Families and Social Policy Flashcards
What do marxist and feminists beleive about family ideology?
That the nuclear family is opressive and dangerous and are promoted to hide the truth of family life.
What did the Marriage tax system policy do?
In 2010, gave tax relief to married couples making 4 million better off by up £150 a year
Encouraged marriages and nuclear family
What did the coalition government (2010-2015) do to support nuclear families?
Restored tax advantages for married couples, and support for couples who relationship was breaking down
Also plans for both parents to share parental leave after a childbirth
Traditional wing of party and liberal wing of party clashed over family values and trying to be inclusive of new family types
What did the child benfit (2017) under the conservative government change?
After 2017, child tax and universal credit will be restricted to the first two child in the UK.
This benefits upper class who can afford the extra children while lower class families will be worse off.
What did the civil partnership act do?
Enabled same sex couples to register as civil partners in England and Wales in 2004
Undermines nuclear family structure
What did the marriage (same sex couples) act do?
In 2013 and allowed same sed couples to marry and be recognised by religious institutions rather than just law
Undermines nuclear family
When and what was Shared Parental Leave policy
2015 under conservative government
Eligible parents (mum or dad) can share up 50 weeks of leave after the initial two weeks the mother has to take off
Undermines nuclear family by encouraging dads to be childcarerers
What were some new right policies on families?
Tried to strengthen traditional family values:
Child support agency (1993) made force births fathers to provide financial support to children if relationship broke down- encouraged families to stay together and discouraged lone mother families
Back to basics campaign (1993) John major urged to return to family values but was unsuccessful as conservative politicians caught up in scandals
What were some new Labour policies that Lewis noted as ways they responded to changing family forms?
- Almost doubled maternity pay
- civil partnership act (2004) same sex couples now civil partners
- new deal (1998) aimed to get single mothers back into paid employment with measures like free training
- subsidised free 15 hours of nursery children
What do sociologist argue about austerity measures and families?
Bradshaw says that by 2015 cuts in public spending have largest effect on poorest families with children
What does Marxist Donzelot say about the policing of families?
Sees social policies as form of state power over families
Use social workers, health visitors and doctors to user their knowledge to control and change families called “the policing of families”
Poor families most likely to be seen as problem families and cause of crime or anti-social behaviour
Examples like parenting order that tells a parents how to parent their child if their child is being anti social
What does feminist Land argue about social policies?
Land argues policies assume ideal family is patriarchal nuclear family. So policies reinforce patriarchal roles within families
Eg tax and benefit policies assume husbands are main wage earners and wives are dependant which makes it impossible for wives to claim their own social security benefits, reinforces women’s dependence on husbands
What do functionalists argue about family and social policy
Fletcher argues health, education and housing policies benefit family perform its functions of socialising children.
So family is extension of Gov and looks after intrest of society and so policies help allow family to perform its functions
What was chinas one child policy?
Wanted to control high population, discouraged having more than one child and gave benefits to families with only one child
