Theories of the Family - The New Right Theory of the Family

Question 1

When did the new right theory begin?

Answer 1

Early 1980s

Question 2

Who was theory formulated by?

Answer 2

Thinkers who share conservative values and ideas about the family

Question 3

What is the theory similar to?

Answer 3

Functionalism

Question 4

What is the most natural and desirable family type for a stable society?

Answer 4

Nuclear family

Question 5

What has declined in popularity over last 30-40 years?

Answer 5

Traditional beliefs about marriage and family

Question 6

What does theory believe nuclear family is based on?

Answer 6

Fundamental biological differences between men and women

Question 7

What is important for children according to theory?

Answer 7

Important for children to have stable home, with married parents and a mum who ideally stays at home

Question 8

What views and institutions does theory support?

Answer 8

Traditional views and institutions

Question 9

When does theory believe there was a golden age of the family?

Answer 9

1950s

Question 10

What was the golden age of family?

Answer 10

Time in which husbands and wives stayed together and children were brought up to respect their elders and social institutions

Question 11

What has happened to the nuclear family since the golden age?

Answer 11

Nuclear family has been in decline

Question 12

How has the state encouraged a decline in traditional family values since 1960s?

Answer 12

-Legalisation of abortion
-Contraceptive pill
-Equal pay legislation
-Lowering homosexual age of consent
-1969 divorce reform act

Question 13

What did introduction of welfare state lead to?

Answer 13

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

Question 14

What leads to deviancy and a decline in morality?

Answer 14

Single parenting

Question 15

Children from broken homes are about 5x more likely to develop what?

Answer 15

Emotional problems

Question 16

Young people from broken homes are 3x more likely to become what?

Answer 16

Aggressive or badly behaved

Question 17

Children from broken homes are 9x more likely to become what?

Answer 17

Young offenders

Question 18

Lone parent families more than 2x more likely to live in what?

Answer 18

Poverty

Question 19

What did Flouri and Buchanan find about children of divorced parents who had fathers still involved?

Answer 19

Children likely to be more successful in gaining educational qualifications and less likely to be homeless or get in trouble with police

Question 20

The centre of social justice report ‘fractured families’ - Children parented by lone mother more likely to what?

Answer 20

-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

Question 21

What did theory encourage conservative government to launch?

Answer 21

‘Back to basics’ campaign 1993 to encourage return to traditional family values

Question 22

What does welfare state encourage?

Answer 22

Dependency culture where people depend on benefits for income rather than job

Question 23

Solutions for new right thinkers

Answer 23

-Discourage welfare dependancy
-Provide tax relief for nuclear families
-Change social policies
-Change divorce legislation

Question 24

Maternal deprivation

Answer 24

Separation of mother and infant during early stage of child’s life can have negative effect on child’s social and emotional development

Question 25

What does Mooney believe is more important than parental separation as an influence in producing negative outcomes in children?

Answer 25

Parental conflict

Question 26

What do Ford and Miller believe about people being paid state benefits?

Answer 26

They may still experience poverty, debt and material hardship

Question 27

How do feminist sociologists criticise new right?

Answer 27

One-parent family is unfairly discriminated against because of family ideology which emphasises nuclear family ideal

Question 28

What does new right rarely make criticisms of?

Answer 28

Thousands of mc one-parent families