Families and Social Policy Flashcards
What is social policy?
A law/ guideline introduced by the government to address social issues e.g family life/education/healthcare
What is the overall functionalist view of social policy?
-Social policy is beneficial for society as it helps families better perform their functions e.g health/ education policies
What is Fletchers view on family and social policy?
-Introduction of health,education. and hosuing policies after industrial revolution led to welfare state
-Welfare state= familys meet functions better e.g economic needs
How can the functionalist view of social policy be criticised?
-‘March of progress view’ overlooks negative impacts of policies e.g cutting welfare benefits to poor families
-Not all policies benefit all family members equally, some only benefit men
What is Donzelots view of family policy?
Argues that social policies allow social agents e.g doctors, social workers, health visitors to excercise control and surveillance the family, mostly w/c
How does Condry support Donzelots view?
-state imposes compulsory parenting orders and parenting classes for parents of young offenders/truants= control
According to Donzelot, why are w/c families more likely to be policed?
-Seen as the cause of crime and antisocial behaviour so professionals target them for ‘improvement’
How can Donzelots view be criticised?
Marxists and feminists argue he doesnt clealy identify who benefits from the surveilance policies
What is the new Right view on current social policies and the nuclear family?
Current policies are undermining the ideal nuclear family by encouraging family diversity
-Social policy should instead support the nuclear family
Why is Murray critical of the welfare state?
-generous welfare benefits that encourages dysfunctional family types such as SPF by offering perverse incentives
According to Murray, what irresponsible behaviours can generous welfare state lead to?
fathers abandoning responsibilities to children/family as state provides
-encourages teenage pregancies via council housing
-encourages LPF leading to crime in young males
Why is the dependency culture a negative thing according to New Right?
People rely on state not selves, so
-Less work ethic in men
-Less adequate socialsation of young as everyone is state dependent
What is the New Rights solution?
Cutting down benefits eligibality and welfare spending
-Policies implemented that favour nuclear family e.g taxes that benefit married couples
how can the new right view be criticised?
-Cutting benefits would make more poverty= less self-reliance (Abott+Wallace)
-Ignores idea that many policies do already support nuclear family
What influence did the New right have on conservative policies (1979-97)
-Thatcher; banning promotion of homosexuality/teachings in schools
However; divorce was made easier
BUT Child Support Agency implemented so absent fathers still have to pay
New Labour governments policies (1997-2010)
+Support strengthening of marriage
But argue state intervention needed to improve family life; allow time off work for ‘family reasons’
-The New Deal; to help lone parents reenter work
-support for alternative family types;
-civil partnerships, adoption for unmarried couples
How did the New Right influence Conservative gov from 2010
-No consistent New Right policies implemented (modernisers vs traditionalists)
Same sex marriage,Free childcare
undermine NR view
-Austerity policies e.g welfare cuts support NR buyt lead to poverty= more people using foodbanks than before
What is the feminist view on the family and social policy?
Social policy reinforce patriarchy ) by maintaining womens subordinate position e.g maternity leave= women are caregivers
According to Feminists, how is social policy a self fulfiling prophecy?
POlicy based on traditional norms, these norms then reinforced in society, limiting womens positions
-e.g maternity leave based on norm women are caregivers + tax incentives for married couples propose norm of marriage= more people marry,
How can inadequate childcare/ elderly care policies affect womens positions?
means some women cannot have a career as have to be caregiver for other members
How can the feminist view be evaluated?
-Some policies improve womens posityion e.g rape within marriage is a crime (1991), equal pay, sex discrimination
What was Chinas One child policy
-To limit population growth to one child per family
-free benefits/ higher tax allowances as incentive
-Only children got priority education and housing in later life
-Some forced abortions
What was a major policy change in communist Russia?
-restriction on contraception and abortion to drive up birth rate. Legal marriage age 15 and unmarried indiduals paid more tax
How did the Nazi regime shape family policy?
-Keep women in the ‘kitchen, church, children’ to breed aryan population
-sterilisation of disabled people to keep race ‘pure’
