Marxist views of the family Cambridge IGCSE Sociology revision
Not started
Learn it
In plain words
Marxists agree with functionalists that the family does important jobs. They just think the jobs are done for the wrong boss. In their view, the family keeps capitalism supplied with workers, shoppers and obedience.
8 things to know
- Marxists see the family as serving the interests of capitalism and the ruling class, not those of its members.
- The family benefits capitalism by raising the next generation of workers at no cost to employers, and by keeping today's workers fed, rested and fit for work.
- Exploitation of family members: the unpaid work done in the home, mostly by women, supports the economy for free. And a worker with a family to feed cannot easily risk losing wages by going on strike.
- Reproduction of class inequalities: wealthy families pass on property, money and contacts to their children, and pay for the best education. Poor families have nothing to pass on. So each generation ends up in the class of the one before.
- The family as a unit of consumption: families buy what capitalism produces, such as houses, cars and toys. Advertising is aimed at families, and at children who then put pressure on their parents.
- The family and ideological control: children learn at home to obey their parents and accept that somebody is in charge. This prepares them to obey employers later.
- Marxists also see the comfort of family life as a safety valve. Workers' frustration is soaked up at home when it might have been turned against their employers.
- Criticism. Marxists ignore the real love and support that people find in families. They say little about gender inequality. They assume that people accept ruling-class ideas without question.
Worked example
An advert shows children begging their parents for an expensive toy. Explain how a Marxist would interpret it.
- The family is being targeted as a unit of consumption.
- Children are used to put pressure on parents to buy.
- Parents must work longer and harder to afford what the family "needs".
- Capitalism gains twice: from the sale, and from workers who cannot afford to stop working.
Tips and tricks
- Functionalists and Marxists both say the family supports adults. Functionalists call it a warm bath, which is good for all. Marxists call it a safety valve, which is good for capitalism.
- Keep the word "capitalism" in every Marxist point. The question is always how the family helps the system, not just what it does.
It lands in your notebook with its questions as flashcards.
Marxist views of the family: 5 questions and answers
These are the quiz’s questions. Do the quiz first, then come back here for the ones that got you.
Who does the family benefit, according to Marxists?
The family serves the system.
What does "reproduction of class inequalities" mean?
Advantage and disadvantage are passed down.
How does the family act as ideological control?
Obedience at home prepares for obedience at work.
Which is a criticism of the Marxist view?
People do get real benefits from family life.
Why might having a family make a worker less likely to go on strike?Stretch
Responsibility for dependants makes workers easier to control.
Quiz
5 questions
Tap an answer and you’ll see straight away whether it’s right, and why.
Worksheet
3 questions, 10 marks. Write your answers on paper, then check them.
Marxist views of the family
Cambridge IGCSE Sociology 0495 · 10 marks · papermunch.org
Name ______________________________ Date ______________
What is meant by the family as a "unit of consumption"?[2]
Show answerHide answer
The family as a group that buys the goods and services that capitalism produces.
Describe two ways in which the family benefits capitalism, according to Marxists.[4]
Show answerHide answer
Any two, each described: it raises the next generation of workers at no cost to employers; unpaid domestic work keeps current workers fit to work; it buys goods as a unit of consumption; it teaches children to obey authority; it passes wealth down within the ruling class.
Explain how the family reproduces class inequality.[4]
Show answerHide answer
Wealthy families pass on property and money through inheritance. They can pay for private education and use their contacts to help their children. Children of poor families inherit none of this. So children tend to stay in the social class of their parents.
Answers: Marxist views of the family
- 1. The family as a group that buys the goods and services that capitalism produces.
- 2. Any two, each described: it raises the next generation of workers at no cost to employers; unpaid domestic work keeps current workers fit to work; it buys goods as a unit of consumption; it teaches children to obey authority; it passes wealth down within the ruling class.
- 3. Wealthy families pass on property and money through inheritance. They can pay for private education and use their contacts to help their children. Children of poor families inherit none of this. So children tend to stay in the social class of their parents.