Wikipedia

Social conservatism

(Redirected fromSocial conservatives)
Not to be confused withPaternalistic conservatism.

Social conservatismis apolitical philosophyand a variety ofconservatismwhich places emphasis ontraditionalsocial structures oversocial pluralism.[1][2]Social conservativesorganizein favor ofduty,traditional valuesandsocial institutions,such as traditionalfamily structures,gender roles,sexual relations,national patriotism,andreligious traditions.[3][4]Social conservatism is usually skeptical of social change, instead tending to support thestatus quoconcerning social issues.[4]

Social conservatives also value the rights of religious institutions to participate in the public sphere, thus often supportinggovernment-religious endorsementand opposingstate atheism,and in some cases opposingsecularism.[5][6][7]

Social conservatism, as a movement, is largely an outgrowth oftraditionalist conservatism.The key difference is that traditional conservatism is broader and includes philosophical considerations, whereas social conservatism is largely focused on justmoralism.

Social conservatism and other ideological views

edit

There is overlap between social conservatism andpaleoconservatism,in that they both support and value traditional social forms.[8]

Social conservatism is not to be confused witheconomically interventionistconservatism, where conservative ideas are combined withKeynesianeconomics and awelfare stateas practised by some European conservatives (e.g.one-nation conservativesin theUnited Kingdom,GaullistsinFrance). Some social conservatives supportfree tradeandlaissez faire marketapproaches to economic and fiscal issues, but social conservatives may also support economic intervention where the intervention serves moral or cultural aims. HistorianJon Wienerhas described social conservatism as historically the result of an appeal from "elitist preservationists"to lower-class workers to 'protect' wealth from immigration.[1][9]

Many social conservatives support a balance betweenprotectionismand afree market.This concern for material welfare, like advocacy of traditionalmores,will often have a basis in religion. Examples include theChristian Social Union of Bavaria,theFamily First PartyandKatter's Australian Party,and thecommunitarianmovement in the United States.[10]

Social conservatism by country

edit

Australia

edit
Further information:Conservatism in Australia

Mainstream conservatism in Australia generally incorporatesliberalism,henceliberal conservatismbeing the primary ideology of the major centre-right coalition in Australia, theLiberal-NationalCoalition.Therefore, the Coalition, while having members with some socially conservative views, is not considered socially conservative. However, both social conservatism andright-wing populismare present amongright-wingminor parties, such asPauline Hanson's One Nation,theUnited Australia Party(UAP) andKatter's Australian Party(KAP) amongst others.

Nevertheless, theNational Right(also known as the "Conservative" faction or the "Right" faction) serves as the party's social conservative faction, although the party is still considered abroad churchconservative party and factions do collaborate with each other; for example, theNew South Wales Liberal Partyoften chooses a leadership team consisting of both a member of the more centristModeratefaction and a member of the Right.

Social conservatives in Australia often need to take a broad church stance while governing. For example, formerNew South Wales Liberal Partyleader and state premier,Dominic Perrottet,a conservativeCatholic,despite having voted against legalisingsame-sex marriagein 2018 and opposingabortion,followed Labor leaderChris Minns' in supporting a 2023 state-wide ban on gayconversion therapy,[11]whilst also vowing to protectreligious freedomandpreaching.[12]

During theAustralian Marriage Law Postal Surveyof 2018, which successfully sought to legalise same-sex marriage in Australia, the Coalition government led byPrime MinisterMalcolm Turnbullallowed its members aconscience voteon the issue. While many (including Turnbull) were in favour, some were opposed, but supported holding aplebisciteon the matter. Federal Coalition MPs who opposed same-sex marriage during the debate included former Prime MinisterTony Abbott,Peter Dutton,Scott Morrisonand many others. However, when the plebiscite was successful (with 61.6% in favour), a vote needed to be held in both chambers ofParliament.TheMarriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Act 2017was tabled in theSenateand was subsequently passed in theHouse of Representatives,with just three votes against (excluding the members who abstained). Due to their respective electorates delivering a majority "yes" vote (as well as the entire country), members such as Dutton (who voted "no" in the plebiscite) voted in favour of the bill after his seat ofDicksonvoted 65.16% in favour.

