Families - New Right

Question 1

The New Right

Answer 1

• More allied to political movements than sociological ones, the New Right take inspiration from functionalist ideas
• Closely linked to Conservatives in the UK and Republicans in the USA, New Right ideas rose to prominence in the later 1970s through to present day
• Reduced state intervention, personal responsibility and traditional values

Question 2

New Right and Family

Answer 2

• Argued that progressive policies throughout the 1960s and 70s led to the decline of traditional family values
• Increase in divorce, lone-parent families and permissive policies relating to reproductive rights and sexuality had seen the influence of family decline
• Looked back on a golden age of family life, stable family structures that would provide for their own needs through employment

Question 3

Charles Murray

Answer 3

• Argued that state spending on benefits had created a form of welfare dependency
• Created a generation of ‘idle young men’ who lacked father figures and were the formation of an underclass
• The underclass developed their own norms and values that differed from the rest of society, demonstrating criminal and antisocial behaviours

Question 4

New Right Thinking - Influence on family policy

Answer 4

• Creation of CSA to make sure fathers paid support for their children
• Increased tax allowances for married couples
• Lower taxation to enable families to support themselves
• Reduction of state benefits - caps on housing benefit, 2 child policy

Question 5

Education and Crime - Influence on family policy

Answer 5

• Section 28 - schools not allowed to teach about homosexuality
• Education - fines on parents for removing children from school
• Crime Policies - introduction of parenting classes for parents of antisocial children
• Aim of their policies was to promote personal responsibility for behaviour of families

Question 6

Influence of neo-liberal economics

Answer 6

• New Right ideas were often influenced by neo-liberal economics
• Lower state spending and more personal choice and responsibility
• Reduction in benefits creates an incentive to work - even if it is for low wages
  This allows family to have greater personal responsibility for their family

Question 7

Evaluations of New Right

Answer 7

• Feminists argue that female lone-parent families are being scapegoated for structural inequalities in society
• Lone Parents are more likely to end up in poverty, even when in work as a result of cuts to state spending
• Critics state that New Right policies are focused on economy rather than social aspects of society and can lead to marginalisation of social groups