According to Marxist theory, the family reproduces unequal relationships by doing what?

• A. Promoting equal opportunities.
• B. Reproducing unequal relationships and serving capitalism.
• C. Encouraging social mobility.
• D. Eliminating class conflict.

Answer: (B)

In Marxist theory, the family helps maintain and reproduce the existing social order tied to capitalism. It does this most clearly through passing on wealth and property from one generation to the next, which keeps economic advantage within certain social classes and protects the structure of private ownership. The family also socializes children into accepting hierarchical relationships and the norms of a capitalist society—ideas about obedience, gender roles, and the legitimacy of unequal arrangements—so that the next generation enters the workforce and consumer society ready to uphold the system. At the same time, the family functions as a unit of consumption that supports capitalism, and the unpaid emotional and domestic labor performed within the home frees up paid labor in the economy. All of these elements together mean the family both sustains unequal relationships and serves the needs of the capitalist system.