Canada

edit
Main article:Social conservatism in Canada

In Canada, social conservatism, though widespread, is not as prominent in the public sphere asin the United States.It is prevalent in all areas of the country but is seen as being more prominent inruralareas. It is also a significant influence on the ideological and political culture of the western provinces ofManitoba,Saskatchewan,Alberta,andBritish Columbia.[citation needed]

Compared tosocial conservatism in the United States,social conservatism has not been as influential in Canada. The main reason is that theneoconservativestyle of politics as promoted by leaders such as former Prime Ministers such asPaul MartinandStephen Harperhave focused onfiscal conservatism,with little or no emphasis on moral or social conservatism.[13]Without a specific, large political party behind them, social conservatives have divided their votes and can be found in all political parties.[14]

Social conservatives often felt that they were being sidelined by officials in theProgressive Conservative Party of Canadaand its leadership of so-called "Red Tories"for the last half of the twentieth century and therefore many eventually made their political home with parties such as theSocial Credit Party of Canadaand theReform Party of Canada.Despite the Reform Party being dominated by social conservatives, leaderPreston Manning,seeking greater national support for the party, was reluctant for the party to wholly embrace socially conservative values. This led to his deposition as leader of the party (now calledCanadian Alliance) in favor of social conservativeStockwell Day.[15]The party's successor, theConservative Party of Canada,despite having a number of socially conservative members and cabinet ministers, has chosen so far not to focus on socially conservative issues in its platform. This was most recently exemplified on two occasions in 2012 when the currentConservative Party of Canadadeclared they had no intention to repealsame-sex marriageorabortionlaws.[16]

China

edit

Chiang Kai-shek,a formerpresidentofRepublic of China,could be seen as a social conservative who was critical ofliberal valuesand defended the union ofConfuciantraditions andmodernism.Under his rule, theKuomintangled theNew Life Movement.

After theChinese Communist Revolution,social conservatism in China increased due to the rise ofNew Confucianismand others after the 1970s to 1980s during theChinese economic reform.

Bloomberg Newsdescribed the period of China, whereXi Jinpingis president, as "Conservative Era"; Faced with a shrinking population, China’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong has urged women to cultivate a “culture” of childbirth and take on a more domestic role.[17]CCP general secretaryXi has adopted a more conservative social view since he began histhird leadershipin 2022. He reflects traditional and patriarchal views of women in speeches and policies. This is related to China's low birth rate problem.[18]

Islamic world

edit
Further information:ShariaandConservatism in Islam

Most Muslim countries are somewhat more socially conservative (such asTajikistanandMalaysia) than neighbouring countries that are not Muslim. However, due to their interpretation of Islamic law also known as Shariah, they have some differences from social conservatism as understood in the nations of West Europe, North America and Oceania.[citation needed]

Arab world

edit
Further information:Arab world,Islam,andCensorship

The Arab world has recently[when?]been more conservative in social and moral issues due to theArab spring.[citation needed]

India

edit

Hindu social conservatism

edit
Further information:Shiv Sena,Bharatiya Janata Party,Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh,Hindu nationalism,andHindutva

Hindu social conservatism in India in the twenty first century has developed into an influential movement, represented in the political arena by theright-wingBharatiya Janata Party.Hindu social conservatism, also known as theHindutvamovement, is spearheaded by the voluntary non-governmental organizationRashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.The core philosophy of this ideology isnativism,and it seesHinduismas a national identity, rather than a religious one. Due to an inclination towardsnativism,much of its platform is based on the belief that Islamic and Christian denominations in India are the result of occupations, and, therefore, these groups should be uprooted from theIndian subcontinentby converting their members back toHinduism.

In terms of political positions, Hindu social conservatives in India seek to institutionalize aUniform Civil Code(which is also a directive under Article 44 of theConstitution of India) for members of all religions,[19]over the current scheme of different personal laws for different religions. For instance,polygamyis legal for Muslims in India, but not Hindus.

Muslim social conservatism

edit
Further information:Lakshar-e-Taiba

There are several socially conservative Muslim organisations in India, ranging from groups such as theIndian Union Muslim Leaguewhich aim to promote the preservation of Indian Muslim culture as a part of the nation's identity and history.[citation needed]

South Africa

edit

Social conservatism had an important place inApartheidSouth Africa ruled by theNational Party.Pornography,[20]gambling[21]and other activities that were deemed undesirable were severely restricted. The majority of businesses were forbidden from doingbusiness on Sunday.[22]

