New Right Perspective

• What type of family does the New Right believe is the ideal type of family?

  The traditional nuclear family
• Why do the New Right support social policies that encourage nuclear families?

  They believe it is the most stable environment for raising children
• How do the New Right view married families compared to cohabiting families?

  They see married families as less likely to break up
• What is the New Right's stance on single-parent families and the Welfare State?

  They are against single-parent families and believe the Welfare State encourages them
• During which years did New Right thinking dominate policy development in the UK?

  1979 to 1997
• What do the New Right believe is the cornerstone of society?

  The traditional nuclear family
• What social problems do the New Right attribute to the decline of the traditional family?

  Higher crime rates and declining moral standards
• What do the New Right believe about the role of the wife in a family?

  That she should ideally stay at home to look after the children
• How do the New Right view the introduction of the welfare state?

  As leading to a culture of dependency on state hand-outs
• What campaign did the conservative government launch in 1993 influenced by New Right thinking?

  The Back to Basics campaign
• What was a criticism of the Back to Basics campaign?

  It was seen as unsuccessful and hypocritical
• What is the Troubled Families Programme?

  A program targeting underclass and lone-parent families with interventions
• What percentage of children born to cohabiting couples see their parents break up before their fifth birthday?

  52%
• How much more likely are children from broken homes to develop emotional problems?

  Almost five times more likely
• What is the likelihood of young people from broken homes becoming aggressive or badly behaved?

  Three times as likely
• How does poverty relate to lone-parent families according to the New Right?

  Lone-parent families are more than twice as likely to live in poverty
• How much more likely are children from broken homes to become young offenders?

  Nine times more likely
• What is a major flaw in the New Right's reliance on correlations between family types and social problems?

  Correlation does not imply causation
• What alternative explanation do critics provide for the problems faced by children from lone-parent families?

  Higher levels of poverty suffered by lone parents
• How do wealthier middle-class couples differ from poorer lower-class couples regarding marriage?

  Wealthier couples can afford the costs of getting married
• What do feminists argue about higher levels of relationship breakdowns and divorce?

  They are not necessarily bad and can be beneficial
• What do feminists believe about traditional gender roles supported by the New Right?

  They view them as socially determined and oppressive to women
• How do the New Right stereotype single parents?

  They wage a moral panic against them
• What do most single parents desire regarding employment?

  They want to work but struggle to find flexible jobs
• What do critics say about the New Right's view on the decline of the nuclear family?

  They argue it has been exaggerated
• What is the general trend regarding marriage and children in society today?

  Most adults still marry and have children
• What happens to most divorcees after divorce?

  Most divorcees remarry
• What is the New Right perspective on family structures?

  The New Right perspective emphasizes the nuclear family as the ideal family structure.
• How does the New Right view the nuclear family?

  The New Right views the nuclear family as the 'normal' and ideal type of family.
• What are the characteristics of the ideal nuclear family according to the New Right?

  The ideal nuclear family consists of a married mother and father, with a breadwinner father and a stay-at-home mother.
• What does the New Right believe about family diversity?

  The New Right believes there is a decline in nuclear families due to the rise of single-parent and cohabiting families.
• What problems does the New Right associate with the decline of the nuclear family?

  The New Right associates the decline of the nuclear family with increased crime, poverty, and a decline in morality.
• What type of family structure does the New Right favor?

  The New Right favors the traditional two-parent family structure.
• What are the 'other' types of families that the New Right opposes?

  The New Right opposes single-parent, reconstituted, cohabiting, and non-heterosexual families.
• How does the New Right view welfare benefits?

  The New Right views generous welfare benefits as harmful, creating a culture of dependency on the state.
• What consequences does the New Right associate with easy divorce?

  The New Right believes easy divorce leads to higher levels of single-parent and reconstituted families.
• What are the potential outcomes for children from broken marriages according to the New Right?

  Children from broken marriages are more likely to experience poverty, skip school, and commit crimes.
• What does the New Right believe about alternative family structures?

  The New Right believes that alternative family structures undermine the value of the nuclear family.
• Who is a prominent thinker associated with the New Right?

  Charles Murray is a prominent thinker associated with the New Right.
• What is the New Right's stance on social policies that support non-traditional families?

  The New Right opposes social policies that support non-traditional families.