FAMILIES & HOUSEHOLDS - THE NEW RIGHT

Who is the new right?

A political right wing party , associated with the conservative/tory party

• run by Margaret Thatcher

What ideologies do right wing combine?

Neo-liberal and neo-conservative

Following WW2, what party was elected?

The Labour Party

What was the good thing about the Labour Party?

They chose to nationalize services such as Bank of England, railways, heavy industry, coal and mining

What did the Labour government introduce?

The National Health Service (NHS) - the welfare state gave people free healthcare and introduction to benefits

What did Margaret Thatcher do to this?

She shut down unions - mining unions

What did the free healthcare do?

Lead to higher tides and trade unions had a large say in how industries were run

What is neo-liberalism?

Economic policy that refers to less state intervention and more public companies ran by private companies

What is it called when public services is ran by private companies?

Privatization

What other industries could private industries buy?

Rail, buses, airlines, gas/electric, coal/steel

Did the government pay these companies?

Yes - government paid these companies to provide a service to the public and allow them to charge for these goods

What are the advantages of privatization?

• improved management of services

• could creates jobs

• access to appointments would be quicker

What are the disadvantages of privatization?

• people cannot afford these bills as would be expensive

• prioritizes richer people

• people denied basic human rights

• those who have more money would be seen first, despite poorer people being more ill

What is neo-conservatism?

A new branch of conservatism concerned with tough law & order

Do the new right agree or disagree with functionalist views? (2)

They agree with the view that society should share traditional values and they see th nuclear family an important and beneficial function in society to ensure social stability

How does the nuclear family ensure it provides social stability?

Providing emotional support for the children, socializing them into society

What does new rights support?

Gender roles

Men - instrumental

Women - expressive

Do the new right see the traditional family as under threat? (3)

Yes from social changes

• divorce

• stepfamilies

• cohabitation

What did the new right say was the consequences of the nuclear family being under threat?

• lack of respect

• anti social behavior

• underachievement in education

• lack of discipline

• alcohol and drug abuse

Who do the new right think is to blame?

Working class mothers - who put their own careers above their needs of children

Why do they think mother pursuing their career is to blame?

The lack of male role models in the family

What is the name of the spokesperson of the new right and their criticisms?

Charles Murray

What did Charles Murray said the welfare state undermined?

Personal responsibility - believed that families no longer support each other

Which people do Charles Murray oppose receiving welfare support?

Lone parents

Why?

This encourages single women to have children they can't afford knowing they cant afford them so will get help from the state

What is an example of receiving help from the state?

• universal credit

• benefits (jobs seekers allowance)

What do people argue that children do not get growing up in a benefit claiming house?

Lack of primary socialization - believe these are the norms

What do they believe the decline in nuclear family/lone parent families is creating?

Dependency culture and work shy underclass who don't want to work and will life off benefits

What do the new right want to do to fix these problems?

Measures/policies to reduce divorce and births outside of marriages

What is an example of how to reduce this problem?

Reduction in welfare states benefits for non conventional family units

Who are benefits offered to?

Nuclear families with traditional gender roles

Who do they think they should offer tax relief for?

Married couple

What type of family does the New Right believe cause children to suffer problems?

Separated families

Why do lone parent cause children to suffer from problems?

Higher levels of poverty

Why might people not get married?

Weddings are expensive so working class families may prefer to cohabitate

Do feminists believe divorce can be good or bad thing?

Good - it may be more beneficial than living in domestically abusing homes

What do feminists argue that gender roles are what?

Socially determined rather than biologically (seen as oppressive to women)

What do the New Right stereotype lone parents as?

"Welfare scroungers"