Marxist views on the family.

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‘Marxist views on the family’

Marxists view the family in a very disparaging light and views the family as a tool of Capitalism and the Bourgeoisie. Marxists believe that the family has many roles, which are beneficial to Capitalist society.  

 Marxists believe that the family aids Capitalism by being a big consumer of goods, which they have to pay for. As long as the family are around, people will keep buying the product and the bourgeoisie will continue to make money.

 Marxists also believe that housewives are producing the next generation of the proletariat. This means that more people will be created to fill the jobs of the retiring proletariat.

 Marxists believe that the family cushions the main provider. This is similar to the functionalist “warm bath theory”. After a hard day of being exploited by the bourgeoisie, the main provider, usually the male, will be comforted by his family the family are there to relieve the pressures so that he can go into work the next day feeling less stressed than when he left the evening before. This allows the bourgeoisie to have a worker in the next day and to have a guaranteed workforce. With little stress on him, the proletariat are less likely to rebel against the system.

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 Marxists believe that family is a strong influence on education and is considered the primary source of socialisation. This is beneficial for the bourgeoisie because the family and education system will teach the norms and values, which are that the society in which they are living is correct. Education makes the proletariat believe in the ideology of Capitalism and will make the children learning believe in the myth of meritocracy.

 Marxists argue that the Capitalist ruling classes have deliberately discouraged the working class extended family once seen in the past. This is because the working class has a mutual ...

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