Examine Marxist views of the role of the family

Marxist is a perspective view that society is built as class dispute between the Capitalist who own the methods of production and the working class. Capitalists think that there is are 3 functions of the household: Inheritance of property; ideology functions and unit of intakes. Marxists state that the household advantages capitalist. Marxists state that one function or functions of the family is inheritance of residential or commercial property. The Bourgeoisie own the means of production whereas the working class just work for the capitalist and own no means of production.

The Capitalist wish to keep control of the methods of production and the only method they can do this is by inheritance of residential or commercial property, which means that all the residential or commercial property is bied far to the very first kid. A Marxist sociologist, Engles, says this discusses the increase in monogamist marriages as marriage ensures there is a genuine beneficiary. This is why households are necessary as it helps preserve a capitalist society.

Another function or work the family has is an ideology function. Ideology function means a set of beliefs and ideas that the capital is a dominant class and that the equality is best and just.

The family helps keep this idea by primary socialisation of the young and children being brought up learning these ideas that Capitalism is right. This helps maintain capitalism because children will eventually become the next labour force for capitalists. The last role of the family is that it is a unit of consumption which means that Capitalist own the production and the working class are wanting for Capitalist as well as buying from them.

This helps maintain capitalism, which is a family’s main role or function, because they are buying from capitalism and they would benefit. Feminist would criticise Marxist by saying that the family benefit men and men only, causing aoppression for women. Functionalist would criticise the Marxist view that the family benefits Capitalist. They believe that society is based or a value consensus. And that the family benefits society as well as its individual members.