The Family In Communism

[The Vegan Marxist]

Given that 'the family', as perceived by many who follow Marxist thought, are viewed as an obstruction towards Communist goals. So what exactly would come of 'the family' while we make our way towards Communism, & better yet, what would come of it when Communism is achieved?

[Red Commissar]

In the ideal state of Communism in its final form, things will be at such a point that people will feel kinship with each other in the same way they have with their immediate relatives.

As for the way there, I think the necessary way for families to be handled is to have them cooperate with one another. Currently most families don't tend to go beyond its immediate nuclear stage, and even at this point it's highly individualistic in western society. Breaking the family structure right away might be too drastic, so I would rather see a shift in living habits to faciliate a change in what "family" means. Rather than people living in their own bubbles, they should live among one another and work with one another, to the point that they see the benefit in doing so and as a result be more inclined to feel brotherhood with them.

[ArrowLance]

Burn them with fire.

[Kléber]

What communists are against is not the idea of family itself. As Gramsci notes, we would prefer the notion of family to be more inclusive.

However we are against the feudal family and the bourgeois family. When conservative pundits talk about "family values" they really mean the exploitation of women and children. We want to smash patriarchy and all forms of economic bondage, so in that sense, yes, we do want to destroy the family (as it presently exists). People should be free to attach and detach with one another according to their romantic interests, not have to marry someone because of their parents' political/economic interests, nor be legally or property-bound to a loveless relationship.

[La Comédie Noire]

There probably won't be the traditional family as we think of it, already divorce rates are extremely high in the first world because the material conditions that required a family structure no longer exist. We also have to remember childhood is a social construct, passed a certain age kids don't require as much supervision as the capitalist media would have you believe.

Children in a communist society will probably interact with a multitude of adults and older children who will guide and teach them because they will be "the village's child".

[9]

Communists seek to abolish the family.

[S. Zetor]

Given that 'the family', as perceived by many who follow Marxist thought, are viewed as an obstruction towards Communist goals. So what exactly would come of 'the family' while we make our way towards Communism, & better yet, what would come of it when Communism is achieved?

People should be allowed to live in any kind of relationship they want (homosexual, with several people, extended family, sexual or not, whatever), which means that also people who choose to live within the form of the heterosexual monogamous family have all the right to do so without interference from others. IMO the talk about "abolishing the family" often isn't sufficiently clear on this, and thus leads to unnecessary misunderstandings.

If people want to get married (i.e. publicly announce that they're together, in a church or somewhere else) that's fine too, the point is that doing so gives no special privileges in terms of legislation, inheritance (of personal belongings), social benefits etc. in comparison to other people and their forms of relationship.

The old idea is to socialise the functions of the family, i.e. food-making, childcare, cleaning, laundry etc. so that the resources to perform these necessary duties don't have to be found within each specific family. But if someone wants to cook within their own home, take care of their own children, clean their own apartment etc, no-one should say they shouldn't want it or do it.

[StalinFanboy]

Ask this question after we've destroyed capitalism.

[Revolutionary Pseudonym]

I like to think of it as instead of destroying the family (the present biological system) instead expanding your family to include everyone. (Post revolution, I don't want Cappies in my family lol)

[which doctor]

Communists seek to abolish the family.
Communists don't seek to abolish the family, they seek to abolish capitalism. The nuclear family just happens to be the preferred method for reproducing the working-class. In a communist society, we'll be able to experiment with and experience a multiplicity of methods for child raising. There will be no single method. It's very possible the family will still exist, but not to any degree to which it exists today. We really can't even begin to imagine the possibilities a communist society will offer to us in terms of new social formations.

[Comrade_Stalin]

I have to ask you all, what is the family. Right now, a family is a small welfare system. In which the parent takes care of the kid, only so that those same kids are forced to take care of the parent when they get older.

[Uncle Rob]

This is a copy-paste from a response in another thread I posted in.

"Something like that. The bourgeois family serves as the economic institute for the right to inheritance, which is how most of the bourgeoisie make their wealth in the first place. However the family also serves various othe purposes as well, such as the oppression of women in our society by men. The family instills the idea that men have the god given right to own the women and children of their family. In bourgeois society women are seen as a means of production to be owned.

What we also find is the oppression of all those who challenge the classical concept of the family, our gay and lesbian comrades. As soon as the idea of a gay couple became popularized, it was met with the utmost of hostility. They were beaten, murdered, and dragged through the mud, and why? Because they cannot produce offspring, they challenge this conventional concept the bourgeois need to continue the practice of their dominance over women and their right to inheritance.

Often times we hear "It's impossible to abolish the family! It's a natural human practice!" However, what these philistines don't realize is that the modern proletarian family is daily being abolished, just like petty-bourgeois property. How many of your friends have the stereotypical mother, father, children set-up? My guess is not many. Fiscal problems make such a concept very difficult, and it's more often then not that the kids are already at preschool all day while the parents work to the bone. What we also see, at certain stages of historical development, the family structure has changed dramatically. In tribalism, where women would take on various partners and children could only be tied to the mother, women we're more respected, and through that respect, we see a more matriarchal society.

If we abolish private property, thereby altering the class character of society it is no doubt that the family will too change. Into what form, as previously state is up for much debate."

[Weezer]

Burn them with fire.

Let's try and contribute, okay?

[9]

Communists don't seek to abolish the family, they seek to abolish capitalism.

Obviously these are not separate things. However, if you don't think communists call for the abolition of the family, your issue is really not with me but with Marx, Engels, and the Communist Manifesto.

[FreeFocus]

Hopefully the family as we know it will be smashed by providing alternatives for children in particular. In other words, if the nuclear family does not have a monopoly on living arrangements, patriarchy and domestic oppression loses its power.

[bcbm]

how do yall interpret the increasing breakdown of the family in some countries?

[Revolutionary Pseudonym]

how do yall interpret the increasing breakdown of the family in some countries?

It depends on whether it is replaced with a love and 'familyness' for everyone or creating a lot of individuls with no respect between them.

[black magick hustla]

i think its a complex issue. "family" is not necessarily a hiearchical mode of domination, but to many people, lacking support of the state, etc, it is their only support. i always thought it was silly how in the US living with your mum when you are 20 is a taboo. a lot of mexican people live with their parents until they marry. a mexican person who is unable to find a sort of financial and social autonomy always knows he can depends on his parents. in the US, because this is seemed as bad, all sorts of people get all stressful, they get scared of "failure". i mean if i "fail" it would blow but i atleast know i have a place to call home with my family, who would totally accept and embrace my prescence. my half cousin is living with my family right now because he has marriage and financial problems. . i <3 my mum and dad.

in the US you get all these people worried about success and shit and they end up deterorating into alcoholism or go in mass college shooting sprees.

[red cat]

in the US you get all these people worried about success and shit and they end up deterorating into alcoholism or go in mass college shooting sprees.

That might not be solely due to their cultural concept of family.