It’s time we championed the family unit rather than divisive American identity politics

Dec 14, 2021 by

by Dr Rakib Ehsan, Mail+:

Developing a reputation as an ‘anti-woke’ trailblazer taking on the forces of tribal identity politics and political correctness, Conservative MP Kemi Badenoch is clearly on a mission to change how we do equality policy in modern-day Britain.

Last week, the equalities minister issued a robust and timely letter to ministerial colleagues on public sector equality duty assessments. One of the most eye-catching parts of the letter says: ‘Government policies should seek to unite communities across class, colour and creed, rather than atomising society based on protected characteristics.’ Proving to be one of the more resilient British political figures against the social wave of US-inspired identitarianism, Mrs Badenoch crucially understands the threat posed by tribal identity politics to national solidarity.

The list of protected characteristics – as enshrined in the Equality Act 2010, passed under the New Labour government – is insufficient in terms of providing the foundations for an effective social policy agenda that strives to tackle inequalities in Britain.

Whether or not one belongs to a loving and stable family unit remains one of the most influential determinants in the shaping of life chances and personal development – irrespective of one’s racial background, ethnic heritage and religious affiliation. Indeed, my own research has shown that when controlling for a number of existing ‘protected characteristics’, having a stable family unit during childhood is significantly associated with current-day adult life satisfaction.

It is time to recognise that a stable family unit remains the finest social safety net known to humankind. And we should be unafraid of saying that a two-parent household led by a married couple is the social model most strongly linked with positive youth outcomes relating to school attainment, mental health, physical wellbeing, cognitive development and law-abiding behaviour. This is not reactionary ideology – this is what the existing research tells us. The restoration of the family at the heart of social policy is essential in our efforts to foster a more resilient society in the post-Brexit world.

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See also:

Katharine Birbalsingh: New social mobility chief challenges assumptions, by Nick Robinson. “A teacher in inner city state schools for the past two decades, she came to believe that the education system is ‘broken’ because it has a ‘culture of excuses and low standards’,
‘Individuals make up society,’ she insists, echoing one of Mrs Thatcher’s most famous quotes. ‘Each of those individuals needs to take on board the right set of values so that they can make something of their lives. I don’t understand what’s wrong with that.'”

 

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