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Unlock This CourseThe Marxist perspective offers a critical view of the family that differs greatly from functionalist approaches. Rather than seeing the family as benefiting society as a whole, Marxists argue that the family primarily serves the interests of capitalism and the ruling class. This perspective is based on the ideas of Karl Marx, who believed society was divided between those who own the means of production (the bourgeoisie) and those who sell their labour (the proletariat).
Key Definitions:
Marxists see the family as an economic institution that serves capitalism in several key ways:
Several key thinkers have developed Marxist ideas about the family:
Friedrich Engels, Marx's collaborator, argued that the modern family emerged alongside private property and class divisions. In his view, the family serves to ensure that wealth is passed down through generations of the ruling class. Engels believed that before capitalism, some societies were matriarchal with communal property. The rise of private property led men to want to ensure their wealth went to their biological children, creating the need for monogamous marriage and male control over women.
"The first class antagonism which appears in history coincides with the development of the antagonism between man and woman in monogamous marriage and the first class oppression with that of the female sex by the male." - Friedrich Engels, 1884
Engels suggested that women's oppression began with the development of private property and the need for men to control inheritance through the family unit.
The family produces and raises the next generation of workers (the future workforce). Children are socialised to be obedient and to accept authority - qualities that make them good workers in factories and offices.
Women's unpaid work in the home (cooking, cleaning, childcare) supports male workers at no cost to employers. This "free service" helps capitalism by maintaining workers without businesses having to pay for it.
Families are encouraged to buy products (homes, cars, appliances, etc.) which creates profits for capitalists. Advertising targets families to promote consumption and materialistic values.
The family teaches children to accept capitalism and inequality as normal and natural. Children learn to respect authority and private property, which benefits the ruling class. The family also acts as a "safety valve" where workers can release frustrations rather than directing them at the economic system.
Eli Zaretsky argued that the family serves as an "emotional refuge" from the harsh realities of capitalism. Workers seek comfort in family life to cope with exploitation at work. This function helps maintain capitalism by preventing workers from questioning or challenging the system that exploits them.
Louis Althusser described the family as an "Ideological State Apparatus" (ISA) that teaches people to accept capitalism. Through the family, children learn:
The rise of the nuclear family in the mid-20th century coincided with mass consumerism. Companies marketed products specifically to nuclear families - suburban homes, family cars, household appliances and family-sized food products. Advertising portrayed the "ideal family" as consumers of these products.
Marxists argue this was no coincidence - the nuclear family structure was promoted because it maximised consumption. Each family needed its own home, car, television, washing machine, etc., rather than sharing resources across extended families or communities.
Marxist feminists have expanded traditional Marxist views by focusing specifically on women's unpaid labour in the family:
Argued that women's unpaid domestic work is essential to capitalism but deliberately undervalued. Women maintain the current workforce (husbands) and produce/socialise the future workforce (children) for free.
Described women as "takers of shit" who absorb the frustrations of male workers. Men return home from exploitative jobs and take out their anger on their families rather than challenging their employers or the capitalist system.
It's important to compare the Marxist view with other perspectives on family functions:
Sees the family as benefiting society as a whole through socialisation, stabilisation of adults and meeting members' needs.
Sees the family as primarily benefiting capitalism and the ruling class through economic functions and ideological control.
Focuses on how the family benefits men through women's unpaid labour and reinforcement of patriarchal power.
Despite changes in family forms, Marxists argue that modern families still serve capitalism:
In your exam, remember to: