Functionalism & New right policy:
Functionalist thinking has influenced new right political thinking which is strictly conservative, anti-feminist & stresses the importance of the Nuclear family & the dangers of family diversity.
Fletcher (1966) highlights how the family is 'helped out' by the state so that it can perform it's functions more effectively.
New right politics have taken this a step further & argue that families should be self-reliant & require minimum 'outside'/ 'state' help. The nuclear family is ideally set up to be 'Self-sufficient'.
Murray = newright = anti- policy
"fathers abandon their families as the state will provide for them."
"Council housing promotes teenage pregnancy & undermines marriage."
Benefits encourage lone-parents who in turn promote deviance & a welfare dependant underclass.
New Labour:
Despite the fact that New right politics is heavily Conservative, New Labour has also tended to favour the 'Traditional' nuclear family (although they are more accepting of diversity)
One of the major differences between new labour and new right is that new labour believe that state intervention and aid actually helps families out (particularly low income families rather than encourages 'Dependency'
New labour policies include:
policies are based on the assumption that the normal type of family is nuclear headed by males who perform the instrumental role meaning that women should be economically dependant on them & must care for children.
Patriarchial policies will encourage marriage & the gendered division of labour. Tax and benefit policies assume that men are the main breadwinner making it difficult for wives to claim benefits in their own right.
policies that seem to benefit women often actually benefit men more e.g Maternity leave child benefit being paid to women.
Feminist arguments on gender biased family policy can be used when considering equality with families.
Drew 1995 gender Regimes:
Drew argues that family policies help to promote gender regimes that can prevent or reinforce gender inequality in the family.
Functionalist thinking has influenced new right political thinking which is strictly conservative, anti-feminist & stresses the importance of the Nuclear family & the dangers of family diversity.
Fletcher (1966) highlights how the family is 'helped out' by the state so that it can perform it's functions more effectively.
New right politics have taken this a step further & argue that families should be self-reliant & require minimum 'outside'/ 'state' help. The nuclear family is ideally set up to be 'Self-sufficient'.
Murray = newright = anti- policy
"fathers abandon their families as the state will provide for them."
"Council housing promotes teenage pregnancy & undermines marriage."
Benefits encourage lone-parents who in turn promote deviance & a welfare dependant underclass.
New Labour:
Despite the fact that New right politics is heavily Conservative, New Labour has also tended to favour the 'Traditional' nuclear family (although they are more accepting of diversity)
One of the major differences between new labour and new right is that new labour believe that state intervention and aid actually helps families out (particularly low income families rather than encourages 'Dependency'
New labour policies include:
- The new deal for lone parents 2001
- the adoption reform act 2002
- national minimum wage act 1998
- family tax credits (means tested)
policies are based on the assumption that the normal type of family is nuclear headed by males who perform the instrumental role meaning that women should be economically dependant on them & must care for children.
Patriarchial policies will encourage marriage & the gendered division of labour. Tax and benefit policies assume that men are the main breadwinner making it difficult for wives to claim benefits in their own right.
policies that seem to benefit women often actually benefit men more e.g Maternity leave child benefit being paid to women.
Feminist arguments on gender biased family policy can be used when considering equality with families.
Drew 1995 gender Regimes:
Drew argues that family policies help to promote gender regimes that can prevent or reinforce gender inequality in the family.
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