New Right Flashcards
New Right politics…
The New Right is a political ide, rather than sociological perspective but its vast impact means it must be included.
Associated with a trend in conservatism in the UK and the US in the 1970s (characterised by the rise of Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan). This approach combined neo-liberal economics (free markets and minimal government intervention) with more traditional conservative views on social issues (such as a traditional view on family life, school discipline and law and order).
Who are the New Right…
The new right are scholars who take a more political standpoint from those we have previously covered.
They are highly traditional and take on a similar standpoint to our functionalists views.
They believe individuals should effectively be left to self regulate and stress the importance of this individual responsibility rather than relying on the state e.g. private welfare provision.
Such a policy allowed Mrs Thatcher to introduce the principle of cuts in welfare provision in the mid-1980s.
This policy shift placed greater emphasis on the family as the cornerstone of society.
But it wasn’t any old family which was the cornerstone of society but the nuclear family.
MP John Redwood’s concerns…
Conservative MP John Redwood said in 1993: ‘The natural state should be two adults caring for their children’.
Redwood’s concern about the decline of the nuclear family was shared by fellow Conservatives, who were also concerned the functions of the family would be undermined by:
> the growth in lone parent families
increasing divorce
increasing cohabitation
Charles Murray (1998)…
Murray argues that welfare policies have undermined the nuclear family and given perverse incentives for people to start single-parent families or to end their marriages and form single-parent families.
He argues that the welfare state has led to a dependency culture where an underclass of people live off benefits and have no aspiration to work for a living. He argues that teenage girls see pregnancy and single parenthood as a route to financial support and housing.
Murray’s hatred of lone-parenthood…
Causes an excessive dependency on state welfare due causing lone mothers to be ‘married to the state.
Undermines the sexual division of labour which gives each parent a dedicated role to fulfill – expressive and instrumental, which lone parenting is unable to do.
It also caused the absence of the male whose instrumental role was that of breadwinner, disciplinarian and role model.
According to Charles Murray led to the growth in fatherless families and the subsequent ill-discipline of their children drew them into a life of crime.
Divorce and cohabitation…
Increase in divorce:
causes the devaluation of marriage as an institution undermining the inherent strengths of the nuclear family, leading to fragmented families and dysfunctional families such as lone parent families.
Cohabitation:
causes the breakdown of traditional family values of loyalty, commitment and self-reliance which ultimately undermines the inherent value of the nuclear family which is built on stability and commitment.
Economic function…
Murdock suggested that the family had an economic function, for underclass families this function is now carried out by the state. This means that individuals conclude that they can have children without there being a working parent (because the state will provide) so there is no incentive to work at a relationship and keep a family together (and indeed less sense of responsibility for fathers to stick around and provide for their children). Furthermore, the benefits system means that more children will bring more money, so it pays to have a large single-parent family rather than a small one.
The nanny state…
One of the earliest uses of the phrase in Parliament came in 1980 during a debate on plans to make the wearing of car seatbelts, for drivers and front seat passengers, compulsory.
Former World War One fighter ace, and Conservative peer, Lord Balfour of Inchrye argued with great passion that seatbelts “can kill”.
But his main objection to the plan was that it was “yet another state narrowing of individual freedom and individual responsibility”.
Statistics…
The rate of family breakdown is much lower amongst married couples (6% compared to 20%)
Children from broken homes are almost five times more likely to develop emotional problems
Young people whose mother and father split up are also three times as likely to become aggressive or badly behaved
Lone-parent families are more than twice as likely to live in poverty as two-parent families
Children from broken homes are nine times more likely to become young offenders.”
Dennis and Erdos (1992)…
Conducted research in the 1980s on lone parents and found that the growth in lone parent families led to a decline in the role of fathers with 90% of LPF being matrifocal.
It went on to show the children of LPF experienced poorer life chances and boys were worst affected due to the lack of a male role model these boys (in their view) were irresponsible, antisocial and were statistically more likely to be delinquent as seen earlier on.
However this research ignores the vast amount of male role models that exist everywhere.
Critiques…
They exaggerate the decline of the Nuclear family. Most adults still marry and have children. Most children are reared by their two natural parents. Most marriages continue until death. Divorce has increased, but most divorcees remarry.
Feminism – gender roles are socially determined rather than being fixed by biology. Traditional gender roles are oppressive to women.
Feminism – divorce being easier is good because without it many women end up being trapped in unhappy or abusive relationships.
Most single parents are not welfare scroungers – most want to work but find it difficult to find jobs that are flexible enough so they can balance work and child care.
Chester argues that the New Right exaggerate the extent of cohabiting and single parent families – most children still spend most of their lives in a nuclear family arrangement
The darkside of the family…
As seen feminists hold one of the biggest critiques at the new right for effectively sweeping the dark side of the family under the carpet.
The new right also view things such as domestic violence as being a family problem.
As we have found research to support our new right id like you to find some evidence for the opposite.
