaping the lives of people Murdock- one of