MARXISM AND THE FAMILY

Question 1

WHAT DOES ENGELS SAY ABOUT THE FAMILY?

Answer 1

-SAYS THAT THE NUCLEAR FAMILY IS THE RESULT OF MEN WANTING TO ENSURE THAT THEY PASSED THEIR PROPERTY’S ONTO RIGHTFUL HEIRS SINCE DNA TESTING DIDNT EXIST. SO THE ONLY WAY FOR MEN TO KNOW IF THERE CHILDREN WERE LEGITIMATE WAS TO GET MARRIED AND THE NUCLEAR FAMILY WAS CREATED

• SAYS THAT THE RISE OF THE MONOGAMOUS NUCLEAR FAMILY MARKED A DEFEAT FOR WOMEN BECAUSE IT BROUGHT FEMALE SEXUALITY UNDER MALE CONTROL AND TURNED HER INTO AN INSTRUMENT FOR THE PRODUCTION OF CHILDREN. WOMEN WERE INCREASINGLY CONFINED TO THE HOME AND EXCLUDED FOR THE WORKPLACE
• THE HUSBAND IS THE BOURGEOISIE AND THE WIFE IS THE PROLETARIAT

Question 2

HOW CAN ENGELS BE CRITICISED?

Answer 2

• ECONOMICALLY REDUCTIONIST-HIS WORK HIS FACTUALLY INCORRECT AND MONOGAMY AND NUCLEAR FAMILIES ARE FOUND IN NON-CAPITALIST SOCIETIES

Question 3

WHAT DOES ZARETSKY SAY ABOUT THE FAMILY?

Answer 3

• SAYS THAT THE FAMILY IS A UNIT OF CONSUMPTION-
• CAPITALISM EXPLOITS THE LABOUR OF WORKERS BY SELLING THE PRODUCTS OF THEIR LABOUR FOR MORE THAN IT PAYS THEM TO PRODUCE IT
• ADVERTISERS URGE FAMILIES TO KEEP UP WITH THE LATEST PRODUCTS
  -THE MEDIA TARGETS CHILDREN WHO USE ‘PESTER POWER’ TO PERSUADE PARENTS TO SPEND MORE
  -CHILDREN WHO LACK THE LATEST PRODUCTS ARE MOCKED BY THEIR PEERS

Question 4

WHAT DOES ZARETSKY SAY ABOUT CAPITALISM AND PERSONAL LIFE?

Answer 4

-SAYS THAT IN A CAPITALIST SOCIETY THE FAMILY CREATES THE ILLUSION THAT PRIVATE LIFE IS SEPERATE FROM THE ECONOMY
- SAYS THAT IN A SOCIETY WHERE WORK IS ALIENATING, THE FAMILY IS PUT ON A PEDESTAL BECAUSE IT OFERS SATISFACTIONS UNAVAILABLE OUTSIDE THE HOME SUCH AS EMOTIONAL SUPPORT
- SAYS THAT THE FAMILY IS UNABLE TO PROVIDE FOR THE PERSONAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS OF INDIVIDUALS AND ONLY CUSHIONS THE EFFECTS OF CAPITALISM

• SAYS THAT THE CAPITALIST SYSTEM IS RUN ON THE DOMESTIC LABOUR OF HOUSEWIVES WHO PRODUCE THE NEXT GENERATION OF WORKERS

Question 5

-WHAT DOES ALTHUSSER SAY ABOUT THE FAMILY?

Answer 5

• SAYS THAT THE FAMILY PERFORMS IDEOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS FOR CAPITALISM
• SAYS THE THE BOURGEOISIE CONTROLS THE FAMILY IN 2 WAYS
  1-REPRESSIVE STATE APPARATUS(RSA)- USING FORCE OR THREATENING THE USE OF FORCE THROUGH THE POLICE AN ARMY
  2-IDEOLOGICAL STATE APPARATUS(ISA)- CONTROLLING HOW PEOPLE THINK, INSTITUTIONS MAKE US SEE CAPITALISM AS FAIR NATURAL AND UNCHANGABLE AND THEREFORE WE DONT SEE IT AS EXPLOITATIVE
• THIS IS ALSO DONE BY SOCIALISING CHILDREN INTO THE IDEA THAT HEIRACHY AND INEQUALITY ARE INEVITABLE, THEY ARE SOCIALISED TO BELIEVE THAT THERE WILL ALWAYS BE SOMEONE IN CHARGE WHICH PREPARES THEM FOR THE WORK PLACE WHERE THEY WILL HAVE TO ANSWER TO A BOSS

Question 6

WHAT DOES HOTHSCHILD SAY ABOUT THE FAMILY?(EMOTIONAL LIFE,COMMODIFICATION AND ALIENATION)

Answer 6

• SAYS THAT EVERY ASPECT OF LIFE IS COMMODIFIED( TURNED INTO SOMETHING THAT CAN BE SOLD)
  -IN RECENT TIMES EMOTIONAL LIFE HAS BECOME COMMODIFIED, THIS MEANS THAT THINGS THAT WERE ONCE SEEN AS PERSONAL AND SEPARATE FROM ECONOMIC LIFE HAS BECOME COMMODIFIED E.G DATING APPS AND BECAUSE OFB THIS PEOPLE HAVE BECOME ALIENATED FROM EMOTIONAL ATTACHMENT TO OTHERS

-ALIENATION INVOLVES A SENSE OF DETACHMENT FROM SOMETHING, CAPITALISM CREATES ALIENATION BECAUSE WORKERS DONT OWN THE PRODUCTS OF THEIR OWN LABOUR HOTHSCHILD SAYS THAT THIS LEADS TO PEOPLE BEING ALIENATED FROM FAMILY