Changing Culture of the Poor (New Labour)

Question 1

Overview

Answer 1

Third Way meant they were a mixture of ideological influences, accepting some aspects of the New Right’s arguments about the need to abolish the dependency culture, but also saying there was a key role for the Welfare State in reducing poverty.

New Labour Government’s report ‘Opportunity for All’ outlined the aims to invest more in education, reduce social exclusion and end child poverty.

Question 2

Changing the Culture of the Poor (re-socialise the poor)

Answer 2

The poor must adopt the norms and values of mainstream culture and end their social exclusion.

anti-poverty schemes to re-socialise the poor and correct ‘cultural defects’ eg. Outdoor pursuits for inner city children, play schemes, neighbourhood youth camps, Skills plus, Job Club, apprenticeship schemes.

The need to re-socialise the poor is also the motive behind ‘compensatory education’, in which extra education resources are given to those areas suffering from social disadvantage, eg city academies were new schools in deprived areas with extra funding for resources
Investment in education was seen by the Blair government as the best way to break the cycle of deprivation

Question 3

Changing culture of poor A03

Answer 3

Valentine criticises Labour’s cultural approach to solving poverty as it is always done by making a comparison to middle class culture. This argument has a middle class bias and seems to blame the poor for their poverty. The policy appears to say that to escape poverty ‘the poor must become middle class’.

Question 4

Making work pay

Answer 4

New Labour introduced a policy of ‘Welfare to Work’, with the aim of helping people to get off benefits and into employment. People on JSA had to accept offers of work or training or face cuts to their benefits.

There were also a range of policies to help the working poor. Minimum Wage and working Tax Credits help make ends meet

Question 5

Making work pay A03

Answer 5

New Labour’s policies were concerned more with the prevention of poverty rather than with relief of poverty. Its policies were about making individuals responsible for their own welfare and self-improvement in finding employment.