The New Right approach to family

The New Right approach to family

1. Conservative and anti-feminist perseptive

   • Patriarchal Nuclear family serves society
     • Homemaker-wife
     • Breadwinner-husband
     • Biological differences (like Parsons)
     • Marriage = stability

2. Family diversity and decline in NF led to social problems

   • Teen pregnancy
     • Only makes up 2% of lone-parent families
   • Failed education
   • High crime rates
   • Poverty
   • Future family breakdown more likely

3. Lone-parent families

   • Unnatural and harmful to chidlren
   • Lack role model
   • Inadequate socialisation
   • Burden on welfare state
     • Depends on child's age - if child is 12 above, lone mother earns similar or higher wage to average earner
   • Disapprove of working mothers
   • Cohabitation & divorce = instability

4. Criticism

   • Level of commitment, not marriage, creates stability
   • Assumed all NF's are good, and all lone parents are bad
   • Doesn't explain social issues derived from NF
   • Cultural differences in gender roles argues against biological differences
   • Feminists: instills partriachy
   • Little/no evidence that lone-parents are part of a 'dependency culture'

5. Welfare state needed because of lone parents

   • High taxation creates 'perverse incentive' - punish responsible behaviour and reward irresponsible
   • Encourages dependenyc culture