According to Zaretsky, the rise of capitalism led to a split between family life and work, making the family the private sphere. Which set of options makes this the most accurate choice?

• A. Functionalists
• B. Parsons
• C. Engels
• D. Zaretsky

Answer: (D)

The idea being tested is that capitalism creates a division between the world of paid work and the world of family life, turning the family into a private, separate sphere. Zaretsky argues that the private sphere of the home is shaped by capitalism: it sheltering people from the harsh realities of work while also reproducing the labor force and propagating the ideology that justifies inequality. This makes the family a haven from the market, yet still connected to and serving capitalist needs, which is exactly the claim in the statement.

Functionalists like Parsons see the family mainly in terms of its stabilizing, integrative role for society, emphasizing its positive functions rather than a critical split between public and private life. Engels links the rise of monogamous marriage to capitalist property relations and women’s oppression, but his focus is on the origins of the family and inheritance rather than the private/public division as a mechanism of capitalism. So Zaretsky is the theorist who most directly makes this particular connection.