Functionalists argue that Marxists hold an overly negative view of the family. "Wow," said Ms. Gage, "just listen to those African drummers!". 2 - The nuclear family structure allows for the inheritance of private property, which reproduces social class inequalities. Advantages. It protects the rights of unions. The term 'economic capital' refers to money and resources, often denoting disposable income or material possessions. Fig. Next, we will look at several Marxist perspectives, including those of Engels, Zaretsky, Bourdieu and Althusser. The Marxist Perspective on The Family - ReviseSociology Strengths and Weaknesses of the Marxism Theory - EDUZAURUS Due to this, middle-class children are more likely to succeed academically and beyond. Company Reg no: 04489574. 1. the functions of the family from a functionalist, Marxist and feminist perspective. Will you pass the quiz? Bourdieu argued that all of the above factors mean that working-class children have a 'cultural deficit'. The strengths and weaknesses of Marx's analysis of Capitalism 2. As a result, the theory can discourage immoral acts of abortion, which has . 1. Have view that women should themselves go against sex discrimination. The reason it does this is because one of the key features of Marxism is to have everyone be fully equal - and religion would meddle in that aspect as it automatically puts some people in superiority or inferiority of others within the religion. Rather than exploiting managers, Marxism encourages unions to stand up for personal rights, creating a system of checks and balances for a maximum production level to be achieved. Feminists would point out that sex inequalities exist within all families, irrespective of social class background. Thus, there is no material benefit for the family itself, only for the capitalist structure. They also weaken the position of individual workers in relation to the boss. This is also referred to as 'keeping up with the Joneses'. Resultantly, a small percentage of women are housewives. maintain capitalism and reinforce 10 Marxism Strengths and Weaknesses | Flow Psychology Althusser, L., & Balibar, E. (1970). Marxist Feminism: Definition & Theory - Simply Sociology Fig. Assess the strengths and weaknesses of the functionalist view on society. Strengths and Weaknesses of Symbiotic Interactionism. 1. Fact checkers review articles for factual accuracy, relevance, and timeliness. These can include things that make life in a capitalist system bearable, such as things that fulfill a need for distraction. Abstract. Symbiotic Interactionism is one of the sociological theories which focus on the relationships and individual perspectives of people. I was wondering if you have a list of your sources on this subject as well as the subject of Marxist Sociology in general. Reliable. Here are its strengths and weaknesses: List of Strengths of Marxism. Violent and radical social change cannot be explained adequately by a theory that emphasizes consensus. Engels doesn't cater for family diversity. Strengths and weaknesses of religious theories by Durkheim, Marx, and Freud. Ironically, when huge multi-nationals dominate the entire world economy, capital advocates would tell us that the future lies with small businesses or always state that Small is beautiful. Clearly family must be about more than what happens to your money when you die. Study notes, videos, interactive activities and more! For example: Husbands are taught to obey their employers and other authorities. well thanks info is quite simple but qualitative. Despite some experiments with communal living and alternative households immediately after the Russian Revolution, people have continued to live in family groups in communist countries too. Marxism is a sociological conflict theory that originates from the work of Karl Marx. The strength of the new right is that it views the nuclear family into having positive aspects. Media and companies target children through advertising. However, the weakness of the new right is that they are negatively influenced the government which makes benefits more difficult to get. Cultural capital refers to the 'right' knowledge, understanding, and attitudes towards culture and cultural history. Purchases parents make too advantageous for their children educationally. Marxists argue that the nuclear family performs ideological functions for Capitalism the family acts as a unit of consumption and teaches passive acceptance of hierarchy. (b) What new insight did slower reading help you gain? It suggests that family life. Radical Feminism: Its Pros and Cons - SlideShare Instead, property was collectively owned, and this was reflected in family structures. Strengths and weaknesses of the functionalist approach Something else Marxists suggest about the family (like the Functional Fit theory) is that the family type generally changes with society more specifically, the nuclear family emerges not because of the needs of industrialisation, but because of the needs of the capitalist system. These alternative conceptions of the family are outside of Marxist analysis of the nuclear family (Thompson, 2014). 