Similarities to Functionalists: Case study: Benefit Street
Nuclear family is the best type of family Most of the people living on the street are welfare dependant
Marriage is more stable/secure than cohabitation
Divorce is bad
Same sex families are bad Families should be self-reliant - reliance on state welfare
Single parent families are bad leads to a dependency culture and undermines traditional
gender roles. It produces a family breakdown and an
increase of lone-parent families, which results in social
problems due to poor socialisation.
Increased divorce and increase amount of children being born out of wedlock, has
undermined the traditional nuclear family set up.
This is dangerous for society as it leads to lack of socialisation and therefore a lack of The New Right focus on how the nuclear family is in decline
morals and values and how the underclass has grown because of this
One key theorist – Charles Murray
A biologically-based division of labour - the division of labour between a male
breadwinner and a female homemaker is natural and biologically determined. Murray argued that single parents were to blame for all of
society’s problems and that we are now too dependent on the
welfare state
Criticisms of the New Right view of the family
Came up with the idea of the ‘underclass’ and highlighted to
They exaggerate the decline of the nuclear family. Most adults still marry and
specific groups
have children. Most children are reared by their two natural parents. Most
marriages continue until death. Divorce has increased, but most divorcees The New Rabble – including the long term unemployed, the
remarry. welfare dependent and single mothers – this group was
extremely dangerous for society as children were not socialised
Feminism – gender roles are socially determined rather than being fixed by
properly
biology. Traditional gender roles are oppressive to women.
The new Victorians – including the respectable middle classes
Chester argues that the New Right exaggerate the extent of cohabiting and
who marry, socialise their children, work and pay their taxes
single parent families – most children still spend most of their lives in a nuclear
family arrangement.
Nuclear family is the best type of family Most of the people living on the street are welfare dependant
Marriage is more stable/secure than cohabitation
Divorce is bad
Same sex families are bad Families should be self-reliant - reliance on state welfare
Single parent families are bad leads to a dependency culture and undermines traditional
gender roles. It produces a family breakdown and an
increase of lone-parent families, which results in social
problems due to poor socialisation.
Increased divorce and increase amount of children being born out of wedlock, has
undermined the traditional nuclear family set up.
This is dangerous for society as it leads to lack of socialisation and therefore a lack of The New Right focus on how the nuclear family is in decline
morals and values and how the underclass has grown because of this
One key theorist – Charles Murray
A biologically-based division of labour - the division of labour between a male
breadwinner and a female homemaker is natural and biologically determined. Murray argued that single parents were to blame for all of
society’s problems and that we are now too dependent on the
welfare state
Criticisms of the New Right view of the family
Came up with the idea of the ‘underclass’ and highlighted to
They exaggerate the decline of the nuclear family. Most adults still marry and
specific groups
have children. Most children are reared by their two natural parents. Most
marriages continue until death. Divorce has increased, but most divorcees The New Rabble – including the long term unemployed, the
remarry. welfare dependent and single mothers – this group was
extremely dangerous for society as children were not socialised
Feminism – gender roles are socially determined rather than being fixed by
properly
biology. Traditional gender roles are oppressive to women.
The new Victorians – including the respectable middle classes
Chester argues that the New Right exaggerate the extent of cohabiting and
who marry, socialise their children, work and pay their taxes
single parent families – most children still spend most of their lives in a nuclear
family arrangement.
