As already stated the main difference between beliefs of Marxists and functionalists is that Marxists are communist and functionalists are capitalists. Marxists are against capitalism have great criticisms against it, functionalists accept the capitalist society and see it as the ‘norm.’
When rearing children and teaching them values there is a difference in opinion between these sociologists. Functionalists claim that families primary socialisation of the young is that of valuing the ‘norm’ of society’. Marxists believe that families socialise children into capitalist values.
Marxists believe that women have to do most of the domestic work around the house and claim that a women’s role within society is seen as ‘no better than prostitutes’. They also state domestic work is slave labour that is unpaid. The Functionalists argue against this and state that a study carried out in the 1950’s showed that household tasks are becoming more shared throughout sexes.
Marxists claim the women mostly do that child rearing. There beliefs are that this work is unpaid, creating more financial dominance for the males within society. A quote from ‘a wives role is seen no better than prostitutes.’ And this is reflecting inequalities of these members of society. Functionalists do not share this opinion and a study by Young and Wilmot stated ‘Fathers are increasing participating in child care activities’ Functionalist do agree that the father should have a main role of instrumental (work) and the Wife should have an expressive role of emotional support.
A main attraction for having a family is a support network group of emotional support. Functionalists claim that a family is necessary safety value from the stresses and strains of society. Marxists claim that capitalists create an illusion of safety and comfort to attract people into having family (so they have children that will later contribute towards society). Marxists also claim that this safety and comfort value is only required because the stresses of living in a capitalist society.
Marxists claim that families are patriarchal (Household authorised by males) and that men have consolidated this through property inheritance. Functionalists state that we are moving towards a ‘symmetrical’ (authority is shared between male and females) family, Obviously functionalists have agreed that a lot of households were patriarchal but have studied evidence that there is a shift occurring to a more even household/family.
Marxists claim that the origin of the family is purely ‘private property and state’. This is critised claiming it didn’t actually coincide with the emergence of capitalism. Functionalists claim that nuclear families exist all over the world and the history of religion shows that the nuclear family existed pre- revolution. Functionalists claim that the family is evitable and useful.
Marxists also claim that within some employment workers cannot strike because of there responsibilities of the family. Females now in modern Britain have to work as well as rear children and Marxists claim that the society is ‘oppressing’ and ‘Exploiting’ them.
The family have a large consumption rate, i.e. when children are growing up and regularly need new clothes and shoes. With tax on this Marxist claim that society is again against them and taking them away.
