The New Right Perspective on Family

The New Right perspective is a key topic in Family diversity sociology A Level studies. This conservative, anti-feminist viewpoint aligns closely with functionalist ideas about family structure.

Key aspects of the New Right perspective include:

1. Support for the traditional patriarchal nuclear family
2. Opposition to cohabitation, lone-parent families, and gay marriage
3. Belief that increasing family diversity leads to social problems

Highlight: The New Right is particularly critical of the rise in lone-parent families, arguing that they harm children and society in various ways.

According to the New Right, lone-parent families are problematic because:

• They struggle to discipline children properly
• Boys lack male role models, leading to educational failure and delinquency
• These families are often poorer, becoming a burden on the welfare state and taxpayers

Example: The New Right might argue that a boy raised by a single mother is more likely to engage in criminal behavior due to the absence of a father figure.

Vocabulary: New Right Perspective on family sociology refers to a conservative viewpoint that emphasizes traditional family values and structures.

Criticisms of the New Right view:

1. Oakley (1977) argues that the New Right wrongly assumes husband and wife roles are biologically fixed.
2. Feminists contend that the nuclear family model promoted by the New Right is based on patriarchy and oppresses women.
3. There's a lack of evidence supporting the claim that children from lone-parent families are more likely to be delinquent.

Quote: "The New Right's view of the family is a negative reaction against female equality." - Oakley (1977)

Neo-Conventional Family and Family Diversity

Chester's concept of the neo-conventional family provides an alternative perspective on family diversity, which is crucial for AQA A level Sociology Families and Households revision notes.

Chester recognizes increased family diversity but argues that it's not significantly negative or important. Key points of his theory include:

1. The main change is from the traditional nuclear family to the neo-conventional family.
2. The neo-conventional family is similar to the symmetrical family, featuring dual earners.
3. Different family types are attributed to life cycle stages rather than fundamental social changes.

Definition: The neo-conventional family, as defined by Chester, is a modern family structure that maintains some traditional aspects while adapting to contemporary social norms, such as both parents working.

Evidence supporting Chester's view of limited change:

• Most people still live in households headed by married couples
• The majority of people still marry and have children
• Many divorcees remarry, maintaining the nuclear family structure

Highlight: Chester argues that the importance of family diversity is often exaggerated, and the nuclear family remains the dominant family form.

The Rapoports' perspective on family diversity:

The Rapoports identified five types of family diversity, arguing that this diversity is essential to understanding modern family life. They view family diversity positively, seeing it as an adaptation to a pluralistic society with diverse cultures and lifestyles.

Example: Cultural diversity in families might be seen in the higher prevalence of lone-mother families in African-Caribbean communities, reflecting different cultural norms and historical factors.

This view contrasts with the New Right perspective, emphasizing the benefits of diverse family structures in reflecting increased personal choice and societal pluralism.

Vocabulary: Types of family diversity sociology refers to the various forms of family structures and relationships that exist in society, as identified by sociologists like the Rapoports.

In conclusion, understanding these various perspectives on family diversity is crucial for students studying Theories of the family Sociology A level. Each viewpoint offers unique insights into the changing nature of families and their role in modern society.

Modern Family Diversity and the Rapoports' Theory

The final section examines contemporary perspectives on family diversity and the Rapoports' theoretical framework.

Definition: The Rapoports identified five distinct types of family diversity, emphasizing the importance of understanding various family structures in modern society.

Highlight: Family diversity is presented as a positive adaptation to an increasingly pluralistic society, reflecting greater individual choice and cultural variation.

Example: Cultural diversity in family structures is illustrated through examples like higher rates of lone-mother families in African-Caribbean communities.

Functionalist Perspective on Nuclear Family

The functionalist perspective, particularly as articulated by Parsons, emphasizes the importance of the nuclear family in modern society. This view is central to A level sociology family diversity revision notes aqa.

Parsons argues that there's a functional fit between the nuclear family and modern society. He sees this family type as ideal for several reasons:

1. It provides a socially and geographically mobile workforce.
2. It performs two essential functions: a) Primary socialization of children b) Stabilization of adult personalities

Functionalists believe that the nuclear family, with its traditional division of labor between husband and wife, can be generalized as the typical family structure in modern society.

Highlight: Functionalists view all other family types as dysfunctional, deviant, or abnormal, as they believe these alternative structures cannot adequately perform the essential functions of the family.

Definition: The nuclear family, in the functionalist perspective, is a family unit consisting of parents and their dependent children, seen as the ideal family structure for modern society.

This perspective sees the nuclear family as natural, based on biological differences between men and women, and considers it a place of refuge and harmony.

Criticism: This view has been criticized for being overly simplistic and ignoring the diversity of family structures that exist in modern societies.