Made me realize, the nuclear family is a failed concept under capitalism. When every facet of raising children is commodified, the working class is going to just stop having children. Though I also think there is a psychological factor to it too, with the alienation under capitalism making one question what is the purpose of bring a child into this world. And yet all of this is necessary for capitalism to reproduce itself, which is a huge contradiction that is only alleviated a bit by immigration.
Besides Engels’ book, is there any other marxist analysis of the family structure?
It would seem a likely outcome for children in the US to end up in a camp at some point in their lives - either as an “undesirable” or as a guard. “Best case” scenario is that doesn’t happen, and they instead grow up to be a cog in a machine fueled by societal harm. I know there are lots of other factors- but my brain gets stuck on that.
Made me realize, the nuclear family is a failed concept under capitalism. When every facet of raising children is commodified, the working class is going to just stop having children. Though I also think there is a psychological factor to it too, with the alienation under capitalism making one question what is the purpose of bring a child into this world. And yet all of this is necessary for capitalism to reproduce itself, which is a huge contradiction that is only alleviated a bit by immigration.
Besides Engels’ book, is there any other marxist analysis of the family structure?
It would seem a likely outcome for children in the US to end up in a camp at some point in their lives - either as an “undesirable” or as a guard. “Best case” scenario is that doesn’t happen, and they instead grow up to be a cog in a machine fueled by societal harm. I know there are lots of other factors- but my brain gets stuck on that.
Martha Gimenez ‘Marx, Women, and Social Reproduction’ is hands down the best marxist analysis of gender and the family I have read.
https://www.haymarketbooks.org/books/1355-marx-women-and-capitalist-social-reproduction
Some books on my infinite to-read list:
The Anti-Social Family, by Michèle Barrett and Mary McIntosh
Abolish the Family:A Manifesto for Care and Liberation, by Sophie Lewis
No Future: Queer Theory and the Death Drive, by Lee Edelman
And that’s ignoring climate change
I’m not gonna bring a child into a world on fire
Very well put!