Two lesser known sociological perspectives 1 Radical Psychiatry

Two lesser known sociological perspectives 1. Radical Psychiatry 2. The New Right

Radical psychiatry • Established in the 1960’s & 70’s • Very critical of the nuclear family • 3 Key Thinkers • 1 E. R. Leach • 2 R. D. Laing • 3 D. Cooper

E. R. Leach • Claims the nuclear family is too isolated from wider family ties. • This can cause pressure, frustration & anger. • This can manifest itself by parents taking out their anger on their children.

R. D. Laing • • • Argues that the family can cause mental illness Most common conditions are depression, stress & anxiety. He claims this is because parents & children spend too much time with each other. Parents emotionally suffocate their children because their expectations are too high. See his case study on ‘Jane’~ Became schizophrenic because of parental pressure. http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=U 8 -UT 3 -0_Ms

D. Cooper • • • Mixes Marxism & Psychiatry Argues that children are ‘trained’ to be obedient by their parents. When children grow up & go to work they are easy to control by bosses because they have been socialised (brainwashed? ) to respect authority, even if such authority is not in their or societies interests. Parents try to force their children into ‘respectable’ jobs & stamp out their personal dreams. Parents are the ‘bourgeoisie’ & children are like the ‘proletariat’

Radical Psychiatry • Focuses on how the family can cause mental illness • Argues that psychiatric cures (ECGs, drugs) are often ways of controlling social deviants. • Is very critical of functionalist & New Right views of the family. • See’s the family as ‘pathological’ (ie dangerous) to the individual & society.

Radical Psychiatry ~ Criticisms • Offers a very negative & bleak view of the nuclear family. • Tends to ignore the positive aspects eg extended family support. • Are parents really so abusive towards their children?

New Right ~who & what? • Key Sociologist: Charles Murray • The New Right take the functionalist argument further. • ie ~ SPFs, divorce, cohabitation & welfare dependency is not just ‘dysfunctional’ for society. They are also dangerous, immoral & the biggest danger UK society faces today!

The New Right • A major influence on sociology, politics & social policy on the family • Associated with right wing and conservative governments • A sociological perspective influenced by functionalism. • Very critical of Marxism, feminism & Radical Psychiatry.

New Right & Exam Themes • Link New Right to • 1 Family Structure • 2 Single Parent Families • 3 Housework • 4 Divorce, cohabitation & marriage • 5 Welfare dependent underclass • Criticise New Right for AO 2 s

1 Family Structure • New Right supports the biological determinist argument. • i. e ~ segregated male & female conjugal roles are ‘natural & normal’ • Male is the breadwinner • Female is the housewife • Anything which challenges this is seen as ‘pathological’ to society.

2 Single Parent Families • Argues the number of female headed SPFs is increasing. • Such families lack a male head of household to impose discipline on children. • This leads to a lack of respect for authority and causes social problems later in life. • Particularly educational underachievement/failure & criminal behaviour/activities.

3 Housework • It makes sense for women to be housewives & carers because of their nurturing characters. • Men are more suited to the world of work • Husbands & wives only have time for ‘one shift’ • This makes them both ‘fulfilled’.

4. Divorce, cohabitation & marriage • • • Marriage between two heterosexual people is the cornerstone of a civilised & ordered society. Cohabiting couples are more likely to split up than married couples. Divorce is too easy to obtain, couples in conflict don’t try to make their marriage work anymore. Society is more stable when children live with married parents. The government should make divorce more difficult to obtain. The church should condemn divorce more.

5. Welfare dependent underclass • Argues the benefit system in UK is too lenient • Creates a ‘culture of dependency’ which costs society financially & socially. • Most long term unemployed are work shy, feckless dole scroungers. • Most SPFs are created because ‘immoral women’ want to live off benefits rather than work.

Criticisms from Feminism • • • New Right criticise SPFs, but many ‘unsocialised’ & problematic children come from nuclear families Many SPFs are created by women escaping abusive relationships. The New Right view is sexist, patriarchal & stereotypical. Many women have to work as many nuclear families cannot survive on a male wage alone. If welfare benefits are cut it is the children who suffer most.

Criticisms from Marxism • • • Capitalism creates the unemployed (a reserve army of labour) ~ it is usually not the individuals fault if they are out of work. The real blame lays with the capitalist economy. The New Right use the unemployed issue as a ‘smoke screen’ & hides the true cause of oppression. In Marx’s day the long term unemployed underclass was called the lumpen-proletariat. Marx also felt they were bad for society.