Theories of the Family - The New Right Theory of the Family Flashcards
When did the new right theory begin?
Early 1980s
Who was theory formulated by?
Thinkers who share conservative values and ideas about the family
What is the theory similar to?
Functionalism
What is the most natural and desirable family type for a stable society?
Nuclear family
What has declined in popularity over last 30-40 years?
Traditional beliefs about marriage and family
What does theory believe nuclear family is based on?
Fundamental biological differences between men and women
What is important for children according to theory?
Important for children to have stable home, with married parents and a mum who ideally stays at home
What views and institutions does theory support?
Traditional views and institutions
When does theory believe there was a golden age of the family?
1950s
What was the golden age of family?
Time in which husbands and wives stayed together and children were brought up to respect their elders and social institutions
What has happened to the nuclear family since the golden age?
Nuclear family has been in decline
How has the state encouraged a decline in traditional family values since 1960s?
-Legalisation of abortion
-Contraceptive pill
-Equal pay legislation
-Lowering homosexual age of consent
-1969 divorce reform act
What did introduction of welfare state lead to?
Culture where people depend on hand-outs from the state which encourages single parenting as couples don’t have to depend on each other for money
What leads to deviancy and a decline in morality?
Single parenting
Children from broken homes are about 5x more likely to develop what?
Emotional problems
Young people from broken homes are 3x more likely to become what?
Aggressive or badly behaved
Children from broken homes are 9x more likely to become what?
Young offenders
Lone parent families more than 2x more likely to live in what?
Poverty
What did Flouri and Buchanan find about children of divorced parents who had fathers still involved?
Children likely to be more successful in gaining educational qualifications and less likely to be homeless or get in trouble with police
The centre of social justice report ‘fractured families’ - Children parented by lone mother more likely to what?
-Grow up in poorer housing
-Experience behavioural problems
-Perform less well in school
-Need more medical treatment
-Leave school and home when young
-Become sexually active at early age
-Report more depressive symptoms
What did theory encourage conservative government to launch?
‘Back to basics’ campaign 1993 to encourage return to traditional family values
What does welfare state encourage?
Dependency culture where people depend on benefits for income rather than job
Solutions for new right thinkers
-Discourage welfare dependancy
-Provide tax relief for nuclear families
-Change social policies
-Change divorce legislation
Maternal deprivation
Separation of mother and infant during early stage of child’s life can have negative effect on child’s social and emotional development
What does Mooney believe is more important than parental separation as an influence in producing negative outcomes in children?
Parental conflict
What do Ford and Miller believe about people being paid state benefits?
They may still experience poverty, debt and material hardship
How do feminist sociologists criticise new right?
One-parent family is unfairly discriminated against because of family ideology which emphasises nuclear family ideal
What does new right rarely make criticisms of?
Thousands of mc one-parent families
