Examine the Marxist contribution to our understanding of the family Unlike functionalist sociologists, Marxists do not agree with value consensus (agreement) and the promise of meritocracy. Marxist sociologists argue that institutions; such as the family helps to maintain the system of class inequality and exploitation. This is known as capitalism. By this, the Marxists mean that the family solely operates for the benefit of the bourgeoisie (the ruling class) and this allows for the exploitation of the proletariat to take place. This view sharply contrasts the view of functionalists as they argue that the family benefits both the society as a whole and all the individual members.
However, Marxists criticise this and argue that education in capitalist society only transmits the ideology of the ruling class and not the shared values of society. Furthermore, Durkheim argues that modern industry has a complex division of labour where production of a single product involves cooperation from many different specialists. But for this to be successful, each person must have the necessary specialist knowledge and skills to perform their role. So education teaches individuals specialist skills and knowledge that individuals need to play their part in the social division of labour. So the main function of education is to maintain a value consensus in society.
Sociology homework- Essay In this essay, I am going to be evaluating the Marxist claim that the family exists to support the continuation of the capitalist system. Marxism is a structural, social conflict theory. A social conflict theory is one that believes in a major conflict between two groups in society. The Marxist view, is that the ruling class (Bourgeoisie) exploit the working class (Proletariat) for profits. This is the opposite of functionalism, a structural consensus theory, which believes that society is based on agreement and it functions properly.
Marxism sees religion as a feature which is only relevant in a society based on class division I.E the ruling classes and the working classes. They believe that with the beginning of true communism after the social revolution religion, in classless society will disappear. Marxists believe that religion and the institutions linked with it such as churches and the education system is controlled by the same ruling classes which control economic production. They argue that religion as a belief system distorts people’s perception of reality in such a way that benefits the ruling class. For
Society as a whole is more and more splitting up into two great hostile camps, into two great classes directly facing each other: Bourgeoisie and Proletariat” (Marx and Engels 1848). Social class, therefore, is based upon economic criteria and conflict occurs between those who own the means of production (bourgeoisie) and the wage-labourers (proletariat). As well as having economic control over the proletariat, the bourgeoisie also have the power to determine the superstructure; the ruling class can distort perceptions of the world and hide the true nature of social relationships and the exploitation of the proletariat and, above all, promote bourgeoisie interests. Marx defines production as workers selling their labour for wages in order to exchange money for commodities that will meet their most basic needs. As Marx
Durkheim sees anomie as responsible for the world’s disorder of economics- the lack of morality and regulation resulted in overpowering the weak; thus, he feels that only norms can prevent the abuse of power and calls for regulation and equal opportunity from birth- the greater the equal opportunity the less need for restraint. Marx looked at how capitalism separated humanity by making work a simple means of individual existence. In addition he describes society in terms of class and economic conflicts. Marx saw proletariat or people of a working class as being underneath the bourgeoisie or the capitalist of a modern society. Marx looked at how alienation of production of commodities by workers also leads to alienation of social life.
I shall asses points for and against this argument and conclude. Karl Marx (a Marxist sociologist) believes that the education system preforms two main functions in a capitalist society. Firstly, Marx believes the education system reproduces the inequalities and social relations of production of capitalist society. In contrast, the government claim that the education system provides equality and education to all which surely would not serve to maintain a capitalist society. Marx’s first point suggests that education surely does not provide equality, this is for reasons being that education is a meritocratic institution that only benefits the student which conform with the desired qualities, such as doing as they are told and being high academic achievers.
Running Head: CAPITALISM VS. SOCIALISM 1 Capitalism vs. Socialism SO 115 Essentials of Sociology - Assignment 06 Running Head: CAPITALISM VS. SOCIALISM 2 Capitalism vs. Socialism Thou capitalism and socialism are opposing concepts for governing in economics they both have had its stronghold in different parts of the world, society and history. Each of them contain attributes that allow its’ system to function and succeed as well as attributes that contributes to a dysfunctional system with flaws and problematic issues. Capitalism has three fundamental features in which is based on private company ownership and means of production, the pursuit of profit, and marketing competition. With pure capitalism also referred to as laissez-faire capitalism, subsist when market services and production function without the involvement or interfering of government. However, state or welfare capitalism subsist when market services and production are owned by private sectors for the pursuit of profit yet are required to operate and function under rules and regulations that control even place limitations on what can be produced or sold.
Some of the events that led up to this included the replacing of labor with machines and the need by the factory owners to reduce costs. Writers in the Marxist perspective of sociology claim that there is a conspiracy in the education system designed to prevent children from working class backgrounds from realizing their true position in society this can be referred to as the hidden curriculum. The education system reinforces the ideology that the rich and powerful should control society and promotes an ideology or belief that our society is fair and just and that the proletariat should quietly accept capitalist society. In Advanced Industrial Societies the mains relationships are those of work. These are known as the
Examine the Marxist view of the family Marxists believe that the nuclear family is dominant in capitalistâs society. They see the family as performing essential functions, but negative functions. These functions benefit the minority in power (bourgeoisie) and the economy. The functions disadvantage the working class society (proletant). Marxists believe that the family is a unit of consumption.