...To what extent do traditional conservatives and the New Right differ in their views on society? Traditional conservatives adopt an organic view of society. This implies that society works like a living thing, an organism, which is sustained by a fragile set of relationships between and amongst its parts. The whole is therefore more than just its individual parts. This implies that the individual cannot be separated from society, but is part of the social groups that nurture him or her, reflecting the dependent and security-seeking tendencies within human nature. Organic societies are fashioned ultimately by natural necessity, and therefore cannot be ‘improved’ by reform or revolution. Indeed, reform or revolution is likely to destroy the delicate fabric of society, creating the possibility of radical social breakdown. Conservative has held that society has an ‘organic’ character, in the sense that it exhibits features that are normally associated with living organisms – human beings or plants. In this view, societies are complex networks of relationships that ultimately exist to maintain the whole, the whole being more important than its individual parts. In that sense, society differs from a machine, which is merely a collection of parts. The conservative notion of an organic society has a variety of implications, including the following: It implies that change, particularly radical change, is undesirable, as it misguidedly treats society as if it were a machine whose parts...
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...to have gone wrong, such as regulating the fair distribution of assets following the breakdown of a marriage. Most current social policies in the UK come from a New Labour perspective, as this party have been in power for almost 12 years. Therefore, many of these current social policies encourage the existence of the family, although not just in the nuclear form endorsed by the New Right. For instance new labour modified the law so that unmarried cohabiting couples, both heterosexual and homosexual, had the right to adopt on a basis equivalent to that of a married couple. This has made adopting easier for unmarried couples with fertility issues, but the biggest change to have resulted from it is that homosexual couples can now, fairly easily, adopt children, leading to a much more diverse range of families. This change has been heavily criticised by New Right thinkers, who claim that it further undermines the nuclear family, by removing the restriction on unmarried couples from adopting children. They also claim that, due to not being raised in the “natural” environment of the nuclear family, that children adopted in this manner will be more likely to take part in anti-social behaviour, and even criminal activities. However, most feminists are in favour of cohabiting couples being afforded similar rights to a married couple. Liberal feminists see it as another step towards equality, moving away from a familistic gender regime, as it removes...
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...and a Wife and children either adopted or biological. The New Right also believe that the Nuclear Family should also have traditional segregated roles within the family. This traditionally means that the women would be in charge of the household chores and looking after the children whilst the husband would be the main breadwinner and would go out to work. The New Right are a perspective who believes that government policies do not support the traditional Nuclear Family and the roles that should be upheld within that family. One of the main policies that are thought to undermine these traditional roles and values is that of the Divorce reform Law of 1969. This law made divorce, especially women, easier, less costly and less shameful for the women who were involved. It also introduced the concept of family courts which helped to protect the children who were almost, inevitably involved in the rare divorce of their parents. The reform of the law is something that the New Right doesn’t agree with. They feel that the law encourages divorce and in this way it does not support the Nuclear Family. They feel that because divorce is no easier for the majority of people then more people are going to get a divorce and become lone parents and because they believe that the Nuclear Family has to consist of two married parents and their children then this is a policy that doesn’t support that way of family life. Although the New Right and the Functionalists do not agree with this policy, the...
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...Examine the ways in which laws and social policies affect family life. There are many different ways in which laws and social policies affect family life. Laws and social policies affect different cultures. In Russia a new policy was introduced in 1917, the new Communist Government wanted to destroy the patriarchal family structure; the patriarchal family structure was seen as an obstacle to true communism and socialism. The Russian Government changed these laws to make abortion and divorce easier for men and women, equal rights for women was also introduced as well as communal nurseries that were provided by the state. The goal of the changed laws was to break down the traditional family in order to give people more freedom and to reduce the inequalities that were produced between the rich and poor. As a result of this the traditional family did break down, there was a rapid increase in divorce and abortions, as people began to search for the ‘ideal’ freedom and equality. The Government realised that things were beginning to become chaotic so there was a policy change. The government took drastic action by tightening divorce laws and making abortion illegal. The government also said that parents who had more children were awarded allowances. China’s population control policy was introduced under the intention to reduce the population in an over-crowded country but also to save society. China’s workplaces planning communities’ controlled the women employees menstrual cycle and...
