conservative new right 1979-1997

• conservative governments that view NF as ideal and opposes state intervention within family life
• argue NF reflects organic divisions of labour

  • families that perform instrumental/expressive roles are 'self reliant'
• firmly reject 'alternative family' as they have a damaging impact on children and the state
• murray

  blames welfare state for causing the increase in lone parent families and dependency culture where individuals can depend on the state to support families

  • views benefits as 'perverse incentives' that rewards irresponsible behaviour

  eg. fathers abandoning children as there are single parent benefits
• by cutting welfare benefits places more pressure on parents to take care of their children
• the children act 1989


  a piece of legislation that clearly outlined the rights of children
• child support agency 1993

  established to ensure that fathers pay maintenance for the children to discourage single parenthood and having kids outside marriage
• tax and welfare benefits

  introduced for married couples to reduce cohabitation and divorce and to encourage marriage
• section 28


  the government prevented the teaching and promotion of homosexuality to discourage alternative families and relationships
• privatised care for the elderly

  placed strain on poorer families, in which women would usually take responsibility
• margaret thatcher cut free milk at school for nursery kids so parents can provide for their own children
• X new right policies blame the victim (single parents) rather than society
• X these policies increased inequality and poverty amongst the w/c who rely on the state
• X feminists argue these policies uphold gender inequalities as no measures where taken to introduce free/reduced childcare costs which then forces women to perform the expressive role
• X the government's aim to maintain the traditional NF failed in this period as there was:

  • the largest growth in family diversity
  • the largest increase in divorces
  • the largest reduction is marriages
  • important changes in attitudes to sexual orientation