Eli Zaretsky is a Marxist sociologist who wrote about the family in the 1970s. His work is especially important because it challenges the functionalist and New Right idea that the family is purely positive and instead argues that the family serves the interests of capitalism.

For A-level sociology, Zaretsky provides one of the most widely used Marxist explanations of the family, particularly in relation to socialisation, ideology, consumption, and the reproduction of labour power.

Marxist Context

  • Marxist sociologists argue that the family cannot be understood separately from the economic system.
  • Under capitalism, the family is not “natural” or “functional” for society as a whole but rather benefits the ruling class by maintaining inequality and supporting the economic system.
  • Zaretsky extends this analysis, showing the ways the family acts as a “safety valve” and a unit of consumption.

Key Ideas from Zaretsky

1. Family as a Unit of Consumption

  • Zaretsky argues that the family plays a key role in capitalism by acting as a unit of consumption.
  • Families are encouraged to buy products such as food, clothing, toys, and technology, which sustains capitalist profits.
  • Capitalism creates “false needs” through advertising, making families believe they need more goods.
  • Example: “pester power” – children pressuring parents to buy branded items, reinforcing consumerism.

Evaluation:

  • Strength: Highlights the close link between family life and consumer culture, which students can relate to.
  • Weakness: Postmodernists argue people are not just passive consumers; families use consumption to express identity.

2. Family and the Reproduction of Labour Power

  • The family supports capitalism by producing and caring for the next generation of workers.
  • Women in particular provide unpaid domestic labour (childcare, housework, emotional support), ensuring workers are fed, rested, and ready for employment.
  • Children are socialised into obedience and respect for authority, preparing them for the workplace.

Evaluation:

  • Feminists agree with Zaretsky that unpaid domestic labour benefits capitalism, but they argue he underestimates the oppression of women in the family, focusing too much on class and not enough on gender.

3. Family as an Ideological Apparatus

  • Zaretsky argues the family helps to socialise children into capitalist ideology.
  • Children learn to accept hierarchy and inequality as “normal”. For example, parental authority in the family mirrors authority in the workplace.
  • The family disguises exploitation by presenting capitalist society as “fair” and “natural”.

Evaluation:

  • Althusser (another Marxist) supports this idea with his theory of ideological state apparatuses, but functionalists argue this view is too cynical, ignoring the positive aspects of socialisation like care and stability.

4. The Family as a “Safety Valve”

  • Zaretsky also argued that the family provides emotional support to workers, acting as a safety valve for the frustrations of capitalist work.
  • Workers who feel exploited can return home to the family for comfort, which prevents them from rebelling or challenging capitalism.
  • This means the family helps capitalism survive by containing anger and frustration.

Evaluation:

  • Functionalists like Parsons would agree the family provides emotional support, but they see this as positive for individuals and society, not a tool of capitalist control.
  • Feminists point out that women often bear the brunt of men’s frustrations at work, sometimes through domestic violence.

Zaretsky’s Overall Argument

Zaretsky’s main point is that the family is not separate from capitalism but central to its survival.

  • It supports capitalism through consumption, socialisation, reproduction of labour power, and by acting as a safety valve.
  • Families appear private and personal but are deeply shaped by economic forces.

Evaluations of Zaretsky

Strengths

  • Provides a critical alternative to functionalist “rosy” views of the family.
  • Highlights the economic and political role of the family in capitalism.
  • Offers useful concepts like unit of consumption and safety valve, which are widely applied in exam essays.

Weaknesses

  • Deterministic: Suggests family behaviour is entirely shaped by capitalism, ignoring family choice and diversity.
  • Feminist critique: Ignores the specific ways families oppress women. For example, women’s unpaid work is not just about capitalism but also patriarchy.
  • Postmodernist critique: Overemphasises capitalism and ignores diversity in family forms, lifestyles, and personal choice in the 21st century.
  • Families can resist capitalism: not all family life is centred on consumption or obedience.

Comparison with Other Perspectives

  • Functionalism (Parsons): Sees the family as performing positive functions for society (socialisation, stabilisation). Zaretsky argues these “functions” actually benefit capitalism, not society as a whole.
  • Feminism: Both Marxists and feminists see the family as oppressive, but feminists argue Zaretsky overlooks patriarchy. Radical feminists, for example, see men as the main beneficiaries of women’s unpaid labour.
  • New Right: Values the nuclear family as ideal. Zaretsky would argue the nuclear family is not “ideal” but shaped by capitalism to maintain inequality.

Application to AQA and OCR Exams

AQA:

  • Questions often ask students to evaluate different perspectives on the family. Zaretsky is essential for the Marxist perspective.
  • Example: “Evaluate the view that the family benefits all members of society equally.” Students can apply Zaretsky’s ideas about exploitation and capitalism.
  • In 10-mark questions, students may be asked to outline functions of the family according to Marxists – Zaretsky’s concepts (unit of consumption, reproduction of labour power) are crucial here.

OCR:

  • OCR questions often focus on comparing perspectives. Zaretsky is key for showing how Marxists criticise functionalist and New Right views.
  • Example: “Assess the view that the family is a positive institution.” Zaretsky provides clear evidence of how the family reproduces inequality and supports capitalism.
  • OCR also stresses evaluation: students can contrast Zaretsky with feminists, postmodernists, and functionalists.

Conclusion

Eli Zaretsky provides a clear Marxist critique of the family, showing how it serves the needs of capitalism rather than individuals or society as a whole. By acting as a unit of consumption, reproducing labour power, passing on ideology, and providing a safety valve, the family helps maintain and reproduce the capitalist system.

Although heavily criticised for being deterministic, ignoring diversity, and overlooking gender inequality, Zaretsky’s ideas remain a core part of the A-level Sociology syllabus. His work allows students to apply a critical perspective on family life, offering an important counterpoint to the more positive views of functionalism and the New Right.

For AQA and OCR exams, Zaretsky is a vital theorist to include in essays on family diversity, functions of the family, and the role of social policy. Strong answers will describe his ideas clearly, apply them to examples, and evaluate them with feminist, postmodernist, and functionalist critiques.

You can download a teaching PowerPoint of Zaretsky’s work on the family from the link below.

Zaretsky on FamilyDownload