Marxism and the family

• Sociology
• Further Education (Key Stage 5)

What was the ISA
_________ State Apparatus

1. Interactional
2. Individual
3. Ideological
4. Inclusive

Althusser said that the ISA taught us the dominant bourgeoisie ideology. How is the family part of this?

Ideology and Family

Building on the work of Althusser and his ISA and his RSA theory. Zaretsky notes that the family performs and ideological function for capitalism in two ways.

1. Socialising the young ​
   By this he argues that the family helps to suppress ideas that go against the capitalist ideology and young children are socialised to be obedient and conformist citizens. Helps get them used to the Hierarchy.
2. Help workers manage their oppression ​
   Taking a different perspective on Parsons' theory he argues the family helps to manage feelings of oppression. 'Cushioning effect' evidence suggests that a man is less likely to strike if they have a family to pay for. Women create a safe space for men that have felt emasculated at work to 'remasculate' and continue being ok with their oppression.

Surveillance and the Family

Foucault is a postmodernist. However, we can apply his idea of self policing power to Althusser's idea of the ISA and Zaretsky's explanation of the ideological function of the family.

Henderson (2010) found that self surveillance in the family was accomplished through the guilt of mothers. They would try and be 'good mums' -we can apply this expectation to the dominant ideology

How does the expectation of being a 'good parent' serve the needs of capitalism?