Families- T7- Family, Mortality and State Policy Flashcards
Why is there a decline in the new right perspective
- Teenage pregnancy
- Homosexuality
- Cohabitation
- Declining popularity of marriage
- Increase of births outside of marriage
-Single parents - Liberal sex education
- Abortion rights and education
- Working mothers
What is the new right influence on other governments
1997-2010- New labour governments
- family was seen as the bedrock of society, emphasised the need for parents to take responsibility for their children
AO3- carol smart-
- New labour rejects sole male breadwinner and favour dual earner neo-conventional family, some state intervention is necessary, shown some support for alternative families
2010- 2015- The coalition governments
- traditionalists- favour the new right view
- Modernisers- recognises that families are diverse
Part is divided and this has been reflected in such policies such as Gay Marriage
What is the new right influence on state policy
- Tax and welfare -> favoured and encouraged the heterosexual married couples
- Discourage cohabiting couples single parents and same sex couples
Policies such as the payment of a child benefit the mother…
- The government’s reluctance to fund free universal nursery provision
Reinforced the idea that women should take the primary responsibility for children
The fact that a coordinated set of state policies was not introduced until 1999 may reflect the states traditional tendency to see the family as a private institution and its reluctance to interfere in the family’s internal organisation
What are the criticisms of the New Right Theory
State policy until 1997 was aimed at not overwhelming the rights of individual family members
Legislation was therefore focused on improving the social and economic position of women
Rights of children have been enhanced, Children Act 1989
There is no doubt that this legislation has undermined the traditional male dominance in the family. But some thinkers believe it has strengthened the family rather than weakened it.
What do functionalists think of familial state policies
See the state as acting in the interests of society as a whole and its social policies as being for the good of all
- Fletcher 1966- introduction of health, education and housing policies led to the welfare state- this supports family in performing its functions more effectively
How has the functionalist view been criticised on state policies
2 main counts:
1. it assumes that all members of the family benefit equally from social policies- feminists argue that many only benefit men
2. It assumes there is a march of progress with social policy making family life better- Marxist argue they can reverse progress i.e. current benefit cuts to poor families
What is the conflict theory of state policy
Donzelot sees social policy as a form of state power and control over families
He uses Foucault’s concepts of surveillance to explain this:
- Fear of being watched
- Improves behaviour
- Power is diffused among professionals
Feminist views on family state policies
Social policy helps to maintain women’s subordination and the unequal division of labour in the family
Policies are often based on assumptions about what a normal family is.
Feminists such as land argue that many policies assume that the ideal family is the patriarchal nuclear family with a male provider
This norm affect the kind of policies governing family life and in the turn the policies often reinforce that particular type of family
Type policies then make it more difficult for people to live in alternative family types
What state policies support the patriarchal family
Tax and benefit policies
Childcare
Care for the sick and elderly
Maternity Leave
What are gender regimes
Elieen Drew 1995- Describes how social policies in countries can either encourage or discourage gender equality in the family
What are areas to consider when looking at labour policies on the family
- the family and labour governments 1997-2010
- Family values and social liberalism
- Support and control
What conclusions are made from feminists on state policies
Not all policies are directed at maintaining patriarchy- equal pay, sex discriminate, maternity laws, gay marriage, DV refuges
- Rape within marraige is now a criminal offence
- Position of women is different across countries depending on if they take an individual or familistic view of gender
What happened in 1997-2010 labour governments
Shifted the emphasis in family policy:
- Tony Blair continued to praise traditional families (supporting families- green paper, aimed to support marriage and reduce divorce
- Nevertheless new right thinking declines and greater family diversity was accepted
What happened within Family Values and Social Liberalism
Two main aspects of Labour policies:
1. Social liberalism
2. Support and controlling families
Clem Henricson 2012- social liberalism involves a belief in gender equality and acceptance of different family types
- Maternity leave extended and shared parental leave
- Govt financial support for childcare
-1998 HRA made discrimination against different family types illegal
- Removed the requirement to be married to have fertility treatment or the right ton adapt
- Equality Act 2007- Homosexual discrimination prohibited
What was included in the Support and Control part of labour policies
This was concerned with parenting, Linked with wider policies to reduce child poverty
- Child tax credits
Many incentives for good parenting targeted at low income or socially excluded families:
- Sure start centres- parenting courses, pre school education and play for children
- Family intervention projects
Policies to control families:
- Parenting orders 2003
However less intervention was seen in the case of the elderly, little done to fund the care or support families in caring for elderly relatives
