"Family life is much more problematic now than it was in the past."
In this episode, sociologist and author Frank Furedi shares his journey from radical left politics to becoming a critic of identity politics and therapy culture. Frank offers insightful perspectives on how ideological movements target children, undermine family structures, and transform educational institutions across Europe and beyond.
About Frank Furedi
Frank Furedi is a Hungarian-born sociologist, author, and cultural commentator with a background in radical left politics. After leaving Hungary during the Hungarian Revolution, he moved to Canada where he grew up and attended university before relocating to the UK in 1969. Furedi founded the Revolutionary Communist Party, though his independent thinking eventually led him away from traditional left-wing positions. He served as a professor of sociology at the University of Canterbury where he supervised over 50 PhD students.
Furedi has written approximately 26 books on topics including parenting, therapy culture, fear, and cultural shifts. His works include "Paranoid Parenting," "Therapy Culture," and "Politics of Fear: Beyond Left and Right." Currently, he serves as executive director of MCC Brussels, an organization creating networks to address cultural issues from a perspective that questions prevailing ideological trends. His most recent book, "The War Against the Past: Why the West Must Fight for Its History," was published in 2024.
The Targeting of Children Through Ideology
Frank discusses how children are deliberately targeted by ideological movements:
"I think they target children for the same reason that Jesuits have targeted children. They basically, you know, give me a child, you know, and I'll make sure that the child becomes what I want them to be."
He explains how sexuality education is being used to make children question their identity from a young age, describing it as "crumbing children as young as six and seven" to question who they are. This creates intergenerational tension by teaching children that they understand their bodies better than their parents. He discusses this in the talk he gave at Genspect’s The Bigger Picture Lisbon conference in September 2024:
The European Union and Gender Policies
Furedi reveals how gender policies are embedded within European Union funding mechanisms. He explains that when organizations apply for EU funding, whether it's "a theatre group in Croatia or you're building a road in Poland," they must demonstrate what they're doing about gender inclusion, effectively forcing compliance with certain ideological positions.
He describes how his organization is researching how "the EU finances different NGOs that are involved in gender-related issues." He explains that many NGOs pushing gender policies are themselves funded by the EU, creating what he calls a "parasitic relationship between the EU Commission and the NGOs."
The "Mission Creeps" report by MCC Brussels reveals that over €220 million in EU funds have been allocated to NGOs promoting radical gender identity policies, often without transparent democratic processes.
The Medicalization of Childhood
One of Furedi's central concerns is how we've shifted from educating children about values to using psychology as the medium for socialization. He shares an anecdote about his eight-year-old son coming home from school using terms like "depressed" and "stressed out," sounding "like a young Freud."
This psychological focus, Furedi argues, creates two harmful consequences: it weakens children's ability to overcome identity challenges by teaching them to see themselves as "potential patients," and it leads to the medicalization of childhood. He notes that reports claim the mental health crisis among children gets worse every year—something inconceivable for typical medical conditions—because "we actually make them sick."
More by Frank on this topic:
Family as a Haven from Ideology
Furedi emphasizes the vital importance of family as a buffer against ideological pressure. Recalling his childhood in Communist Hungary, he describes how the family provided protection: "We had these two double languages, the way we would speak outside of the family where we'd just tick the right boxes, and in the family where we just joke about the communist regimes."
He believes strong families are essential for children to "develop a strong identity" and "cultivate their sense of independence." In his words: "The two things that we can give to our children is roots... and then we can give them wings so they can fly."
In this article, Frank reflects on the Hungarian uprising and the importance of familial bonds in preserving individual thought during oppressive regimes:
Subversive Parenting
When asked what can be done to push back against these cultural trends, Furedi advocates for what he calls "subversive parenting," where parents "seek to subvert the parenting regime that is being imposed upon us." This approach aims to free children from ideological burdens and socialize them in what he calls "real values."
He suggests creating new "signposts" for development to replace traditional markers of maturity that have disappeared. This might include family rituals around independence or rehabilitating institutions like marriage, which he values not for religious reasons but because it "creates the potential for stable relationships and therefore a stable family life."
Follow Frank Furedi
For those interested in exploring Frank's work further:
His Substack:
Twitter/X: @Furedibyte
His work with MCC Brussels
His personal website: frankfuredi.com
His latest book: The War Against the Past: Why the West Must Fight for Its History (2024)
Other books include "Paranoid Parenting," "Therapy Culture," "Why Borders Matter," and "100 Years of Identity Crisis: Culture War Over Socialisation"
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