r/Marxism • u/Many_Bite_5795 • 6d ago
Marxist take on family and romance
I understand the basics of how the family model we know today came to be, but still have lots of questions regarding families and romance as well! It is kind of hard to reimagine what family and love can look like because we have been so conditioned into believing that what is considered 'normal' today is just in our nature. What do you think families and relationships/romances would look like in a Communist society that has already been well established for like a decade or so? Maybe not the best way to ask the question, but I am just so curious how, as humans, we would naturally approach concepts such as family and/or romance/relationships. What do you believe is the Marxist take?
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u/Hopeful_Vervain 5d ago
As mentioned by others it's purely speculative, but I think raising children would be more collaborative in nature and also more genuine.
We can see how under primitive communism, children were usually raised by the whole tribe in a communitarian way, most adults contribute because they care about the children and the future of the tribe as a whole, it benefits both the community and themselves. I think it would somewhat be similar under communism too, but perhaps on a broader level when it comes to our institutions like schools and their overall wellbeing (not limited to an isolated tribe anymore). I think most people would like to contribute in their upbringing and help in some way, and I think it would help parents who might have troubles doing everything on their own... I don't think it's even possible to do everything on your own, honestly. I don't have kids but I see so many parents around me who genuinely seem to feel exhausted and burnt out, not because they don't love their kids or anything, but simply because there's too much weight on their shoulders. Sometimes it seems like it damages their relationships too, parents end up being more impatient with them, the time they spend together is less enjoyable. And of course economic expectations can prevent parents to be present for their kids too.
It also seems like even raising kids loses authenticity under capitalism, I know in more developed countries we have more retirement benefits and we have child protection services, but those usually fail to provide adequately for their needs. People still have to rely on their kids to take care of them when they get older and ill, so it becomes almost an unspoken exchange of "I take care of you when you're young and you take care of me when I'm older", it's not done for the sake of it anymore, simply out of love. I think in a society where everyone's needs are met, when you'll never feel stressed about being left in poor conditions without a caretaker, the relationship between parents and children would be much more genuine and meaningful.
Either way, we can't know for certain, only history will tell.
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u/RNagant 6d ago
This isn't going to be a satisfying answer, but the Marxist take is, unfortunately, that we can't possibly know in advance what social form the family will develop under communism. We can specify which features will wither away, but, outside pure speculation, not what would positively replace them.
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u/GeologistOld1265 6d ago edited 6d ago
Current reasonable theories are sex and relationships are result of different strategies of reproduction.
One is strategy of a single partner. If woman attract and stay with single partner, then this partner will look after her and children, greatly increase probability for both of them to pass there genes.
Second strategy is have sex with all man. Then there is probability that every man will think children are his and help. Again, guaranty woman genes pass on.
Then man strategy of opportunism, have sex when never possible, some of offspring will survive with out any help.
Animal show all this behaviors. Even gay sex. It has group survival benefits, decreasing conflict between same sexes and help to keep group together. This, if group survive, all genes in this group survive.
So, sex and family and sexual behavior result of over determination of Social constrain and this genetics strategies of genome survival.
What future will hold? No idea.
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u/slifz 5d ago
I recommend Everyday Utopia by Kristen Ghodsee. She is a Marxist who tackles these questions with plenty of historical case studies as well as her own speculation. I read it last year and actually felt quite inspired!