The Modern British Family - Research for the Labour Party
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
The Modern British Family Research for the Labour Party
What we did
Stage 1:
2 x focus Groups to identify the
problems and challenges facing
Modern British Families
Stage 2:
1 x workshop to develop and
test policies aimed at helping
meet the needs of families
Modern British Family OVERVIEW
Overview
• The Modern British Family is struggling: they feel tired, stressed
and under pressure
• All of the problems they face link back to feeling financially stretched
• In an ideal world, parents (dads included) would like to spend
more quality time with their children than they do now
• Mums often say they would have liked to have spent more time at
home with their children in their younger years
• Dads often feel fathers are under-valued by society
• Because the problems faced by families are often financial, the
main way that the Government can help families is by delivering
a healthy economy and affordable housing
• Families want the opportunities to be able to help themselves: not state
handouts (which they assume will go to undeserving parents)Overview
• There is also a yearning for traditional family values,
and an appetite for a tax system that rewards parents
who stay together
• No politicians or political parties are seen to
represent or understand the problems and priorities
of the Modern British Family
• Politicians are believed to be too well-off to understand the
financial pressures faced by familiesOverview
Policy Ideas
• Participants liked the idea of allowing Child Support
Payments to be made to family members, for
example Grandparents
• Mums saw grandparents as ‘the next best thing’ to caring for
their children themselves
• They also liked the idea of teaching ‘communityship’
in schools as a way of addressing perceived problems
of discipline among young people
• ‘Communityship’ was coined as a more localised version of
citizenshipOverview
Policy Ideas
• Mums often wanted the opportunity to help
themselves improve their financial situation
• Policies that helped women back into work, either by training
or sponsoring them or offering assistance with childcare,
received much support
• But many others wanted to spend time at home with
their children, especially when their children were
young
• Policies that supported them financially while doing so were
well-likedModern British Family THE CONTEXT: BRITAINTHINKS POLLING
Parents emphasise the importance of
boundaries and discipline
% agreeing with statement ‘Being a good parent is mostly about
setting boundaries and discipline’
Total 92%
18-24 83%
25-34 90%
35-44 93%
45-54 92%
55-64 89%
65+ 95%
Children 90%
No Children 92%An overwhelming majority of parents (82%) feel
children are wrapped in cotton wool these days
% agreeing with statement ‘Children are wrapped up in cotton
wool these days’
Total 85%
18-24 77%
25-34 85%
35-44 83%
45-54 85%
55-64 89%
65+ 88%
Children 82%
No Children 86%And 8-in-10 say that ‘in an ideal world’ one
parent would stay at home
% agreeing with statement ‘In an ideal world one parent should
stay home with the children’
Total 81%
18-24 61%
25-34 84%
35-44 81%
45-54 79%
55-64 83%
65+ 91%
Children 81%
No Children 81%Families are increasingly squeezed for time…(83%
of families say there aren’t enough hrs in the day)
% agreeing with statement ‘There aren’t enough hours in the day’
Total 72%
18-24 86%
25-34 88%
35-44 78%
45-54 67%
55-64 55%
65+ 59%
Children 83%
No Children 66%…and money (73% of those with children say it’s a
struggle to make money last the month)
% agreeing with statement ‘It is a real struggle to make the money
last to the end of the month’
Total 54%
18-24 73%
25-34 72%
35-44 69%
45-54 61%
55-64 34%
65+ 25%
Children 73%
No Children 46%Modern British Family STAGE 1: FOCUS GROUPS
Stage 1: Focus Groups Methodology • On 18 May 2011, BritainThinks conducted two focus groups in Harlow: • 1 x group of mums with children aged under 18 • 1 x group of dads with children aged under 18 • Quotas were set to ensure the groups comprised good mixture & range of participants in terms of: • Socio-economic grade • Voting behaviour in 2010 General Election
Family worries are dominated by concerns
about money
STRESS NEED TO WORK
“Now my husband isn’t working, we’re “Because of money, I’ve had to go
really under pressure to keep up with back to work after 8 months and
our debt repayments and everything. It’s lost 3 months with my
stressful” [Mum] son” [Mum]
Lack of financial HOUSING
resources
“We can’t afford
to get a mortgage
TIREDNESS and there’s so
CHILDCARE
little council
“I am working two jobs housing we’d be
and so by the time I “Have you seen the price
of childcare? We worked lucky to get a
actually get time to see house by
the kids, I am flat out out we’d only be £10 a
