Sociology – Paper 2 – Theories of the family and social change | e-Consult
Paper 2 – Theories of the family and social change (1 questions)
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| Aspect | Marxist Perspective | Feminist Perspective |
|---|---|---|
| Economic Function | The family reproduces labour power and secures the next generation of workers for capitalism. | Focuses on unpaid domestic labour performed mainly by women, which sustains the capitalist economy. |
| Power Relations | Emphasises class hierarchy; the family mirrors broader class oppression. | Highlights gender hierarchy; patriarchy within the family reinforces women's subordinate status. |
| Ideology | Family serves as an ideological apparatus that normalises capitalist values. | Family perpetuates sexist ideologies that naturalise gendered divisions of labour. |
| Similarity 1 | Both see the family as a site of exploitation. | Both argue the family maintains existing power structures. |
| Similarity 2 | Both critique the notion of the family as a purely natural institution. | Both view the family as socially constructed. |
| Similarity 3 | Both link family dynamics to broader societal inequalities. | Both see the family as a key arena for reproducing inequality. |
While Marxists concentrate on class and economic exploitation, feminists foreground gendered power and the unpaid labour of women, yet both perspectives converge in viewing the family as a mechanism that sustains systemic inequality.