1e — new right explanations of social class inequalities

Question 1

Marsland (culture of dependency)

Answer 1

WELFARE DEPENDENCY has undermined underclass’s sense of commitment, obligation, responsibility and independence.

They become lazy 😴

Welfare state and benefits system creates culture of dependency, creating + maintaining underclass

LEWIS: ‘new paternalism’ underclass of infantilised ppl unable and unwilling to help themselves. Marshmallow test (present time orientation)

Question 2

criticisms of Marsland

Answer 2

Marxist McKenzie: Marsland fails to recognise government responsibility. They should intervene to create fairer distribution of wealth and prevent exploitation rather than cutting benefits

Question 3

Murray: underclass, culture of poverty

Answer 3

UNDERCLASS (below class structure, extreme poverty + long term unemployment)
— lack moral values 😈 (espec marriage 💍 and family 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦)
— parents pass down deviant criminal values to children
— more likely to be single mothers 👩‍👦who dont bring up kids properly (fatalism, resignation, deviance)

Michael Gove: underclass children beyond hope. This group should be sent to manual work not education.

So, cycle of poverty + crime and deviance handed down generations

Question 4

Criticisms of Murray

Answer 4

Marxists: multiple forms of deprivation and social exclusion cause inequality, not poor internal ethics and attitudes

Research in Glasgow and Middlesborough found no evidence of culture of worklessness/poverty, underclass wanted to pull themselves out of poverty but suffered physical and mental health problems

Question 5

Murray and Herrnstein: The Bell Curve

Answer 5

🔔
Some have biological 🧬 predisposition to aggressiveness, impulsiveness, and violence

—> increased likelihood of crime if not curbed by sufficient socialisation (nuclear family w strict father)

cognitive elite with high IQ more intelligent, better jobs, better at raising children

Low IQ linked with poverty, crime, family issues, welfare dependency

Question 6

criticisms of Murray and Herrnstein

Answer 6

IQ tests have cultural distortions: its impossible to create intelligence tests unrelated to cultural capital (Bourdieu)

Becker (interactionism): poor IQ test score may create self-fulfilling prophecy as student believes they are stupid and inferior.

Question 7

Loss of civility Dennis and Erdos

Answer 7

Modern society lost common values

Rise in liberalism/decline in religion —> decline in moral standards (rude, selfish, urinating in street, littering, drugs, swearing)

Respectable working class communities GONE.

Prioritising RIGHTS > responsibilities —> underclass who offer nothing and are POOR

David Cameron 2012 campaigned against feral yobs, wanting to put them in army

Question 8

criticisms of Dennis and Erdos

Answer 8

but liberalism allows embracing of new ideas e.g. fluidity of gender and sexuality

Postmodernism e.g. Lyotard: relaxing of rules and structures decreases judgement, prejudice, freedom, expectations

MARXISTS: inequality is a structural not individual problem