Overview of the New Right Perspective on Families and Households
The New Right perspective on families and households is based on traditional values and conservative ideologies.
It emphasizes the importance of the nuclear family as the ideal family structure and is critical of alternative family types and social policies that, according to them, undermine the stability of society
The New Right perspective, which gained prominence in the 1980s (firstly in the USA), argues that the traditional nuclear family (a married, heterosexual couple with children) is the ideal family structure.
The New Right believe this family type provides the most stable environment for raising children and maintaining social order.
The New Right criticises other family forms, such as single-parent families, same sex couples and cohabiting couples, arguing that they lead to social problems like higher crime rates and declining moral standards.
Broader New Right Perspective
The views of the New Right are as much a political, as a sociological, theory.
Sociological Theory: The New Right are influenced by functionalism, which views the nuclear family as a key institution in society. They believe that the traditional family structure – married couple and biological children – is natural and essential for social stability. The New Right argue that the decline of the nuclear family leads to social problems such as crime, poor educational performance, and dependency on welfare.
The New Right uses the term ‘perverse benefits’ to describe the unintended (negative) consequences arising from social policies designed to help people. These consequences are seen as counterproductive, leading to harm instead of providing support. For example, welfare policies intended to assist individuals in need can create dependency, reducing their motivation to work and resulting in long-term reliance on state support.
Political Theory: Politically, the New Right advocates for minimal state intervention in family matters. They believe that social policies, such as welfare benefits, encourage single parenthood and dependency on the state, which in turn leads to social problems. The New Right supports policies that promote traditional family values and discourage alternatives.
The New Right’s views on the family are influenced by neoliberalism, which emphasises free markets, individualism, and a reduced role for the state. They believe that the state should not interfere in family life except to uphold traditional values and encourage personal responsibility. This perspective aligns with their broader political goals of reducing government intervention and promoting a market-oriented society.
Key Theorists and Examples
Charles Murray: Murray is known for his criticism of welfare policies. In his book, “Losing Ground” (1984), he argues that welfare benefits create a dependency culture and incentivize single parenthood, contributing to the decline of the nuclear family.
Murray’s research in the United States highlighted the negative impacts of welfare dependency on family structures and social stability.
Critics claim that Murray’s analysis is overly simplistic and doesn’t account for the complexity of social issues. By focusing primarily on family structure, Murray’s views are seen as ignoring other important factors such as poverty, unemployment, and social support systems that contribute to social problems.
The New Right’s policy recommendations based on Murray’s views, such as reducing welfare benefits and promoting marriage, are controversial because they can have unintended consequences. For example, reducing welfare benefits might push families into deeper poverty, exacerbating the very problems the policies aim to address.
Patricia Morgan: In her book “The War Between the State and the Family” (2007), Patricia Morgan argues that state intervention in family life undermines traditional family values.
She suggests that policies such as no-fault divorce and childcare subsidies promote family breakdown and discourage marriage.
Morgan criticises welfare policies that she believes encourage single parenthood and dependency on state support. She argues that these policies undermine the traditional family and lead to social problems such as crime and poor educational outcomes.
Morgan supports policies that promote marriage and discourage cohabitation and single parenthood. She believes that marriage provides a more stable environment for children and helps maintain social order.
Morgan’s views on family and social policies are controversial because they are seen as overly simplistic, blaming single mothers for societal problems, ignoring the positive aspects of non-traditional families, lacking empirical support, and being ethnocentric.
David Marsland: Marsland emphasizes the importance of self-reliance and criticises the welfare state for fostering dependency.
Marsland argues that welfare benefits should be limited to encourage individuals to support themselves and their families, thereby promoting social stability.
Critics argue that Marsland’s views place too much emphasis on individual responsibility and ignore structural factors such as economic inequality, lack of access to education, and social support systems that contribute to social problems.
Overall, Marsland’s New Right views on social policy and welfare are controversial because they emphasize individual responsibility and market solutions while neglecting structural factors and social inequality. His perspectives are criticized for lacking empirical support (very little actual research) perpetuating negative stereotypes, and being ethnocentric (based around a view of one ethnic group).
Application of New Right Theories
These examples should be used in answers relating to family policies influenced by the New Right It is important to note that although the policies are mostly the product of Conservative governments, they have proved to be ‘popular’ with all governments in the UK since the early 1980s.
