new right - families and households.

• New Right theory gained influence in sociology in the 1980s. It's based on the idea that the traditional nuclear family and it's values are best for society.
• New Right theorists say that social policies on family, children, divorce and welfare have undermined the family.
• Charles Murray is a New Right sociologist who says the traditional family is under threat.
• Murray (1989) says that welfare benefits are too high and create a 'culture of dependency' where an individual finds it easy and acceptable to take benefits rather than work.
• New Right theorists are concerned about giving lots of welfare benefits to single mothers. They also think that it's a very bad idea for children to be bought up in families where adults aren't working.
• New Right theorists believe that the increase in lone-parent and reconstituted families and easier access to divorce have led to a breakdown in traditional values. They say that this causes social problems such as crime to increase.
• Some politicians gave made use of New Right theory. It's had an influence on social policy -making it harder for people to get benefits.
• New Right theory has been criticised for 'blaming the victim ' for their problems.