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...to have gone wrong, such as regulating the fair distribution of assets following the breakdown of a marriage. Most current social policies in the UK come from a New Labour perspective, as this party have been in power for almost 12 years. Therefore, many of these current social policies encourage the existence of the family, although not just in the nuclear form endorsed by the New Right. For instance new labour modified the law so that unmarried cohabiting couples, both heterosexual and homosexual, had the right to adopt on a basis equivalent to that of a married couple. This has made adopting easier for unmarried couples with fertility issues, but the biggest change to have resulted from it is that homosexual couples can now, fairly easily, adopt children, leading to a much more diverse range of families. This change has been heavily criticised by New Right thinkers, who claim that it further undermines the nuclear family, by removing the restriction on unmarried couples from adopting children. They also claim that, due to not being raised in the “natural” environment of the nuclear family, that children adopted in this manner will be more likely to take part in anti-social behaviour, and even criminal activities. However, most feminists are in favour of cohabiting couples being afforded similar rights to a married couple. Liberal feminists see it as another step towards equality, moving away from a familistic gender regime, as it removes...
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...Summary: The book I chose to read was Pity the Billionaire, The Hard-Times Swindle and the Unlikely Comeback of the Right, by Thomas Frank. His book takes a thorough look at the rise of tea parties and the revitalized Right. The Author begins the book with the title, ‘End Times,’ in which he refers to the economic downfall of 2008 and 2009 and The Great Depression where the lives of the middle class came apart. Thomas explains this time as one in which, “markets disintegrate, layoffs mount and foreclosures begin, and before you know it, the people are in the streets yelling for blood.” He describes the recession as a direct result of banker’s greed and deregulation but it was the middle class who suffered. Big businesses such as Banks, and Insurance companies were the ones being bailed out as he explains in Chapter 2, ‘Crime Pays.’ Millions of people lost their jobs and houses but the Big Businesses could not be permitted to fail. For the suffering middle class it was now confirmed that the big businesses were in league with the big government. Financial firms such as Merill Lynch were reported approving extravagant bonuses despite knowing the company was headed for catastrophe. At this point the Republican Party was headed downhill but later rose as the revitalized Right. The New Right capitalized on public confusion through the use of Tea Party movements. Republicans were now depicting themselves enemies of the Big Businesses, deflecting public anger away from them. As...
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...on the social class of society, they believe that there are two roles of people, the bosses (bourgeoisie) and the worker (proletariat). They feel that they can exploit the worker as much as possible because they individually cannot make an impact on a whole. They difference is great between a boss and a worker because the boss controls the within working times. “Their job is to provide the company with a healthy workforce. In addition, the government allows companies to make profits from products that cause ill health, for example, tobacco and junk food.” (Billingham, 2007, p.351) Interactionist; This approach is the complete opposite to the Marxist way of looking at the society as a whole. They believe that every person has their own right to speak up and are equal to everyone else. This is seen as a bottom up theory, you as an individual have an important impact in society, and you have the power. They believe that we ourselves shape each other’s identity. “Interactionism is probably the theoretical approach that has devoted the most attention to issues of health and illness” (Billingham, 2007, p.351) Feminist; this is one of the most heard of...
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...David Cameron a New Right politician. When Thatcher acted by defending the Falklands in 1982, it proved she was patriotic and willing to invest in the military, £200 million was spent on defence and harrier jump jets were introduced. The investment in the military and the defence fits into the New Right ideology as it developed those areas into a more powerful body. This came into place because Argentina's military landed on and occupied the Falklands which is under British rule. Thatcher being extremely patriotic decided to act by defending the Falklands, in addition the Falklands citizens wanted to remain apart of the UK so Argentina couldn’t justify why they occupied the Islands. The benefits this had to the UK proved that we are very strong in terms of the military as we were able to defend islands which were 4000 miles away against a country which are located 300 miles away from the Falklands, however although it did a lot for the reputation of our military Thatcher did come out a weak and broken leader. In my opinion I believe to defend the Falklands was a courageous and intelligent move, we were able to prove our military's strength whilst maintaining control of the Falkland Islands, which was approved by the occupants. I also believe the success was a deterrent for other countries which felt they could attack Britain, if we we're to let Argentina have the Falklands it would make the UK appear as weak. David Cameron for this reason would not be a New Right politician as...
