Functions of the family for individuals and for society

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Examine the different functions performed by the family for individuals and for society. (20 Marks)

        The Family performs different functions dependant on the view that you believe. Marxists and Structural Functionalists and both have different perspectives on the family.

        Marxists believe that the family indoctrinates their children into a false consciousness about the capitalist culture. Also, they think that the family divides the labour between the males and females in the household. Althusser, who was a Marxist came up with a theory of ideology, to support his idea of ideology he created ISA (ideological state apparatus). The ISA was a method of making the family think like the ‘good little capitalists’ that they are. For example; the family teaches us to respond appropriately to authority, this in turn then prepares an obedient workforce and good leaders for the future, thus helping the economy.  According to Marxist-feminists, women serve in the family to support the interests of capitalists by : looking after the male workers, rearing children and acting like a reserve pool of labour. In general, Marxism demonstrates how the family functions to support and maintain capitalism. This is explained in the base/superstructure metaphor that Marxists believe. This is where the base which is the economy, shapes and determines the ideological super structures that are around it. These consist of capitalism education, politics and laws.

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        The negative side of the Marxist theory is that; they rely on the stereotypical generalisation of the nuclear family, however, nowadays more family types exist. These are: extended, reconstituted, single-parent and single-sex relationships. Also, children are seen to be autonomous individuals, which means they are not entirely shaped by the family, therefore Marxism is too deterministic.  Finally, maybe the family is not functional for capitalism, capitalism and well paid jobs is simply something which is functional for our familes.

The Structural Functionalist perspective on the family includes the views of : G P Murdock, T Parsons, D Morgan, and W ...

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