Family and the New Right

by Pamela Abbott and Claire Wallace

Published 20 November 1992
The ideas of the New Right on the family have a populist appeal. Governments in Britain and the USA have introduced measures influenced by New Right thinking. Abbott and Wallace trace and critically evaluate the writers, intellectuals and moral movements (anti-abortion, Christian pro-family) who have contributed to these philosophical, political and economic attitudes towards the family. Particular attention is paid to the arguments that women should return to the home and to the homophobic tendencies within the New Right. The authors situate their research in an international context with a particular focus on the USA and Britain including the effects on the family of government policy. Essential reading for students and teachers of social policy, women's studies, sociology and social work.