United States

edit
Main article:Social conservatism in the United States

Social conservatism in theUnited Statesis aright-wingpolitical ideology that opposessocial progressivism.It is centered on the preservation of what adherents often call 'traditional' or 'family values', though the accepted aims of the movement often vary amongst the organisations it comprises, making it hard to generalise about ideological preferences. There are, however, a number of general principles to which at least a majority of social conservatives adhere, such asopposition to abortionand opposition tosame-sex marriage.[1][23][24][25]SociologistHarry F. Dahmssuggests that Christian doctrinal conservatives (anti-abortion, anti-same-sex marriage) and gun-use conservatives (such as supporters and members of theNational Rifle Association of America(NRA)) form two domains of ideology within American social conservatism.[26]

TheRepublican Partyis the largest United States political party with socially conservative ideals incorporated into its platform. Other socially conservative parties include theAmerican Solidarity Party,theConstitution Partyand theProhibition Party.

Social conservatives are strongest in the South, where they are a mainstream political force with aspirations to translate those ideals using the party platform nationally. Supporters of social conservatism played a major role in the political coalitions ofRonald ReaganandGeorge W. Bush.[27]

Other areas

edit

There are also social conservative movements in many other parts of the world, such asLatin America,Eastern Europe,theBalkans,theCaucasus,Central Europe,Mediterranean countries,Southeast Asia,andOceania.