18-11-22 - Marxist Perspective of Health - StuDocu Marxist views of the family | sociologytwynham.com For example, children learn obedience and respect for those in authority within the family. One way in which this happens is that there is a hierarchy in most families which teaches children to accept there will always be someone in authority who they must obey, which then mirrors the hierarchy of boss-worker in paid employment in later life. Before capitalism, traditional and tribal societies were classless and did not have private property. This could be for the whole family sick as a new car or parents giving their children high-status clothes or electronics. Feminist theory is a major branch within sociology. The Family & Social Structure | Revision World As is often the case, there are similarities between the functionalist and Marxist case: they both think that families perform important functions for the society as it is . Marxist View Of The Family - Sociology Resource - Tutor Hunt The Marxist perspective on the family focuses on the nuclear family and ignores other family types that exist in contemporary society. (1978). Next, we'll look at American professor Eli Zaretksy's views on the family. As a result, the Marxist perspective does not give a full understanding of the role of the family. Scholars have also argued that Marxism presents people with an oversocialized view of humans, seeing socialization as a one-way process where children are imbued with capitalist culture. If capitalism is overthrown, women could be freed not just from the capitalist society but also the patriarchy. While you are given a place to live as part of a community and contribute to the common good, you will have no private property ownership, which means that you might not have much control over your residence and your contributions. Talcott Parsons claims that the family has positive functions, such as providing a 'safe haven' and place of comfort for its members. Essay plan on the Marxist perspective on the family, Marxist Feminist Perspectives on the Family. Strengths and Weaknesses of Marxism views on the family Flashcards . Institutions generally work in the interests of the small, elite bourgeoisie class who have economic power or those of the much larger working class, or proletariat. An interesting variation on Parsons warm bath theory, Zaretsky argued that family life gave proletarian men something they could control and a space where they could be the boss. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Marxism is a challenging theory to understand therefore before you read anymore content on the Marxist view of the family it's best if you get a broader understanding of Marxism. Contemporary sociological theory. 2002-2023 Tutor2u Limited. Companies build demand for their products through targeted advertising to children, who request expensive products from their parents. Communism is a possible occurrence in Marxism, as this philosophy is believed to lead to dictatorship. 5. A family is a stable unit and institution that keeps society stable. An isolated nuclear family means that men can confirm whether a child belongs to them and ensure that wealth remains in the family through private inheritance. Worth noting that Capitalist power structures and labour relations are foreign concepts to early humans, so it reproducing capitalist power structures are necessary in order to hijack ones human nature per se (pre-agricultural societies were largely collective), therefore rationalizing it or conditioning consumers. Assess the strengths and weaknesses of Marx's analysis of Capitalism Marxism is a critique of Capitalism that had its greatest strength in its argument against human isolation and tyranny. Stop procrastinating with our study reminders. The Marxist perspective ignores family diversity in capitalist society, the nuclear family is no longer the main type of family. Conflict theory is a general term coving a number of sociological approaches, which appose functionalism, and which share the idea that the basic feature of all societies was the struggle between different groups for access to limited resources. For decades, the leading philosopher and one of Europe's most famous atheists, Jrgen Habermas has emphasized the need for moral development in the West. For example, the latest phone will become obsolete, or even nonfunctional, a few years after it is purchased and clothing tends to go frequently in and out of fashion. But by examining its key strengths and weaknesses, we will be able to decide whether it is best for society or not. Here are its strengths and weaknesses: 1. However, a counter-argument to that is that Parsons himself suggested that the nuclear family evolved to suit an industrial economy (as well consider in the next section) which could be said to back the idea that it is a feature of capitalism rather than all societies. Zaretsky believes that the nuclear family has several important functions that benefit the capitalist structure: imparting capitalist ideology, and acting as a unit of consumption. As you can see, it would not allow anyone to be an individual, which is believed to lead to a dangerous society without anybody being motivated. The difference is that Marxists disagree with the way society is currently constituted. Stern, B. J. 3. Marxist-feminist Fran Ansley argues that men unload their stress and anger towards the capitalist system on women, which leads to domestic violence. This means that the family serves not only an ideological function, but also an economic function. Marxian Economics: Definition, Theories, Vs. Classical - Investopedia Instead they argue . Creative. However, Zaretsky believed that the family allowed the breadwinner man to feel in control and strong, which they did not feel at work due to the oppression of the bourgeoisie capitalist class. Marxism asserts that workers cannot unite if they are divided, and he talks in great deal about the plight of women. The powerful social class, the bourgeoisie, exploits the weaker social class, the proletariat. The division of labor pits man against his fellow man; it creates class differences; it destroys the unity of the human race. Stop procrastinating with our smart planner features. The health system mirrors the society's class structure through control over health . I cant find the author. All in all, some of Marxism' s most important . Religion According to Sigmund Freud - Verywell Mind Marxists also say functionalist fail to explain conflict and change within society as it is shown as harmonious. London: New Left. Thus, the nuclear family is only beneficial to capitalism and the ruling class. Zaretskys theory is clearly outdated: it assumes the worker is male and that there is only one worker in the family. However, with the emergence of Capitalism in the 18th Century, society and the family changed. The major weakness of Marxism is that it does not seem to work in the real world. Thus, the nuclear family served to benefit the bourgeois more than the proletariat. Conflict theory strengths and weaknesses. Strengths And Limitations Before Capitalism, traditional, tribal societies were classless and they practised a form of primitive communism in which there was no private property. The vast majority of tribes in Africa and Asia are patriarchal, with women being barred from owning property, having no political power, and having to do most of the child care and hard physical labour. Hard Working. As a result, teachers may not value or assess them as highly as middle-class children. , such as providing a 'safe haven' and place of comfort for its members. There are significant amounts of advertising and TV programmes influencing parents in this way. The Marxist theory of crime has the benefit of a holistic view - it accounts for a range of deviant acts committed by people from different social backgrounds, with different motivations. Its weaknesses lie in the reductionist view of health - the roles Parsons requires are not cut and dry due to influences from internal and external sources - for example, the requirement of seeking professional advice is something . Pros of Marxism. Writing from the Marxist perspective, the sociologist Zaretsky developed the view that modern capitalist society created an illusion that the "private life" of the family is separate from the economy. Fascism is a kind of government system which is approximately opposite of democracy. Ignores family diversity in capitalist society, and that many women now work full time as wellandMarxism ignore the benefits of nuclear family e.g. This reinforces social class inequalities. 5. 6 Longitudinal Study Strengths and Weaknesses, How To Leave An Emotionally Abusive Relationship, The Ability To Move Things With Your Mind, How To Tell Is Someone Is Lying About Cheating. The nuclear family structure arose so that landowners could pass down their properties and wealth to their children. Feminists argue that Marxists overlook the role of the family in maintaining gender inequalities. Marxism in sociology is a key conflict theory originating from the work of Karl Marx. 1. Marx critique of capitalism has not only had an impact on the discipline of philosophy and economics, but also an impact upon the globalised world. During the time of 'primitive communism', there was no private property and thus no social classes or private family units. In order to keep this property, they had to find a way to prevent it from being shared with everyone else. This means that the capitalist class can later exploit these children because, when these children become adults, they are more likely to view the power and authority of the capitalist class as natural. Similar to the Marxist belief that institutions such as education, religion, and the media teach people how to behave, the nuclear family is an imbalanced structure that teaches its members to accept imbalances of power in wider society. Open Document. It acknowledges the influence of structural factors on the family. Charlotte Nickerson is a member of the Class of 2024 at Harvard University. Living standards have improved vastly since Marx's day, and the welfare state and compulsory state education have . It tends to create a system of true equality. (a) Which stanzas or sections did you read more slowly? Criticisms of the Marxist view of the family. Here Are the Pros of Marxism. It helped preserve capitalism by depositing wealth in a private family instead of passing it on to the community. The Marxist Perspective on The Family. It believes that capitalist society is based on inequalities between the ' bourgeoisie' (ruling capitalist class) and ' proletariat' (working class). He sought for the answers to how to live the best possible life and be a fruitful citizen who cares for others in the community. (Original work published 1970). Feminists argue that Marxists focus too much on social class inequalities whilst disregarding the role of the family in maintaining. These children can then persuade their parents to buy more expensive items.