week if my wife went back 2015” [Dad]
on the sofa” [Dad]
to work” [Dad]Words chosen to describe the Modern
British Family
Just one participant
chose a positive
word to sum up the
Modern British
FamilyThe Modern British Family in reality…
…people are …lacks respect
arguing and & discipline
fighting (especially
young people)
…is under
financial …is living in a
pressure (from country that is
all directions) soft on people
who break the
rules and hard
on those who
…lacks moral & play by the
family values rulesThe ideal Modern British Family…
…would have …would
access to comprise a
housing mother and a
father
…would be able …would be able
to focus on the to afford to go
things that on holiday
matter
…would be able to enjoy watching their children grow upThe ideal modern British Family
Importance of family in the early years
• Mums and dads both thought that in an
“I felt really guilty
ideal world mothers would stay at home for when I had to go back
the early years of a child’s life to work. You’ll never
• Mums valued time with their children and get those early years
those who had needed to go back to work had back” [Mum]
some regrets
• None of the dads had stayed at home because
they were the biggest earners in the household “I’d have had no
(rather than as matter of principle) problems staying at
• If it wasn’t possible for the mother to stay home, it’s just that I
was earning more
at home with young children, another than my wife” [Dad]
family member was seen as the next best
thingThe ideal modern British Family
Dads want to be involved in bringing-up children
• Fathers felt as though they had a “We’ve got things
crucial role to play in bringing up that we do together,
but sometimes, like
their children at the moment I am
working at weekends
• They therefore rejected single parent
to pay for our
families holiday, we don’t
• And they regretted where work prevented have time to go to
the football” [Dad]
them from giving their children the
attention they deserved
• Some felt that modern society “You just feel as
didn’t place enough value on the though dads are
pushed to one side
role of the father these days” [Dad]The role of Government
They do want: They don’t want:
- A Government that supports - A ‘nanny state’ that tells them
them when they do the right what to do
thing by kids
- More ‘state handouts’ that are
- A tax system that rewards paid for by hard working
couples who stay together families and only received by
‘scroungers’
And crucially:
- A healthy economy that
delivers them wage increases
that match inflation &
opportunities to improve their
positionWhat Government has done in the past To make life easier for families: To make life harder for families: - Child Trust Fund - Tuition fees - Sure Start - Rises in fuel tax - Legislation on maternity & - Inflation and salaries not rising paternity leave with increases to living costs - Childcare vouchers - Nurseries - WFTC [Much greater awareness among women than men, although no spontaneous mention of these being Labour policies]
Which politicians / parties understand
families best?
• Politicians were all believed to come from “There are not a lot
wealthy backgrounds and people assumed: of working class
politicians. None of
• Almost all politicians went to private school them have ever had
• With few exceptions, none had ever had ‘real to struggle in their
jobs’ outside of politics lives” [Mum]
• They all lived comfortably on their MP salaries
and their expenses “They live very
comfortably on their
• It was therefore thought that no politician salaries and, as we all
was in a position to understand the now know, their
pressures and priorities of ordinary families generous
expenses” [Dad]
• None of the main parties stood out as
understanding families better than the rest
• They were all seen as being ‘the same’ “They are all too far
removed” [Mum]Modern British Family STAGE 2: WORKSHOP
Stage 2: Workshop Methodology • On 14 June 2011, BritainThinks conducted a workshop in Parliament: • 15 x mums • 2h 30mins • All had voted in 2010 General Election • Quotas were set to ensure the groups comprised good mixture & range of participants in terms of: • Voting behaviour in 2010
Stage 2: Workshop
Agenda
Welcome and Introduction
Introducing the Labour Party Policy Review – Tessa Jowell
What we have learnt so far - BritainThinks
Pre-task: objects that sum-up challenges facing families
The ‘dos & don'ts' for Government
Discussing policy ideas
Coming-up with ideas of our own
Voting on our favourite ideasObjects that summed-up the challenges facing
families nowadays fell into three main categories
1) Financial pressures: participants were often emotional when talking
about the financial strain their family was under
“I’ve bought my TV license and, for the
quality of what’s on TV, it isn’t worth it.
