4.2.4 New Right perspectives on family diversity

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Questions and Answers

What do New Right sociologists believe is the best type of family for raising children?

  • Extended families
  • Cohabiting couples
  • Single-parent families
  • Nuclear families (correct)

According to Patricia Morgan, how should government social policy promote marriage?

  • By providing financial incentives for single parents
  • By offering tax breaks for married couples (correct)
  • By making divorce more accessible
  • By legalizing same-sex marriage

What does Patricia Morgan argue has been a consequence of policies that allow women to enter the workforce on equal terms with men?

  • A decrease in gender disparities in income
  • A decline in the birth rate (correct)
  • A rise in female political representation
  • An increase in female-owned businesses

According to New Right sociologists, which of the following liberal social policies has contributed to the decline of the nuclear family?

<p>The reform of divorce laws (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the main argument of Charles Murray regarding state policies aimed at helping poorer couples?

<p>These policies create a dependency culture and encourage criminal behavior (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

According to Robert Rector, how do social policies that provide financial benefits to the poor affect marriage?

<p>They encourage single parenthood at the expense of married parenthood (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What do New Right perspectives on the family share with functionalist theories?

<p>An emphasis on the importance of the nuclear family (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a central criticism of New Right perspectives on the family?

<p>All of the above (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the 'perverse incentive' that contributes to lone motherhood in the USA and some European countries?

<p>The potential to claim state welfare benefits without the need for a partner (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the destructive feedback loop that the text highlights regarding welfare and marriage?

<p>Welfare benefits discourage marriage, leading to increased need for welfare. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the New Right's perspective on lone mothers and their poverty?

<p>Single mothers choose poverty as a lifestyle preference. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the key argument that Ford and Millar present in contrast to the New Right's perspective?

<p>Poverty is a primary cause of single motherhood rather than its consequence. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant factor that contributes to single motherhood in deprived areas?

<p>Higher rates of unemployment and limited economic options (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the value that single mothers attribute to motherhood, according to the text?

<p>Motherhood is considered as a source of love and pride, providing a sense of fulfillment and purpose. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does the text describe the family structure created by single parenthood?

<p>An inherently imperfect or 'broken' family with challenges in raising children. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of these is NOT mentioned in the text as a factor contributing to the situation of single mothers in European countries and the USA?

<p>The strong social pressure to get married and have children. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

New Right Perspective on Family

A viewpoint that supports the nuclear family as best for raising children and believes it is under threat from state policies.

Patricia Morgan's Argument

Morgan asserts government policies fail to protect marriage and nuclear family life, advocating for marriage promotion.

Impact of State Policies

State policies are seen as weakening marriage and family life by encouraging women's independence over traditional roles.

Cohabitation vs. Marriage

New Right views see cohabitation as less desirable than marriage, advocating policies to discourage it.

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Charles Murray's Dependency Culture

Murray claims welfare and state support have created a culture dependent on government aid, harming family structure.

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Robert Rector's View on Welfare

Rector argues that welfare policies encourage single parenthood, harming the institution of marriage.

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Critique of Divorce Laws

New Right sociologists criticize reforms making divorce easier, arguing it undermines marriage stability.

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Juvenile Crime and Family Structure

The New Right suggests that rising juvenile crime may link to inadequate socialization in homes lacking traditional caregiving.

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Symbolic marriage to the state

Less educated mothers rely on state welfare rather than fathers.

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Welfare as a substitute for a husband

Welfare benefits fulfill financial needs of single mothers in place of partners.

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Destructive feedback loop

Welfare promotes single parenting, leading to increased dependency on welfare.

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Perverse incentive

Benefits that encourage single motherhood instead of marriage.

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Single-parent family view

New Right perspective sees single-parent families as imperfect and ineffective.

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Poverty as a cause of single parenthood

Research shows poverty leads women to become single mothers rather than it being a choice.

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Family life importance

Despite challenges, lone parents prioritize family and children.

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Research by Ford and Millar (1998)

Survey suggests New Right views misinterpret the dynamics of single motherhood and poverty.

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Study Notes

New Right Perspectives on the Family

  • The New Right agrees with functionalists that the nuclear family is ideal for raising children.
  • However, they believe the nuclear family is declining because of government policies.

State and Social Policy's Influence on Families

  • Patricia Morgan argues that government policies, especially in industrialized societies with decreased religious influence, haven't protected marriage and nuclear families.
  • She suggests policies promoting marriage (e.g., tax breaks for couples) and penalizing cohabitation/making divorce harder are needed.
  • Morgan criticizes policies that empower women to enter education and the workforce, arguing these choices lead to lower rates of marriage and childbearing.
  • She also links these changes to potential issues like higher juvenile crime rates and anti-social behavior.

Criticism of Liberal Social Policies

  • New Right sociologists critique liberal policies such as relaxed divorce laws, lack of tax incentives for marriage, and legalization of gay marriage.
  • Charles Murray suggests that government support for lower-income families creates a "dependency culture," leading to a criminal underclass of welfare-dependent families.
  • Robert Rector argues that welfare benefits encourage single parenthood, weakening marriage. He suggests single mothers in some countries are "symbolically married" to the state rather than a partner.

Welfare and the Decline of Marriage

  • Rector notes a feedback loop: welfare promotes a decline in marriage, needing more welfare.
  • Murray highlights a group of single mothers, often long-term unemployed and less educated, who benefit from welfare and are attracted to single motherhood (considered a "perverse incentive").
  • He views the single-parent family as inferior to the nuclear family.

Criticism of the New Right Perspective

  • Reuben Ford and Jane Millar argue the New Right wrongly implies that poverty is a result of choice to become a single mother.
  • Their research suggests poverty is a cause of single parenthood.
  • Single mothers from lower socioeconomic backgrounds in deprived areas are more likely to become single parents, viewing motherhood as a better option than bleak economic prospects.
  • They value parenthood and family life.

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