The New Right
Family Diversity
Charles Murray:
Identified three classes of people
Underclass – people who exist outside main culture/bottom of class system
The New Rabble – long-term unemployed, welfare dependants, single mothers
The New Victorians – respectable middle class, marry, socialise children, pay taxes
Believe:
Children need a male and female role model for adequate socialisation
Single parents cost too much in benefits
Man = breadwinner, Women = stay at home
Nuclear family important in society, central stabilising feature of modern life
Nuclear family undermined by social policies eg divorce
Breakdown of family is responsible for rising crime rates
Criticisms:
Fails to acknowledge that unequal relationships exist in some families
Intolerant and inclusive
Ignores the dark side of families - abuse
Many single parents do socialise children well
Cutting benefits ultimately only makes children suffer
Too political in views
Identified three classes of people
Underclass – people who exist outside main culture/bottom of class system
The New Rabble – long-term unemployed, welfare dependants, single mothers
The New Victorians – respectable middle class, marry, socialise children, pay taxes
Believe:
Children need a male and female role model for adequate socialisation
Single parents cost too much in benefits
Man = breadwinner, Women = stay at home
Nuclear family important in society, central stabilising feature of modern life
Nuclear family undermined by social policies eg divorce
Breakdown of family is responsible for rising crime rates
Criticisms:
Fails to acknowledge that unequal relationships exist in some families
Intolerant and inclusive
Ignores the dark side of families - abuse
Many single parents do socialise children well
Cutting benefits ultimately only makes children suffer
Too political in views
Demographic Trends
Marriage:
In favour of marriage, against cohabitation as more likely to split and create lone parents
Marriage is the cornerstone of civilised and ordered society
Society more stable in “Golden olden days”, less crime, lower drug abuse, believe due to married parents
Morgan (2000):
Married men are more employed
Office for National Statistics (2007):
Married people live longer
Morgan (2006):
Tax and welfare state does not support marriage - argue against with Tax break scheme
Divorce:
Too easy, should be made more difficult so people work on marriages
Believe government should discourage divorce
Rogers + Pryer (1998):
Children from separated families more likely to...
Suffer behavioural problems
Underachieve at school
Become sexually active earlier
Smoke, drink + use drugs as a teen
Buchanan:
Conflict during divorce, children more likely to suffer mental health problems
In favour of marriage, against cohabitation as more likely to split and create lone parents
Marriage is the cornerstone of civilised and ordered society
Society more stable in “Golden olden days”, less crime, lower drug abuse, believe due to married parents
Morgan (2000):
Married men are more employed
Office for National Statistics (2007):
Married people live longer
Morgan (2006):
Tax and welfare state does not support marriage - argue against with Tax break scheme
Divorce:
Too easy, should be made more difficult so people work on marriages
Believe government should discourage divorce
Rogers + Pryer (1998):
Children from separated families more likely to...
Suffer behavioural problems
Underachieve at school
Become sexually active earlier
Smoke, drink + use drugs as a teen
Buchanan:
Conflict during divorce, children more likely to suffer mental health problems
Social Policy
Familial ideology is nuclear
Abortion, homosexuality and divorce all contribute to “social decline”, undermining nuclear family
Morgan (2000):
Government is “anti-marriage” - divorce reform, encouraging women to work, welfare benefits single parents (tax breaks shows in favour of nuclear)
Valerie Riches:
Sex education harms young
Making women work undermines male role
Same sex families “not natural”
Opposes single parents
Against contraception as it promotes promiscuity
Criticisms:
Some policies support nuclear families - tax breaks
Child benefit paid to mother - supports women should have responsibility of children
Some legislation not bad - marital rape illegal, Children’s Acts etc.
Argue undermine traditional male dominance but many actually strengthens the family unit
Allan (1985):
Policies discourage single parents
Abortion, homosexuality and divorce all contribute to “social decline”, undermining nuclear family
Morgan (2000):
Government is “anti-marriage” - divorce reform, encouraging women to work, welfare benefits single parents (tax breaks shows in favour of nuclear)
Valerie Riches:
Sex education harms young
Making women work undermines male role
Same sex families “not natural”
Opposes single parents
Against contraception as it promotes promiscuity
Criticisms:
Some policies support nuclear families - tax breaks
Child benefit paid to mother - supports women should have responsibility of children
Some legislation not bad - marital rape illegal, Children’s Acts etc.
Argue undermine traditional male dominance but many actually strengthens the family unit
Allan (1985):
Policies discourage single parents
Gender Roles
Domestic Labour:
Worry about Willmott and Young's findings, however...
British Social Attitudes Survey:
Found a trend of men doing more
Women still do more in home
Men stick to “traditional “ men’s jobs
Worry about Willmott and Young's findings, however...
British Social Attitudes Survey:
Found a trend of men doing more
Women still do more in home
Men stick to “traditional “ men’s jobs