Back to Basics Campaign: Initiated by Prime Minister John Major in 1993, this campaign aimed to promote traditional family values and reduce crime and social disorder. The campaign encouraged the return to a moral code based on family, responsibility, and respect for others.
Marriage Tax Allowance: This policy, introduced by the UK government, aims to support traditional marriage by offering tax benefits to married couples. The New Right supports such policies as they believe they strengthen the institution of marriage and encourage family stability.
Troubled Families Programme: Launched in 2011 by the UK government, this programme targets families with multiple social problems, such as unemployment, truancy, and antisocial behaviour. The New Right perspective would argue that such interventions are necessary to address the issues caused by the decline of the nuclear family.
Child Benefit Cuts: In 2013, the government introduced cuts to child benefits, reducing the amount that higher-income families could receive. This policy aimed to target benefits more effectively and reduce public spending, reflecting New Right views on reducing welfare dependency and promoting self-reliance.
Universal Credit Reforms: The Conservative government (2015-24) introduced Universal Credit to simplify the benefits system and encourage work. However, critics argue that the policy reflects New Right ideas by promoting self-reliance and reducing dependency on state support. The reforms have been criticized for causing financial hardship, particularly for single-parent families who may struggle to meet their basic needs.
Two-Child Limit: The two-child limit, introduced in 2017, restricts child tax credits and Universal Credit to the first two children in a family. This policy aligns with New Right ideas by aiming to reduce welfare dependency and encourage personal responsibility. Critics argue that it disproportionately affects larger families and low-income households, potentially increasing child poverty.
Critics argue that New Right policies often fail to address the root causes of social problems and can exacerbate inequalities. They claim that these policies stigmatize single-parent families and low-income households, leading to increased social exclusion and hardship. Additionally, critics argue that the focus on traditional family values overlooks the diversity of family forms and the positive aspects of non-traditional families.
How the New Right’s vies on family compare with other perspectives
Functionalism
Similarities:
Value of the Nuclear Family: Both Functionalism and the New Right emphasize the importance of the nuclear family for societal stability and the socialisation of children.
Differences:
Adaptability: Talcott Parsons acknowledged that family structures can adapt to societal changes. For example, his work on the ‘fit thesis’ argued that the nuclear family became dominant during industrialisation because it was more adaptable. In contrast, the New Right often perceives non-traditional family forms as inherently problematic.
Gender Roles: Parsons identified two essential roles within the family—the instrumental role of the male breadwinner and the expressive role of the female homemaker. While Functionalists recognize that these roles can evolve, the New Right holds a more rigid view, often advocating for the return to traditional gender roles.
Marxism
Similarities:
Critique of Social Inequality: Both perspectives critique social inequality but from different angles.
Differences:
Role of the Family: Friedrich Engels argued that the nuclear family emerged to ensure the inheritance of private property and perpetuate class inequalities. The New Right, however, sees the family as a stabilizing force that upholds societal values and moral standards.
Economic Focus: Marxists emphasize the economic functions of the family. For instance, Eli Zaretsky argued that the family is a unit of consumption that supports the capitalist economy. The New Right focuses more on the moral and social functions of the family, such as discipline and socialisation.
Feminism
Similarities:
Focus on Gender Roles: Both perspectives analyse gender roles within the family, though from vastly different viewpoints.
Differences:
Source of Oppression: Radical feminists like Germaine Greer argue that the traditional nuclear family perpetuates gender inequality and oppression through domestic violence and the unpaid labour of women. In contrast, the New Right views this family structure as essential for social stability and moral order.
Family Diversity: Feminists advocate for diverse family structures and challenge the traditional gender roles upheld by the New Right. For example, Ann Oakley highlighted the negative impact of traditional gender roles on women’s mental health and career opportunities.
Postmodernism
Similarities:
Recognition of Family Diversity: Both perspectives acknowledge the existence of various family structures, but the New Right does not consider them ideal, unlike Postmodernism which celebrates this diversity.
Differences:
Flexibility and Choice: Postmodernists like Judith Stacey argue that individual choice and the fluid nature of family forms are positive developments that reflect broader social changes. In contrast, the New Right tends to view these changes as threats to social stability and moral order.
Impact of Societal Changes: Postmodernists see societal changes, such as increased divorce rates and the rise of same-sex families, as opportunities for new family forms to emerge. The New Right, however, often sees these changes as contributing to social problems.