Examples of social conservative political parties

edit

Argentina

edit

Armenia

edit

Australia

edit

Austria

edit

Belgium

edit

Bosnia and Herzegovina

edit

Brazil

edit

Bulgaria

edit

Cambodia

edit

Canada

edit

Chile

edit

Czech Republic

edit

Denmark

edit

El Salvador

edit

Estonia

edit

Faroe Islands

edit

Fiji

edit

Finland

edit

France

edit

Germany

edit

Georgia

edit

Greece

edit

Hungary

edit

India

edit

Ireland

edit

Israel

edit

Italy

edit

Japan

edit

Kazakhstan

edit

Latvia

edit

Liechtenstein

edit

Lithuania

edit

Luxembourg

edit

Malaysia

edit

Mexico

edit

Moldova

edit

Netherlands

edit

New Zealand

edit

Norway

edit

Philippines

edit

Poland

edit

Portugal

edit

Romania

edit

Russia

edit

Slovakia

edit

Spain

edit

Serbia

edit

Sweden

edit

Switzerland

edit

Turkey

edit

Ukraine

edit

United Kingdom

edit

Northern Ireland

edit

United States

edit

Social conservative factions of political parties

edit

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^abcWiener, Jonathan(Spring 1973)."Review:The Politics of Unreason: Right-Wing Extremism in America, 1790-1970".The Journal of Interdisciplinary History.3(4).MIT Press:791–793.doi:10.2307/202704.JSTOR202704.
  2. ^Cooper, Melinda (2019).Family Values: Between Neoliberalism and the New Social Conservatism.Zone Books.
  3. ^Smith, Robert B. (2014). Harry F. Dahms (ed.).Social Conservatism, Distractors, and Authoritarianism: Axiological versus instrumental rationality.Emerald Group Publishing. p. 101.ISBN9781784412227.
  4. ^ab"Social Conservatism".Populism Studies.Retrieved17 August2022.
  5. ^Dean, John W. (11 July 2006).Conservatives Without Conscience.Penguin Publishing Group. p. 77.ISBN9781101201374.
  6. ^Wald, Kenneth D.; Calhoun-Brown, Allison (2007).Religion and Politics in the United States.Rowman & Littlefield. p. 240.ISBN9780742540415.
  7. ^Booten, Matthew (11 May 2020)."19 different types of conservatives".Politic-Ed.Social conservatism often opposes state-atheism, however not necessarily atheism itself. They believe that if we allow states to stop believing in God, that societal order will simply break down as a result.
  8. ^Rowland, Howard S. (2010).Things to Think About.Xlibris Corporation. p. 171.ISBN9781453571286.[self-published source]
  9. ^West, Ed (2020).Small Men on the Wrong Side of History: The Decline, Fall and Unlikely Return of Conservatism.
  10. ^Robin, Corey.The Reactionary Mind: Conservatism from Edmund Burke to Donald Trump.Oxford University Press.
  11. ^"NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet agrees to gay conversion therapy ban".
  12. ^"NSW election 2023: Perrottet puts caveats on gay conversion law".22 February 2023.
  13. ^John Middlemist Herrick and Paul H. Stuart, eds.Encyclopedia of social welfare history in North America(2005) p. 143
  14. ^David M. Haskell,Through a lens darkly: how the news media perceive and portray evangelicals(2009) p 57
  15. ^Murray Dobbin,Preston Manning and the Reform Party(1991)
  16. ^"Same-sex marriages declared legal and valid by federal justice minister Rob Nicholson".National Post.13 January 2012.
  17. ^"Taylor Swift wows Chinese women tired of Xi's conservative era".Bloomberg News.9 February 2024.
  18. ^"Facing Population Decline, China's Xi Promotes 'Childbirth Culture' for Women".Time.31 October 2023.
  19. ^Press Trust of India (2 August 2003)."Muslim leaders oppose uniform civil code".Express India. Archived fromthe originalon 25 September 2012.Retrieved18 August2014.
  20. ^JCW Van Rooyen, Censorship in South Africa (Cape Town: Juta and Co., 1987),
  21. ^Bet and board in the new South Africa. (legalisation of gambling could lead to growth of casinos, lotteries)(Brief Article)The Economist(US) | 5 August 1995
  22. ^Apartheid mythology and symbolism. desegregated and re-invented in the service of nation building in the new South Africa: the covenant and the battle of Blood/Ncome River
  23. ^Riley, Jim."Liberalism & Conservatism".academic.regis.edu.Archived fromthe originalon 14 November 2017.Retrieved4 July2017.
  24. ^Farney, James Harold (2012).Social Conservatives and Party Politics in Canada and the United States.University of Toronto Press.ISBN9781442612600.
  25. ^Cramer, Clayton E. (2016).Social Conservatism in An Age of Revolution: Legislating Christian Morality in Revolutionary America.
  26. ^Smith, Robert B. (2014). Harry F. Dahms (ed.).Social Conservatism, Distractors, and Authoritarianism: Axiological versus instrumental rationality.Emerald Group Publishing. p. 101.ISBN9781784412227.
  27. ^Darren Dochuk,From Bible Belt to Sun Belt: Plain-Folk Religion, Grassroots Politics, and the Rise of Evangelical Conservatism(W.W. Norton & Company; 2010) shows how migrants to Southern California from Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas provided evangelical support for social conservatism.
  28. ^Il programma del Popolo della Famiglia di Mario AdinolfiArchived18 January 2017 at theWayback Machine(intelligonews)
  29. ^ProgrammaArchived7 March 2017 at theWayback Machine(Italia Cristiana)
  30. ^Parties and Elections in EuropeArchived15 June 2012 at theWayback Machine.Parties-and-elections.eu. Retrieved on 24 August 2013.
  31. ^Piero Ignazi (2008).Partiti politici in Italia.Il Mulino, Bologna. p. 58.
  32. ^Inada, Miho; Dvorak, Phred."Same-Sex Marriage in Japan: A Long Way Away?"Archived16 June 2016 at theWayback Machine.The Wall Street Journal.20 September 2013. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
  33. ^Lockhart, Charles (2010).Protecting the Elderly: How Culture Shapes Social Policy.Penn State Press. p. 84.ISBN978-0-271-02289-5.Retrieved22 November2020.
  34. ^Magara, Hideko; Sacchi, Stefano, eds. (2013).The Politics of Structural Reforms: Social and Industrial Policy Change in Italy and Japan.Edward Elgar Publishing. p. 95.ISBN978-0-85793-292-1.Retrieved22 November2020.
  35. ^Pekkanen, Robert J.; Scheiner, Ethan; Reed, Steven R., eds. (2016).Japan decides 2014: the Japanese general election.Springer. pp. 104, 106.doi:10.1057/9781137552006.ISBN978-1-349-56437-8.Retrieved22 November2020.
  36. ^Lucien Ellington, ed. (2009).Japan.ABC-CLIO.p. 168.ISBN9781598841626.... Because of this political strength, the Liberal Democratic Party has in recent years included the moderate to socially conservative Komeito Party in coalition governments.
  37. ^"Philippines".World Encyclopedia of Political Systems and Parties.Facts On File. 1999. p. 887.
  38. ^Perron, Louis (2009).Election Campaigns in the Philippines.Routledge. p. 361.
  39. ^"Gay Marriage Bill In Northern Ireland Blocked Again By Socially Conservative Democratic Unionist Party".Huffingtonpost.co.uk.27 April 2015.Retrieved9 January2019.

Bibliography

edit

Further reading

edit
edit
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Social_conservatism&oldid=1275664439"