It’s just an added financial
pressure” [Mum]
“Petrol prices are up, but NHS waiting
lists are too. You go to work every day but
you think ‘why bother?’” [Mum]
“I’ve brought a newspaper cutting on fuel
costs. It just keeps going up.” [Mum]Objects that summed-up the challenges facing
families nowadays fell into three main categories
2) Lack of family time: mums were extremely busy and often regretted
the lack of quality time they were able to spend with their children
“I’ve got a picture of my family and my
husband isn’t in it because he’s always
working” [Mum]
“Weighing scales – because I am always
juggling and life is a balancing act” [Mum]
“I brought a pedometer – I’ve done 15,000
steps today. I’ve got no time for my
family” [Mum]Objects that summed-up the challenges facing
families nowadays fell into three main categories
3) Their children living atomised lives: parents were worried about the
impact of technology and modern life on family time together
“Technology is good, it does offer respite
to parents, but more interaction would be
good” [Mum]
“I brought the TV Times, because of the
amount of time my kids spend in front of
the TV rather than outside” [Mum]
“They are always stuck on a computer,
stuck on messaging” [Mum]Stage 2: Workshop
Agenda
Welcome and Introduction
Introducing the Labour Party Policy Review – Tessa Jowell
What we have learnt so far - BritainThinks
Pre-task: objects that sum-up challenges facing families
The ‘dos & don'ts’ for Government
Discussing policy ideas
Coming-up with ideas of our own
Voting on our favourite ideasGovernment ‘dos’ and ‘don'ts’ all related to helping ordinary hard working families, and not rewarding underserving people either side of the ‘squeezed middle’ ‘Dos’ Help those who work hard & play by the rules by… - Supporting students through Uni. - Reducing cost of living - Supporting small businesses (so they can create jobs) - Reducing VAT Punish the ‘undeserving’: - ‘Question huge companies when they raise prices’ - Tax those who make a lot of money - Follow-up dads for CSA
Government ‘dos’ and ‘don'ts' all related to helping
ordinary hard working families, and not rewarding
underserving people either side of the squeezed middle
‘Don'ts’
Stop what support there is for families, in particular, don’t:
- Close play schemes
- Cut back on education hours and nurseries
- Reduce housing benefit supplements for bills
Let people who are ‘playing the system’ continue to get away with it,
for example, by:
- Ignoring tax evaders / Non-Doms
- Supporting the banks / bankersStage 2: Workshop
Agenda
Welcome and Introduction
Introducing the Labour Party Policy Review – Tessa Jowell
What we have learnt so far - BritainThinks
Pre-task: objects that sum-up challenges facing families
The ‘dos & don'ts' for Government
Discussing policy ideas
Coming-up with ideas of our own
Voting on our favourite ideasPolicy ideas that participants liked
included…
Linking back to the challenges they identified earlier in the session,
participants were positive about the following ideas as a way of easing
financial and time pressures on families
• Greater parent involvement in the running of children’s centres
• Kinship allowance
• Child allowance for stay-at-home mums
• Government support for informal networks (grandparents, etc.)
And ideas that enabled them to spend more quality time with their children:
• Entitlement for both parents to time-off for school plays, football
matches, etc.Stage 2: Workshop
Agenda
Welcome and Introduction
Introducing the Labour Party Policy Review – Tessa Jowell
What we have learnt so far - BritainThinks
Pre-task: objects that sum-up challenges facing families
The ‘dos & don'ts' for Government
Discussing policy ideas
Coming-up with ideas of our own
Voting on our favourite ideasIdeas that participants came up with themselves
centered around three key themes…
1) A SPACE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO GET KIDS OFF THE STREET & FEEL A
SENSE OF COMMUNITY
• More youth club services OR turn libraries into daycare centres
• Storytelling, education, socialising for parents
• Different services for different age groups, at different times
2) TEACHING MORE DISCIPLINE & ‘COMMUNITYSHIP’ TO ADDRESS ATOMISED
LIVES OF MODERN YOUTH
• Teach ‘communityship’ rather than citizenship
• Achieve greater discipline through parental coaching
3) IMPROVING THE JOB PROSPECTS OF WOMEN TO ALLOW THEM TO EASE
THE FINANCIAL PRESSURE
• Fund re-training programmes and entrepreneurial womenStage 2: Workshop
Agenda
Welcome and Introduction
Introducing the Labour Party Policy Review – Tessa Jowell
What we have learnt so far - BritainThinks
Pre-task: objects that sum-up challenges facing families
The ‘dos & don'ts' for Government
Discussing policy ideas
Coming-up with ideas of our own
Voting on our favourite ideasFinal vote
Policies that helped women back into work, either by training or sponsoring
them or offering assistance with childcare, received much support
Financial support for re-training parents so they can work / support family
10
VOTES
without state help
Free crèches at workplaces & training facilities 10
VOTES
Government support for women setting-up small businesses 2
VOTES
Policies that made it easier for grandparents to help out with childcare – and in
doing so easing the pressure on parents - were also popular
Allow childcare allowance to be paid to grandparents / family members
19
VOTES
(and give early retirement to family members involved)
‘Family Leave’ for grandparents to take time off to help with childcare
2
VOTES
Final vote
Policies offering support, both financial and in terms of time off work, for
parents through their child’s early years were popular
Childcare allowance for mums who stay at home 8
VOTES
Full pay for parents on maternity leave (paid for from taxes, not businesses 7
VOTES
Time off for mums / dads to attend school plays, sports matches, etc. 2
VOTES
Also well-liked were policies aimed at increasing discipline, family values and
the sense of being part of the community among young people
Kids to learn about “communityship” (sic.), family values & discipline at
13
VOTES
school
Parenting coaching: “lifelong learning” 0
VOTES
Final vote
Although it fared less well in the vote than other areas of policy, the idea of a
shared community space was a popular one (it was just less of an immediate
priority)
Libraries to be kept open as ‘clubs’ – young children read with mums,
2
VOTES
teenagers revise, quiet areas for ‘oldies’
Government owned care centres to remain (not privatised) – but mums to 0
VOTES
have a say in how run through online resource
0
VOTES
Children’s Centre ownershipThe Modern British Family Research for the Labour Party
You can also read
