Charles Murray-American writer+researcher of public policy.True for US applying same ideas to UK.1st book 1989 on 1987,2nd 1994 on 1992in Sunday times.Last response favourable

 

Concentrates on UK underclass 3aspects

crime-rising at about 40% per 5y

economic inactivity(men 9.6% to 13.3%,16.5m inact,2.2searching job,unempl7.9% falls

 

illegitimacy(steady,1976 9.2,now31.2,by 2003 50%)-correlation with social group V-the social pattern changes 1parent family becomes norm.2parent families will leave council houses,richer move out of the problem areas,affects local businesses,squatting

 

Due to wrong welfare policy discouraging low-paid jobs

the public mood-girls get pregnant

No archetype for boys

Hard to coz illegitimacy concentrate in districts +the society there districts is shaped differently

Current welfare policy favours single parents+unemployed,temptation to secretly cohabit,mean life 5 times less than marriages

The Divorce reform act 1969

Already bigger than the stats show,rises exponentially in V,in I will decline

divorce rate is higher in5

 

Class system will change (wrongly said present one

upper middle class in better shape-New Victorians

rest New Rabble

coz cultural aspects are shortly passing fashion,material aspects affect the poor most.No data supports,poverty trap

 

Solution-2parent family restored by comparing todays with Victorian(no divorce,no illeg+crime+unempl)

Minimalist solution-benefits for married same

Does not change attitudes,expensive,state cannot give aid,coz cheating

Maximalists solution-penalise single women by removing benefits

demand marriage from men.Good for5,children starve

Full employment might,no data

 

Critics Pete Alcock,Miriam David,Melanie Philips,Director of the National Council of 1-Parent families Sue Slipman

Simplicity(only illeg

False use of stats

correlation does not mean causation

Unemployment higher among elderly,illegitimacy among younger

Growing trend in divorce doesn't imply unpopularity of marriage,but maybe growing popularity of cohabitation

Children without parents rising much slower than illeg,most of them due to divorce.If penalise mothers,divorce will fall,no meaning of marriage

Unempl.falling

Crime higher coz poorer+steal food

thing incl.overall poverty rise,exclusion from society,economic recession

Victorian+UK/USA irrelevant coz Murray has not done enough research,the state of technology,economic prospects

statis showing growing difference between upper +lower classes are made up,indirect US evidence

Extreme right wing attitude,subjective

takes time to change attitudes,no good in SR,during that time unmarried would live in poverty

feminists+mens place changing,solution-cooperation(Slipman

 

Punishment could worsen:

single parenthood not voluntary +for economics mostly

Policies unsuccessfully tried in 1930-s

Child Support Agency

Hard to exclude from benefits is an extremely hard one to make.Conservatives already targeting (critics say just for statics,Job Seekers

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{info author|Keith Siilats}, {DATE|02/03/96}, Subject: {info subject|Economics}, Words: {info numwords|1442}

 

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