Transcript Access lesson 2 - Marxist and feminist theories on the familyhot!

The Family
Marxist and
Feminist
perspectives
Lesson 2
Last week
• We looked at the key
features of the family
• Changes in the structure
of the family
• Functionalist perspective
This week
We will look at:
• Marxist and Feminist theory on the
family
• Strengths and weaknesses
Recap
• Key features of the family
– The family is seen by many sociologists as
the cornerstone of society.
– Some form of family can be found in all
societies.
– Socio-biology saw the family as an
inevitable outcome of biological evolutionary
process (Murdock, 1949).
Task 1
Name 3 changes in family structure.
Task 2
Name 2 changes
in the sociological
study of the family.
Task 3
Name the key
types of families
recognised by
sociologists
Task 4 - Functionalist theory
• What do we call this
idea?
The__________analogy
Task 5 Talcott Parsons (1959)
• Industrialisation means a shift from extended to
“isolated nuclear family”.
• The family serves two “basic and irreducible”
functions
1) __________________of children
2) __________________of adult personalities
Summary
• Functionalists see the family as a central
institution in society.
• It performs essential social functions such
as raising children.
• The family is seen as an important source
of security and satisfaction for its members.
Task 6 – last one!
• Can you remember strengths and
weakness of this theory?
Functionalist
theory on the
Family
Marxist theory
• Marxists argue that the
economy influences the
family and changes family
functions, structure and
roles
• Marxists also see the
negative influence of the
family maintaining
inequality of social class
Engels’ (1884)
“The Origin of the Family”
• As the mode of production changed, so did the
family
• The family did not really exist during early
stages of human evolution when the means of
production were communally owned
• Primitive communist society was promiscuous,
thus society was in effect the family
Monogamous nuclear family
• The emergence of private property/private
ownership of MOP & advent of the State
ushered in monogamous nuclear family
• The state instituted laws to the protect system
of private property & enforce rules of
monogamous marriage
• The nuclear family developed to solve problems
of inheritance of private property.
Control over women
• Property was owned by males to
pass on to heirs. There was need
to ensure the legitimacy of heirs.
• This resulted in greater control of
women so questions of paternity
of offspring would cease.
• The monogamous family
provided most efficient device for
this purpose.
In Engels words:
It is based on the supremacy of the
man, the express purpose being to
produce children of undisputed paternity:
such paternity is demanded because
these children are later to come into their
father’s property as his natural heirs.
(Engels, 1972, first published 1884)
Engels’ Conclusion
• The bourgeios nuclear family emerged with
capitalism
• It is patriarchical – it is designed to guarantee
and perpetuate male power through the
inheritance of property
• It therefore serves the interests of capitalism
Eli Zaretsky (1976)
• Zaretsky claimed the family “props
up” capitalism
• The capitalist system is based on
the domestic labour of housewives
who reproduce future generations of
workers
• The family is a vital unit of
consumption – it consumes the
products of capitalism and enables
the bourgeoisie to make profits.
Oppression of women
• The nuclear family is a product of capitalism
because it produces children who become the
work force and are obedient to their capitalist
employers.
• Women are seen as victims of oppression,
offering cheap childcare and only being
encouraged to work when the economy
demands it.
Women as a reserve army of labour
Women are moved in and out of the labour force
as the need demands e.g. Women in World War
II
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiYbNViJFl0
But after the war…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVtgEgw15m
Q
Productive and reproductive labour
Productive labour
• Produces things - and
therefore surplus value
Reproductive Labour
• Produces people not things
– so no surplus value
• Is given a monetary value • Is given no monetary
value
• Qualifies for sick pay and
holiday leave
• Does not qualify for sick
pay and holiday leave
But here’s the rub!
• Productive labour cannot take
place without reproductive
labour being done.
• Someone has to look after
children, tend to sick children
and relatives, buy food and
supplies, put them in cupboards,
wash and put away clothes etc.
Task – in pairs
• What kinds of reproductive labour have been
done to enable you to leave the house this
morning?
• Did you do this labour yourself or was some of
shared/done exclusively by other family
members?
• Be honest!
Marxists say the family serves
capitalism in 4 ways
1. The family socialises children – thereby
reproducing both labour power and an
acceptance of capitalism (false consciousness).
2. Women’s domestic work is unpaid which
benefits capitalism.
3. The family acts as a safety valve for the
stresses and frustrations of working class men.
4. The family as a unit of consumption buys the
goods and services provided by capitalism.
Strengths
1. Marxists have highlighted the economic
functions of the family within modern
capitalism – how the family is exploited by the
capitalist system.
2. They have also highlighted how women are
exploited as free domestic labour and a source
of cheap part-time and or temporary labour.
Weaknesses
1) Marxists fail to recognise the
diverse nature of family structures
e.g. the growth of single-parent families
– tripled from 2% of UK households in
1961 to 7% in 2003.
Weaknesses
2) Marxists place too much emphasis on the
economic system as a determinant of the
family and neglecting other factors
e.g. religion and ethnicity
Weaknesses
3) Marxists fail to accept any positive or
beneficial elements of the family
e.g. experiments in alternatives to the
nuclear family have proved disastrous i.e.
Kibbutz system in Israel was criticised for
stifling creativity amongst children.
Summary
• Both theories agree that the family serves
the economy
• Functionalist theory sees the family as a
positive unit
• Marxist theory sees the family as an
ideological tool for reproducing inequality
Task
• Put this information on a mind map so
you remember it:
Marxist theory on the family
To the books!
• We will now look at the feminist
perspective on the family.
• Homework for next week
– Describe the key features and changes in the
family
– Describe and evaluate the functionalist and
Marxist theory of the family = 16 marks.
Clip...if there’s time
• Nice reminder on the different sociological
perspectives on the family
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Md_OZ
7JSmFM