Ethnicity: New right

Question 1

What did Murray say were the characteristics of underclass behaviour ?

Answer 1

• homes are littered and unkept
• men are unable to hold down a job
• drunkness is common
• teens become juvenile delinquents
• underclass is a plague

Question 2

What did Murray say about ethnicity ?

Answer 2

• government policies were making people dependent on benefits
• In the 60’s, Black single mothers and black youths lost interest in getting a job
• 1989 - Britain had developed an underclasss - all traditional values had gone

Question 3

What are the evaluations of Murray ?

Answer 3

• Ignores economic division that lead to the underclass forming (e.g. racial prejudice and discrimination)
• Murray blames them for the situation they are in rather than being sympathetic

Question 4

What was Sewell’s study ?

Answer 4

• Agree’s with Murray
• There are a high proportion of African-Caribbean boys who are raised in single parent families
• In 2001: 57% of African-Caribbean families were lone-parents compared to 25% white families
• This means they don’t have male rolemodels
• Lack of role models can lead to crime
• This black masculinity us reinforced by the media with gangster rap
• Emphasised by news report on street crime and gun culture

Question 5

What are evaluations of Sewell ?

Answer 5

Blames African-Caribbean for the inequalities they face
- Black fathers for deserting their children
- Black youths for generating a subculture that leads to a failure
- Black community for failing to support it’s young people

The real cause of black underachievement is a racist society
- Institutionally racist education system
- Economic deprivation