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...success. The most common barrier in these kinds of situations is yourself; whether or not you have the willpower and motivation to pursue your abilities. In the game of baseball the outfielders are resembled as loners, specifically the right fielders. This particular fielder is usually entitled as the worst of the team. Dybek says “He didn’t necessarily choose right field as much as accept it” (Dybek, 1). This quote refers to the indolence of many people of our society. Nothing in life comes easy, without hard work. Once people are positioned in upsetting circumstances, they no longer put forth the effort to overcome them. The decisions they make now to not apply themselves, will have a negative results in the long run. When the boy was found he was laying face down in the field, Stuart then says “His mitt had been pinned under his body and was coated with an almost luminescent gray film” (Dybek, 3). I feel as though the mitt in this scenario is in demonstration of someone’s life, and the imagery of the film represents how your past can look, when reminiscing on the chances missed. Circumstances like this happen to people countless times, but only few learn from and hear of these experiences. The story says “ Perhaps he wanted the new right fielder, whoever he’d be, to notice and wonder about who played there before him, realizing he was now the only link between past...
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...Evaluate the impact of Government policies and laws on family life in Britain (20 marks) Social policies are the measures taken by state, or Government, bodies such as schools and welfare agencies. They are usually based on laws introduced by Government. Laws and policies can have both direct and indirect effects on the family. There are many Government policies that can either benefit of have a negative impact on the family. These come from many different movements in Government, such as: New Right, New Labour and Coalition - these can be criticised by different types of sociologists such as Marxists and Feminists, which I will be expressing throughout this essay. The New Right have a Functionalist view on the family. They believe strongly in the advocation of the nuclear family and the other family criteria that they present, such as - as presented by the sociologist George Murdock - A heterosexual couple as part of a nuclear who engage in a socially acceptable sexual relationship, economic cooperation (or being self-sufficient) and provides basic functions such as socialisation, discipline and morality. The “Child Support Agency” was enforced in 1993, and forced natural fathers to provide for their own children financially in the event of a parental split. The Government fund this agency to ensure that the child is financially supplied to ensure good health and quality of life as they grow up. The impact that this had on the family is that the biological fathers are...
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...Conservatism, like many other political ideologies has many factions within it. Traditional conservatism, especially paternalistic conservatism very much favours a pragmatic approach. This is the belief that behaviour should be shaped in accordance with practical circumstances and goals rather than principles, beliefs or ideological objectives. However with the introduction of the liberal new right conservatism due to the conservative view of economic and social breakdown, things have started to look a lot more ideological and challenged the pragmatic nature of conservatism. This is where the debate arises. Traditional conservatives undoubtedly favour a pragmatic approach rather than stick to the core ideologies of conservatism. Burke famously said ‘a state which doesn’t change cannot conserve’ which perfectly explains the traditional conservative favouritism towards pragmatism. If a government does not change in order to help all aspects of society and bring in some kind of social reforms there will be revolt by the poor of the country. Conservatives hold this belief due to the belief that humans are naturally imperfect and therefore limited intellectually. Society is too complicated for human’s to fully understand and can therefore never fully understand the political system. Traditional conservatives are therefore suspicious of abstract ideas and systems of thought that claim to understand how society and the world should be run as it is out of grasp for an individual to...
