Marxist believe the conventional families are the foundations of capitalism it does this in many way; Private property inheritance, Marxists believe that all functions of the family are performed purely for the benefit of the capitalist system. One of the key factors determining how our society plays in to the hands of capitalism is was who inherits Private property. Engles, Marx friend and supporter, argues that a monogamous nuclear family has become essential in society as men had to be certain of the parentage of their offspring to guarantee that their legitimate heir inherit from them. In Engels eyes this made for a ‘historical defeat for the female sex’ suggesting that woman were now under men’s control and just mere of object to provide offspring to become a heir to the inheritance. Marxist altercate that woman will never receive liberation from patriarchal control with the means of capitalism and private ownership nearby.
However, Engels’ theory supports the question, as it shows that people would do anything to ensure their wealth and power went to their children after their death. Another Marxist theory is that of Althusser. His theory is based on the Ideological State Apparatus. This is the theory, that the family is a tool, a tool to transmit bourgeoisie-corrupted values, which helps to ensure the family creates an efficient workforce, one that willingly obeys to any form of authority. However, this is contradicted by the theory of Lasch and Donzelot, the idea of fragmentation.
This leads them to the working life where you work under capitalists and accept orders from superior employers. Therefore they prepare for your working life which benefits the capitalists, however Functionalists view is that the family teaches us the shared norms and values of the society, but not just the norms and values of the ruling class. Although Marxists further argue the family does this through punishments and rewards and being role models. Also Feminists believe that Marxists do not give more attention to the exploitation of women within the family for example, the family produces labour at low cost to the capitalist system as
Outline and assess functionalist and new right views on the family This essay aims to explore the views of the functionalist and new rights approach on the family. Functionalists argue that the family is the most important institution in society as it benefits both the individual and society. They have the most positive view on the family, and state that it performs vital functions for the maintenance of society. Their main emphasis is on the nuclear family which is the stereotypical family of married, heterosexual parents with children - they tend to ignore any other family types. The approach presents the family as a family isolated from wider kinships because of the mobility required by labour markets in industrial societies.
“modern history is divided between the working class and the capitol class” * This is significant to the Socialist Action Party because people in the USA are divided by working titles, and this party wants to deplete that. The party wants to deplete this division and create a better society by creating better workers. They can work with employee and instill in them the qualities of being a good worker. This will therefore deplete the division because now everyone will have what it takes. 7.
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
The Politically Incorrect Guide to Capitalism What is Capitalism? Is it good for our economy? What actions have drove us to our current position in today’s society? These are all questions answered in Robert P. Murphy’s The Politically Incorrect Guide to Capitalism. Murphy describes Capitalism “as a system in which people are free to use their private property without outside interference” (Murphy, p. 1).
Marx and Engels used the term "scientific socialism" to describe the type of socialism they saw themselves developing. According to Engels, socialism was not "an accidental discovery of this or that ingenious brain, but the necessary outcome of the struggle between two historically developed classes – the proletariat and the bourgeoisie. Its task was no longer to manufacture a system of society as perfect as possible, but to examine the historical-economic succession of events from which these classes and their antagonism had of necessity sprung, and to discover in the economic conditions thus created the means of ending the conflict." Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels referred to all socialist ideas that were simply a vision and distant goal for society as utopian. Utopian socialists were likened to scientists who drew up elaborate designs and concepts for creating what socialists considered a more equal society.
Importantly functionalists see education based on meritocratic principles which is a big difference to the point of view that Marxists have. Marxists view the state as the means by which the capitalist ruling class maintains their dominant positions. Althusser believes that education justifies class inequalities by producing beliefs that teaches us that inequality is unavoidable and we deserve our subordinate positions so we are less likely to threaten capitalism. Bowles and Gintis believe there is close links to school and the capitalist society through the ‘hidden curriculum’ this means lessons that are learnt in school without being directly taught it. Through this hidden curriculum pupils become familiar with accepting hierarchy for example in school we view teachers essentially as our bosses as pupils are taught by teachers to interact with others according to a set of rules that apply to everyone.
For this reason, they see the family as being vital to the wellbeing of society as it meets some essential needs, such as socialising children. Unlike Functionalist, Marxists see society as a conflict between two social classes. The first being the Bourgeoisie or the ruling class and the second being the working class or the Proletariats. Marxists see society as a way to allow the ruling class to continuously oppress and by using them to make maximum profits they expolit them. The Marxist view on the family is that the functions are performed for the benefit of these capitalists.