new right Flashcards

1
Q

what is the new right

A
  • not unified sociological theory - academics, politicians and journalists who share right-wing agenda
  • draws heavily on different right wing approaches - free market neo-liberalism, social conservation
  • influenced by right wing economics esp Hayek’s road to serdom
  • supplanted functionalism as leading conservative sociological approach
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2
Q

what is new right evaluation

A

some argue these contradictions are actually examples of hypocrisy

accused of misusing statistics / science to justify racial and class inequality

takes a positivist approach so criticised by social action theorists / interpretivists

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3
Q

an american perspective

A

government welfare policies create feral underclass - welfare dependency main cause of community breakdown - heavily influenced the overhaul of USA’s welfare system

poverty is own fault for reckless behaviour - eg lack of work ethic

Murray - Coming Apart 2013 - rich in america must lead by example to show poor how they should live - favours hard work strong family values
The Bell Curve - Murrey and Hernstein - different social classes and ethnicities different innate IQ levels

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4
Q

an american perspective eval

A

lack of full time employment opportunities that lead to creation of underclass - majority of unemployed move in and out of employment

structural marxism - poverty due to capitalism’s constant pursuit of profit

Bell Curve - supports racial discriminatory practices alongside misunderstanding IQ

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5
Q

British perspective

A

Peter Saunders

sociology is very left wing - policy makers have skewed perspective on social world
sociology - anti-positivist - allows left wing feminist and social action theories go unchecked

society is meritocratic - social mobility study - those who were able to be upwardly mobile do so

no ruling class - proliferation of shareholders

reason why middle class do better in education and work is because they are more able

free market capitalist societies work best - not repressive like other forms of government

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6
Q

british perspective eval

A

society cannot be meritocratic if top of society based upon ascribed status

Durkheim - inheritance must be removed for society to be fair

statistical methodology for social mobility studies criticised for being inappropriate and introducing bias

evidence shows w/c with same qualifications still less likely to get the job

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7
Q

right realists

A

group of new right thinkers who study crime

right realists - reflect reality of crime unlike theories such as marxism

right realists highly influential on government approaches to crime - such as famous three strikes rule in NY USA

focus on restricting opportunities to commit crime and employ ration choice approach

focuses on socialisation and underclass for rises in crime along with biological explanations

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8
Q

similarities to functionalism - new right

A

both theories emphasise the importance of religion in providing strong collective moral framework

favour traditional nuclear family - best form of socialisation

both believe society is meritocratic and fair

favour strong systems of crime deterrence and prevention

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9
Q

differences to functinonalism - new right

A

functionalists see state as positive as it acts in interests of whole society
- new right dislike the state as it impinges on individual freedoms and operates in its own interests

welfare - positive for functionalists as it takes burden off family and the church allowing to focus on primary function
- new right see welfare as socially destructive and undermining personal responsibilities

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10
Q

applied new right

A

family - Murray - over generous welfare and divorce have led to the rise of single-parent family underclass - causes poorly socialised children

we must return to more traditional nuclear families and stop treating family breakdown as a choice rather than social problem

critical of feminists who they see as undermining the family and damaging society

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11
Q

impact of the new right

A

governments in western europe and america - moved politically right - cutting disability benefit, tax credits

educational policies increased competition

however social policies less influential - nuclear family

new right research criticised for methodology and contradictor beliefs - against state interference but want to tighten abortion legislation

Saunders and Murrary - quantitative research - see other methods as unscientific

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