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...CONSERVATISM Key concepts 1) Hierarchy and organic society * The term ‘organic society’ refers to a belief, which became entrenched in traditional conservative thought in the latter part of the 19th century. * It was a reaction against the rise of liberal individualism. * It proposes that society is more than merely a collection of individuals, but it is a single entity. * We are connected to each other through our humanity and common membership of community. * Organic society is seen as a reality, which is superior to our own, individual interests. * The ideal organic society – where goals and aspirations of individuals coincide with the goals of the whole society. 1980s – Margaret Thatcher famously challenged this remarking that there “is no such thing as society”, implying that the goals of individuals are superior to those of society as a whole. * Traditional conservatives believe that there is a ‘natural’ order into which each individual fits. * It is normal and natural that society should be divided by a number of strata. * The very rigid feudal system had long since disappeared, but there remained a belief that some kind of class system was inevitable. * Hierarchy like this supports organic society in that it creates an order and stability, which the individualistic society lacks. * Different parts of the hierarchy have different roles that complement each other. * This implies inequality, but an ordered inequality, and one in which...
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...Corporate Governance and Accounting Conservatism in China* Donglin Xiaa and Song Zhub,** b School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University, China School of Economics and Business Administration, Beijing Normal University, China a Abstract A principal-agent relationship exists among creditors, shareholders and management, and information asymmetry among them leads to asymmetric loss functions, which induces conservative accounting. This paper investigates the determinants of accounting conservatism using accrual-based measures and data from 2001 to 2006 in China. We find that a higher degree of leverage, lower level of control of ultimate shareholders and lower level of management ownership lead to more conservative financial reporting. We also find that political concerns and pressures among state-owned enterprises are greater than those among non-state owned enterprises, which leads to more conservative financial reporting among the former. However, a decrease in such concerns leads to a decrease in accounting conservatism. Overall, we find that among the determinants of conservatism in China, debt is the most important, followed by ownership, and that board has little influence. JEL classification: G30; M41 Keywords: Information asymmetry; Agency problem; Accounting conservatism; Political concerns; Corporate governance * We thank George Yang from Chinese University of Hong Kong and participants at CJAR Summer Research Workshop for helpful comments....
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...Conservatism does not have one single viewpoint or stance on human nature or imperfection as Conservatism as a whole encompasses different strands or beliefs within it. For example One Nation conservatives have a different philosophy on human imperfection than New Right conservatives do. One Nation conservatives hold the belief that we as humans are: greedy and have a limited capacity for altruism, a complex mix of emotions and contradictory motivations making us irrational, not totally consistent and are at balance the majority of the time with corruption. They believe that our inherent imperfect human nature stems from original sin, the Christian Belief. This shows a wholesome negative outlook on human nature. The New Right on the other hand is more positive as a result of the neo-liberal ideological view that we are in fact rational, shown by the classical liberal belief in self-regulating society and a ‘realm of coercion’. However, as the New Right is a marriage of neo-liberal and neo-conservative views there is also the negative view of human nature present, as held by traditional conservatives. At the heart of the debate, obviously is whether or not conservatism is a philosophy of imperfection, it is my view that it is a philosophy of imperfection to a large extent, as I will explain now. To begin, it is important to quote O’Sullivan who in 1976 said that conservatism is a ‘philosophy of imperfection. He said this, as unlike many ideologies which believe that humans are...
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...Critics of conservatism have argued that the ideology only reflects the interests of the privileged, however it is not as simple as that. There can be several reasons why this argument has strong validity; conservatives will point to One Nation conservatism and Christian Democracy as examples of conservatism’s way of pleasing all. First, Conservatives turn to paternalism as a way in which the less privileged in society are helped by conservatism. Paternalism follows the principle of ‘noblesse oblige’, where the better off have a moral duty to help the less well off. For conservatives, freedom is not understood in negative terms. Instead, freedom is a willing acceptance of social obligations, therefore is considered to be the duty of conservatism. This thought was first put forward by Benjamin Disraeli and led to the establishment of the Second Reform Act, which gave the working class the right to vote. ‘Tory Democracy’, a strand of One-Nation conservatism, can also be seen to be reformist as it also aims to implement social reform; therefore this does not just reflect the interests the privileged. Secondly, Christian Democracy is a branch of conservatism that can be seen to support the interests of the less well off. Christian democracy follows the paternalistic social traditions of Catholicism and advocates the social market economy, where the market economy is supported by a welfare system and effective public services. This endorses partnership and cooperation, therefore...
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