The New Right is a political and sociological perspective that became influential in the late 20th century, particularly during the 1980s under Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government. It emphasises the importance of traditional values, individual responsibility, and the nuclear family. In sociology, the New Right view is closely linked to debates about family diversity, social policy, and morality, and it often contrasts with functionalist, feminist, Marxist, and postmodernist perspectives.

Core Beliefs of the New Right

  • Nuclear family as “natural” and “ideal”
    The New Right argues that the heterosexual, two-parent, nuclear family is the cornerstone of a stable society. This structure is seen as the best environment for raising children, maintaining social order, and reducing dependency on the state.
  • Moral decline and family diversity
    They claim the rise of family diversity—such as lone-parent families, same-sex families, or cohabitation—has led to a decline in traditional morality, creating social problems such as crime, welfare dependency, and poor educational achievement.
  • Self-reliance and responsibility
    Families should provide for themselves rather than depending on the state. Welfare benefits are seen as creating a “dependency culture,” discouraging work, and undermining the traditional family.

Key Thinkers

Charles Murray (1990, 1994)

  • Murray argued that welfare policies encouraged the growth of an “underclass” dependent on benefits.
  • Lone-parent families, particularly those headed by single mothers, were seen as problematic because boys lacked male role models, leading to delinquency.
  • He claimed generous welfare benefits undermined personal responsibility and work ethic.

David Marsland (1989)

  • Criticised the welfare state for being overgenerous, encouraging idleness, and weakening self-reliance.
  • Saw the nuclear family as the best way to maintain order and transmit values.

Dennis and Erdos (2000)

  • Suggested children, especially boys, raised without fathers were more likely to face problems such as low achievement or antisocial behaviour.
  • Highlighted the importance of male role models within nuclear families.

New Right and Conservative Family Policy

The New Right influenced a range of UK government policies designed to reinforce the nuclear family:

1. Conservative Governments (1979–1997)

  • Margaret Thatcher and John Major promoted traditional family values.
  • Clause 28 (1988): banned the “promotion” of homosexuality in schools, reinforcing heterosexual nuclear families as the norm.
  • Cuts to welfare benefits (especially for single parents) aimed to discourage reliance on the state.
  • Encouraged marriage through tax breaks and rhetoric about family stability.

2. New Labour (1997–2010)

  • While not strictly New Right, New Labour under Tony Blair adopted a “Third Way” approach that included elements of New Right thinking.
  • Supported marriage as the “gold standard” for family life but also recognised diversity.
  • Introduced policies like Working Families Tax Credit and Sure Start, supporting working parents.

3. Coalition and Conservative Governments (2010 onwards)

  • David Cameron’s government explicitly promoted marriage and introduced a marriage tax allowance.
  • Continued cuts to welfare benefits (e.g., Universal Credit reforms, the benefit cap) to reduce dependency.
  • Emphasised “family stability” in policy documents, aligning with New Right ideology.

Evaluations of the New Right

Strengths

  • Highlights the importance of families in providing stability and support.
  • Raises concerns about the social consequences of family breakdown, which some evidence links to poorer outcomes for children.
  • Has influenced real policy changes, showing its relevance in practice.

Criticisms

  • Feminist critiques: Argue the New Right is patriarchal, idealising a male breadwinner/female homemaker model that reinforces gender inequality.
  • Marxist critiques: Suggest the New Right blames individuals for problems caused by wider structural inequalities, such as poverty and unemployment.
  • Postmodern critiques: The New Right ignores the reality of family diversity. Many non-nuclear families function well, and same-sex/lone-parent families can raise children successfully.
  • Empirical evidence: Studies (e.g., Golombok, 2015) show children in same-sex or lone-parent families can thrive, challenging the claim that the nuclear family is superior.
  • Overemphasis on welfare dependency: Research shows most people on benefits are in work or temporarily unemployed, rather than “dependent” long-term.

Comparison with Functionalism

  • Like functionalists, the New Right sees the nuclear family as the most functional type.
  • However, functionalists (e.g., Parsons) are more positive, seeing the family as adapting to social needs, while the New Right is normative and moralistic, arguing that only one type of family is acceptable.

Application in AQA and OCR Exams

AQA:

  • Useful for exam questions on theories of the family, family diversity, and social policy.
  • Example: “Evaluate the view that the nuclear family is no longer the norm in contemporary society”. Students can use the New Right as evidence of continued support for the nuclear family.
  • In policy essays, link Conservative policies (e.g., Clause 28, marriage tax breaks) to attempts to reinforce nuclear families.

OCR:

  • The New Right can be used to evaluate debates around family diversity and policy.
  • For example: “Assess the view that family diversity has led to the decline of the traditional family”. Students can apply New Right arguments and contrast them with feminist and postmodern critiques.
  • OCR exams often focus on how policies reflect competing perspectives. Students can use the New Right to argue that policies have sought to privilege the nuclear family at the expense of diversity.

Conclusion

The New Right perspective on the family presents the nuclear family as the ideal social structure, arguing it provides stability, reduces welfare dependency, and ensures children are properly socialised. Through thinkers such as Murray, Marsland, and Dennis & Erdos, and through its influence on Conservative social policies, the New Right has been a significant force in shaping debates about the family in the UK.

However, the perspective is heavily criticised for being ideological, patriarchal, and out of touch with social diversity. Feminists, Marxists, and postmodernists argue it exaggerates the decline of the family and ignores evidence that non-traditional families can function just as well.

For A-level Sociology, the New Right provides an important contrast to functionalist, feminist, Marxist, and postmodernist perspectives. It is best used as an evaluative point when discussing family diversity and social policy, especially in relation to AQA and OCR questions on family change and state intervention.

Download a teaching PowerPoint on the key ideas of the New right from the link below.

New Right Views of family lifeDownload