New Right Flashcards
What connection did the New Right perspective establish between single-parent families and London riots 2011?
Children raised in single-parent families become anti-social and express delinquent behaviour
- the rise of yob culture
What did the NR beleive?
- neo-liberal principles
- influenced by Functionalist theory
- key thinker is Charles Murray
- do not like government intervention
- rise of the welfare state led to the underclass and the use of benefits as a perverse incentive
What is an example of a perverse incentive?
Teenage pregnancies and council housing
What are the main NR views on the family?
- should be self-sufficient
- should have a sexual division of labour, heterosexual couple
- not reliant on welfare
- traditional gender roles
- 2 parent nuclear family
- commitment to traditional, religious morality
What did NR believe on the upbringing of boys?
more susceptible to delinquent behaviour as they only have one parent to meet their needs
- lack of male role models, when fathers absent
Key areas of research
1- Relationship
- poor parental supervision
2- Community
- presence of gangs
3- Societal
- alcohol availability
Some statistics
est 1971, 52-37%- traditional family households
1/4 of children lived in lone-parent families, 9/10 mothers
more likely to be poor in lone parenthood
The impact of the NR perspective on wider society
- keen on government policies that strengthen self-reliance for the traditional two-parent family
- Murray argues the UK is developing an underclass associated with crime, unemployment and educational failure
- bc of the generosity of the welfare state
- become welfare dependant
- this gives rise to the nanny state
The Nanny State
- states involvement in capitalist society questioned
- conservative politicians, ‘state interferes too much with ordinary citizens’
- encourage self-reliance, less welfare dependence
- ‘rolling back’ the state, greater individual freedom
- lower taxes=stimulated to make society more dynamic
What are the big social problems NR address?
- racism/sexism/hate crimes
- drug addiction
- homelessness
- rise in knife crime
- underclass don’t work ‘scroungers’
Overview of what Charles Murray said
- single parents=antisocial behaviour=yob culture
- dad authority figure, absence leads to child having more control
Influence of neo-liberal economics
- agrees with privatisation
> lower state spending
= more personal choice/responsibility - reduction in benefits
> incentive to work - NR policy focused on economy rather than social aspects of society
> marginalisation of social groups
Traditional values taught through primary socialisation
1- 2 parent, heterosexual couples are a ‘natural’ or ideal way to raise children
2- traditional patterns of power and division of labour is best for the family and all members of society
MAN- breadwinner
WOMAN- homemaker
3- Families should not be reliant on government for welfare, should ‘look after their own’
4- commitment to traditional, often religious morality in matters of sexuality and reproduction
How has the media started to socialise children?
Rise in mums working and dual earner families mean children use forms of media to pick up values and norms
What are 5 criticisms of the NR perspective?
1- Victim-blaming
> don’t recognise underlying causes for claiming benefits
2- reinforces stereotypes
> ignores complexities of modern societies
3- controversial, dogmatic approach
> to underclass, negatively criticises
4- Walker 1990
- Murray uses underclass and scapegoats
5- Benefit fraud are less than tax fraud
> costs economy 9X more
