The New Right Perspective 2.4

Question 1

Principles of new right

Answer 1

Pessimistic about modern society, want to return to the golden age which emphasises traditional values. Gained power 1980-1990. Draws upon conservative traditions. Believe the state cannot meet people’s needs, in this sense they take an anti welfarism view. They argue the state interferes too much in people’s personal life. That working class benefits should be cut so they are forced into the labour market to look for work.

Question 2

Views on family

Answer 2

Emphasis cereal packet family.
They recommend parents should be married, mothers should stay at home and families should not receive benefits.

Question 3

Social changes

Answer 3

The new right think families are under threat from social changes.
Claim social policies have undermined morality by: promoting sex education in schools, supporting homosexuality, encouraging adoption, making contraception available for teenagers

Question 4

Marsland 1989

Answer 4

Argues that welfare state has undermined personal responsibility and self help. Has a particular issue with lone single mothers gaining support form the welfare state as they argue this encourages women to have babies despite not being able to afford them. Contribute to the decline of traditional families.

Question 5

Murray 1990

Answer 5

Argues that state benefits need to be cut so that members of the underclass are forced into the labour market to look for work. Welfare policies have created an urban underclass, often portrayed at criminal and morally deficient.

Question 6

Criticising marsland and Murray

Answer 6

Only a small minority of single mothers become pregnant intentionally.
Young married women recognise that lone single parenthood is likely to lead to poverty and unlikely to lead to preferential allocation of housing by local authorities.
The vast majority of lone single parents would prefer too be employed .
It is not clear that the absence of a father present in the household necessarily discourages boys from acceptance of the necessity of future employment in preparation for parenthood.

Question 7

Evaluation

Answer 7

Single mothers were 2.5 times more likely than married mothers to experience high levels of psychological distress. 16% to 8% children from lone parent families to have mental health problems.

Question 8

Criticisms and implications

Answer 8

Bernades 1997 said the butler family portrayed by the new right is too good to be true and fails to acknowledge the negative side of the family.
Chambers 2001 said the new right created undue fears about so called problem families in order to justify cuts in welfare spending.
It can be seen as victim blaming.
Feminists say it is patriarchal because it restricts women to the home. It portrays divorce in a negative way. Dismisses other types of family as deviant, broken or wrong.