Late Modernism
Similarities:
Acknowledgment of Family Instability: Both perspectives recognize that family breakdowns can occur, though they interpret their causes differently.
Differences:
Cause of Instability: Late modernists like Anthony Giddens argue that family instability results from broader societal uncertainties and the reflexive nature of modern relationships. The New Right, on the other hand, attributes family breakdowns to deviations from the traditional nuclear family model and declining moral standards.
Diversity of Family Forms: Late modernists highlight the increasing diversity of family forms, such as cohabitation and single-parent families. The New Right, however, emphasizes the superiority of the nuclear family and often views other family forms as inferior.
The New Right perspective on the family, with its advocacy for the traditional nuclear family, is distinct in its emphasis on social stability and moral order.
Alternative sociological viewpoints, however, offer more nuanced understandings of family dynamics by considering broader social, economic, and cultural factors.
These perspectives highlight the importance of family diversity and the adaptability of family structures, challenging the New Right’s narrow view of the ideal family.
Critical Evaluation
The New Right perspective is criticised for its narrow view of family diversity and its failure to recognize the benefits of alternative family structures.
While it emphasizes stability and social order, it overlooks the potential for non-traditional families to provide supportive and loving environments. Additionally, its focus on the nuclear family as the only ideal structure is seen as outdated and not reflective of contemporary societal changes.
In contrast, alternative sociological perspectives offer a more nuanced understanding of family dynamics, recognizing the importance and reality of diversity and the impact of broader social and cultural changes. These viewpoints highlight the need to consider multiple family forms and the various ways they can contribute to social stability and individual well-being.
Strengths: The New Right perspective brings attention to the significance of stable family structures for child development and social order. Policies such as the Marriage Tax Allowance aim to support and strengthen traditional family forms, which they argue are beneficial for society.
Weaknesses: Critics argue that the New Right perspective is overly simplistic and idealistic. Sociologists such as Becky Tipper and Carol Smart argue that it fails to acknowledge the complexity and diversity of family forms in contemporary society. They also highlight that the New Right perspective often overlooks the structural factors, such as poverty and economic inequality, that contribute to family breakdown.
Feminist Critique: Feminists like Ann Oakley argue that the New Right perspective reinforces traditional gender roles and marginalizes women by promoting a patriarchal family structure.
Marxist Critique: Marxist sociologists such as Eli Zaretsky argue that the New Right perspective ignores the impact of capitalism on family structures. Marxists believe that the New Right perspective on families serves to reinforce class inequality, promote ideological control, and stigmatize non-traditional family structures. They argue that this perspective ignores structural factors and perpetuates gender inequality, ultimately serving the interests of the capitalist class.
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE – 30 QUESTIONS
What is the New Right perspective on the traditional family?
- What is the New Right perspective on the traditional family?
- Why does the New Right support the nuclear family model?
- What role do New Right theorists believe mothers should play in the family?
- How do New Right views on family differ from feminist perspectives?
- What is the New Right’s stance on government intervention in family life?
- Why do New Right theorists criticise single-parent families?
- What is the New Right’s opinion on same-sex families?
- How do New Right theorists view the welfare state?
- What social policies do New Right supporters advocate for families?
- How do New Right views on family influence their education policies?
- Why do New Right theorists value marriage?
- What criticisms do sociologists have of New Right views on the family?
- How do New Right views on family align with their economic policies?
- What is the New Right’s perspective on cohabitation?
- Why do New Right theorists support tax incentives for married couples?
- How do New Right views on family reflect their broader social philosophy?
- What role do fathers play in the New Right’s ideal family?
- How do New Right theorists view divorce?
- What impact do New Right policies aim to have on society?
- How do New Right views on family respond to changes in modern society?
- What was the aim of the ‘Back to Basics’ campaign launched by the Conservative government in 1993?
- How did the New Right influence the Conservative government’s policies on welfare?
- What is the Troubled Families Programme, and how does it align with New Right views?
- How did New Right policies impact single-parent families in the UK?
- What was the New Right’s stance on cohabitation and its impact on children?
- How did New Right policies affect divorce laws in the UK?
- What role did tax incentives play in New Right family policies?
- How did New Right family policies address the issue of teenage pregnancy?
- What was the New Right’s view on the role of fathers in the family?
- How did New Right policies impact the education system in the UK?