Examples of Social Policies Flashcards
What are social policies?
plans, programmes and laws with regards to health & social services, welfare (benefits) system, schools & other public bodies with the aim of tackling social issues
Divorce Law Reform Act 1969
Introduced by, Description
Labour
Made divorce easier by simplifying the grounds for divorce – irretrievable differences, no longer any need for witnesses or a court case to get divorced.
Divorce Law Reform Act 1969
Effect on family life and society
Created family diversity
Way out of an abusive or empty shell marriage
Can be emotionally difficult for all family members
Many divorced women live in poverty
Divorce Law Reform Act 1969
Sociological Perspective
Feminists and Postmodernists - favour, gives individuals choice and it frees women from patriarchal marriage
New Right - against, destroys the nuclear family and therefore threatens social stability
Sure Start
Introduced by, Description
New Labour [Coalition scrapped this]
To deliver the best start in life for every child by bringing together early education, childcare, health and family support.
S.S. centres provided parenting classes, advice drop in sessions, a one off Maternity Grant to help towards the cost of a new baby, weekly 12.5 hour free hours of nursery for young children.
Sure Start
Effect on family life and society
Aim to help families financially to get them out of poverty by encouraging parents back into work while under 5s were in nursery school.
Give advice to parents with ‘problem’ children (in order to decrease anti-social behaviour and keep children on the ‘right track’ in life).
Sure Start
Sociological Perspective
New Right - against,
Donzelot - against,
Child Trust Fund
Introduced by, Description
New Labour
Savings account for all babies born from September 2002.
It is set up by the gov once parents register the birth and the gov adds £250. The money stays in the account and accumulates interest so the total amount increases. No one can take any money out of it (parents can add money if and when they can).
When the child reaches the age of 18 they can withdraw the money.
Child Trust Fund
Effect on family life and society
To get children out of poverty – a long term policy – gives 18 y/o a sum of money they can use for uni, etc.
Child Trust Fund
Sociological Perspective
Marxism - against, empty gesture policy, w/c children still lose out – m/c parents can afford to add money each month so when their child is 18 they’ll have a substantial amount. w/c parents can’t afford to do that so their child will only have the interest that accumulated on top of the initial amount the gov put in.
New Right against…
Maternity and paternity leave
Introduced by, Description
Labour 1975
Maternity Leave – paid time off work for new mothers. They can have up to 52 weeks.
New Labour 1997
Paternity Leave – paid time off work for new fathers - 2 weeks.
Coalition 2010
Extension to Paternity leave - new dads, of babies born after April 2011, with partners who are returning to work, have the right to up to 26 weeks paternity Leave.
Maternity and paternity leave
Effect on family life and society
[M] Protected the health of mothers and babies, lessened the financial burden of having a baby and ensured a period free from excessive work
[P1] March of progress to gender roles equality as now fathers get to spend time with the new born to bond as a family – it acknowledges the man’s responsibility for childcare
[P2] Even greater march of progress as now mothers and fathers can share responsibility for childcare 50/50
Maternity and paternity leave
Sociological Perspective
New Right against…
Feminists – Liberal in favour as it’s march of progress to gender equality, Radical against men get to choose if they have 2 weeks off or 26 weeks – most are choosing 2 weeks so the responsibility for the baby is on the mother and women are taking more time out of their careers for the baby.
Child Tax Credit
Introduced by, Description
New Labour
Payments from the gov given to parents. They pay tax, then the gov gives them some of it back so, technically, people with children pay less tax. Have more disposable income to spend on their family.
To qualify, a parent must be responsible for at least one child or young person who normally lives with them and earn below a certain amount per year.
Child Tax Credit
Effect on family life and society
Families on lower incomes have more money so it improves their standard of living.
Child Tax Credit
Sociological Perspective
Marxism against – empty gesture policy
New Right against – people should be self-suficient and not rely on the gov to help them financially take care of their children
Feminists in favour – helps single mothers who work
Benefit cuts and creation of Universal Credit
Introduced by, Description
Coalition 2010
Policy is to ‘make work pay‘ by decreasing the amount of benefit payments people get in the hope this will encourage them to get a job.
All benefits have been reduced – child benefit, housing benefit, disability benefit, unemployment benefit.
Also, instead of getting any one of these different benefits (depending on which ones a person may be entitled to), people now get just one benefit called Universal Credit.
Benefit cuts and creation of Universal Credit
Effect on family life and society
Making poor people even poorer.
Benefit cuts and creation of Universal Credit
Sociological Perspective
New Right in favour…
Marxists and Feminists against…
Civil Partnership Act 2005 and Marriage Act 2015
Introduced by, Description
New Labour
Allows the registration of civil partnerships between same sex couples.
Homosexual couples can also adopt children.
The aim of the law is to protect the rights of either party in line with heterosexual married couples, e.g. housing, pensions, etc.
Coalition
Re-define marriage to be a legal union between 2 people thus creating full equality.
Civil Partnership Act 2005 and Marriage Act 2015
Effect on family life and society
Increased equality and social justice
Created family diversity
Civil Partnership Act 2005 and Marriage Act 2015
Sociological Perspective
Feminists and Postmodernists in favour…
New Right against…
New Deal
Introduced by, Description
New Labour
Aims to help people get a job if they are unemployed by providing them with training if they lack employ-ability skills.
e.g. New Deal for Lone Parents is for people bringing up children as a lone parent, if the youngest child is under 16 years old and the parent is not working, or working less than 16 hours per week.
New Deal
Effect on family life and society
To get people out of poverty through by helping them get jobs.
New Deal
Sociological Perspective
Marxists – against - empty gesture
