SECOND THOUGHTS ON THE FAMILY
Normal price £9.00 +£2.75p&p, pp.239, May 2008
ISBN: 978-1-903386-651

Anastasia de Waal

The premise of both New Labour and Conservative policy is that people not living in married two-parent families are choosing not to. This signifies positive diversity to Labour and a decline in family values to the Conservatives. Both miss a critical reality: that high marriage rates are characteristic of the middle and upper classes, whereas family instability is concentrated amongst those on low incomes. The true divide on the family is about poverty not politics.

New research evidence collected for this book shows that most people want the same things, regardless of their politics, class or sexuality. Committed couple-parenting is seen to be the ideal. Therefore, in a liberal, secular society, marriage is a majority aspiration because it is seen to signify commitment. Focusing on the New Labour government, Second Thoughts on the Family demonstrates the way in which Labour’s nominally inclusive position is actually harming those it seeks to support.

Drawing on a specially commissioned opinion poll and 27 interviews with opinion-formers, Second Thoughts on the Family presents a new way of thinking about family policy that transcends all divides.

FAMILY POLICY, FAMILY CHANGES: SWEDEN, ITALY AND BRITAIN COMPARED
Normal price £14.50, pp.148, March 2006
ISBN: 10 1-903386-43-8

Patricia Morgan

A comparison of family policy and its implications for human happiness and the raising of children in Britain, Italy and Sweden.

• Experiments in Living: The Fatherless Family (HTML)
• Experiments in Living: The Fatherless Family (PDF)
• How Do Fathers Fit In? (HTML)
• How Do Fathers Fit In? (PDF)
• Tax Credits Favour Lone Parenthood (PDF)
• The Lone Parent Trap (PDF)
• The Facts Behind Cohabitation (HTML)
• The Facts Behind Cohabitation (PDF)
• Does Marriage Matter? (PDF)