A Level Sociology OCR Practice Exam

According to the New Right viewpoint, how do traditional family policies affect family structures?

1. They support the nuclear family structure.

2. They have no impact on family life.

3. They create confusion among family roles.

4. They harm the traditional family values.

The correct answer is: They harm the traditional family values.

The New Right viewpoint emphasizes the importance of traditional family structures, particularly the nuclear family, as a foundational element of society. According to this perspective, traditional family policies are seen as mechanisms that should reinforce and support the nuclear family, rooted in conventional roles of parents and children, primarily centered around heterosexual couples. The assertion that traditional family policies harm traditional family values captures a critical stance held by the New Right. They argue that policies which promote alternative family structures (such as single-parent families or same-sex partnerships) undermine the authority and stability that traditional families provide. Therefore, from a New Right perspective, various social policies may inadvertently encourage deviations from the nuclear family model, leading to what they perceive as the disintegration of essential social norms and values that sustain the family unit. This perspective advocates a return to reinforcing traditional roles and values through family policies, arguing that doing so will enhance social cohesion and moral standards within society. Thus, the New Right viewpoint posits that the lack of support for these traditional structures in policy can undermine established family values.