New Right views of family

Question 1

Crisis of Hegemony

Answer 1

-Argued progressive policies through 1960s/70s had led to the decline of traditional family values
-Increases in divorce, lone-parent families and permissive policies relating to reproductive rights and sexuality= influence of family decline

Question 2

Charles Murray

Answer 2

-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 3

Influence on family policy

Answer 3

-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 4

Neo-liberal economics

Answer 4

-New Right ideas influenced by Neo-liberal economics
-Lower state spending and more personal choice and responsibility
-Reduction in benefits creates an incentive to work- even if its for low wages
-Allows family to have greater personal responsibility for their family

Question 5

Evaluation of New Right

Answer 5

-Feminists argue female lone-parent families are being scapegoated for structural inequalities in society
-Lone-parents= more likely to end up in poverty, even when in work
-Policies are focused on economy rather than social aspects of society and can lead to marginalisation of social groups