FUNCTIONALISM & NEW RIGHT Flashcards
What does Patterson state about British society in the 1950s?
Stable, orderly society with consensus. Disrupted by immigrants which caused clashes.
What were Patterson’s three causes of ethnic inequality?
- Fear of the difference and change.
- Resentment of having to compete with immigrants for resources.
- Immigrants failure assimilate.
What were Patterson’s three stages to immigrant assimilation?
- Accommodation.
- Intergration.
- Assimilation.
How is Patterson criticised?
- Naïve to assume that all ethnic minority groups adjust to ‘British’ culture.
- Postmodernists argue Britain is a multi-cultural society.
What do functionalists argue that early ethnic inequalities were a result of?
Immigrants cultural difference and relatively low level of skills.
What are functionalists optimistic about in a meritocratic society?
Ethnic inequalities would decline as immigrants adopted the norms and values of mainstream society.
What does Murray argue about welfare reforms in the 1960s?
During the 1960s, welfare reforms led to an increase in the number of never-married black single mothers, and many black youths losing interest in getting a job.
What did Murray state about traditional family values?
In certain neighbourhoods, traditional vales such as beliefs in honesty, family life and hard work had been seriously undermined.
How is Murray criticised?
Murray ignores economic divisions that led to the creation of such an underclass, such as racial prejudice and discrimination.
What statistics did Sewell find about African-Caribbean boys growing up in lone-parent families?
57% of African-Caribbean families with dependent children were headed by lone parents, compared to 25% of white families.
What did Sewell argue the absence of a male role model makes A-C boys more vulnerable to?
Peer pressure.
E.g. caught in gangs that emphasis aggressive, macho forms of masculinity.
How is Sewell criticised?
Sewell has diverted attention from what they see as the real cause of black underachievement: a racist society, an institutionally racist education system and economic deprivation.
What do functionalists generally believe about ethnic inequalities?
Optimistic that ethnic inequalities would decline as immigrants adopted the norms and values of mainstream society.
