family policy

Question 1

impact of increased divorce on family structures

Answer 1

increase in breakdown of family unit = more lone-parent families, lone person households

Question 2

impact of adoption and IVF treatments for same-sex

Answer 2

increase in same-sex families

Question 3

welfare benefits

Answer 3

provides protection for lone-parent families

Question 4

IVF treatments for single women

Answer 4

can choose to have families alone

Question 5

impact of policy on gender roles - maternity and paternity leave

Answer 5

9 moths maternity leave reinforces the traditional role of female being primary care giver

introduction of shared paternity leave allows parents to split parental leave

Question 6

impact of policy on gender roles - availability of childcare

Answer 6

30 hours free childcare for kids over 3 and working tax credits to help pay for after-school and breakfast clubs removes social expectation of women to stop working

sure start centres provides dad and baby clubs to help men bond more with their children

Question 7

impact of policy on gender roles - increased career opportunities

Answer 7

equal pay act and sex discrimination act = gender roles more equal

Question 8

impacts of policies on childhood - children dependenton adults for longer

Answer 8

introduction of tuition fees = going to local unis and staying at home

extension to compulsory schooling = kids require adult financial support for longer

Question 9

impacts of policies on childhood - society has become more child centred

Answer 9

children’s act = promoted the rights of children

contraception and abortion = reduces number of unwanted pregnancies

Question 10

1969 divorce act

Answer 10

= rapid increase in divorce
== increase in single person, single parent and step family households

Question 11

divorce act AO3

Answer 11

undermines the traditional nuclear family
func and new right:(

Question 12

2005 adoption act

Answer 12

increase in same-sex families
gives unmarried couples (including gay couples) same rights as married couples

Question 13

adoption act AO3

Answer 13

undermines traditional gender roles

Question 14

1947 child benefits act

Answer 14

increase in family size and lone parent families
£24 to eldest, £15 to next per week

Question 15

child benefits act AO3

Answer 15

undermines the traditional nuclear family
func and new right :(

Question 16

functionalism and family social policy AO1

Answer 16

see the state or government as serving the interests of society as a whole
policies help families to perform their functions

Question 17

functionalism and family social policy AO2

Answer 17

Fletcher argues that the introduction of health, education and housing policies has gradually led to the development of the welfare state

Question 18

func view on family policies AO3 - feminist

Answer 18

FEMINISTS argue that policies often benefit men at the expense of women

Question 19

func view on family policies AO3 - marxist

Answer 19

MARXIST argue policies can reverse progress made, e.g cutting welfare benefits to poor families - therefore marxists disagree with march of progress

Question 20

new right and family social policy AO1

Answer 20

social policies should avoid doing anything that might undermine the ‘natural’ self-reliant nuclear family
MURRAY -
government policies reward irresponsible or anti-social behaviour
e.g if fathers see state will care for their kid some will abandon responsibilities = lone parents means boys grow up without male role models which leads to rising crime rates
providing council houses for unmarried teenagers encourages them to get pregnant

Question 21

how would new right get rid of the dependency culture AO1

Answer 21

cuts in welfare benefits and tighter restrictions = give fathers more incentives to work and provide for their families

denying council houses to young teenagers = less incentive to become pregnant young

Question 22

new right AO3 feminist

Answer 22

FEMINIST - its an attempt to justify a return to the patriarchal family that oppresses women and confines them to the domestic role

Question 23

new right AO3 - cutting benefits leads to..

Answer 23

cutting benefits would drive poor families into even greater poverty

Question 24

DONZELOT and the policing of families - AO1 / also can be AO3 for functionalism

Answer 24

views policy as a form of state power over families
power is not just being held by the government but spread throughout society e.g doctors and social workers by law are able to intervene
reject march or progress view - policies control the family instead

Question 25

feminism on social policy AO1

Answer 25

all social institutions help to maintain women’s subordinate position

policies are based on assumptions about what the ‘normal’ family is like - a patriarchal nuclear family.
these policies often reinforce this fmaily type

Question 26

feminism on social policy AO2

Answer 26

state assumes normal families are based on marriage and offers tax incentives to married couples that aren’t available to cohabitate. policy encourages marriage, not cohabitation.

Question 27

feminism on social policy AO3 - not all polciies

Answer 27

not all policies are directed at maintaining patriarchy e.g, the equal pay act, sex discrimination laws
these improve the position of women in society

Drew - individualistic gender regimes = where policies are based on the belief that husbands and wives should be treated the same

Question 28

marxism and social family policies

Answer 28

aim to disguise or hide capitalist exploitation
e.g NHS suggests capitalism has a human caring face

maintains the workforce
e.g NHS means the workforce is generally fit, healthy and productive

Question 29

cross-cultural examples - china AO1

Answer 29

china’s one child policy:
parents discouraged from having more than one child
women seek permission to try and become pregnany
if you comply = get extra benefits such as free child healthcare
break agreement = fine
= social class divide - the rich can afford to pay the fine

they dont have enough kids = shrinking population size of young people and growing older population
= ageing population

Question 30

cross-cultural examples - nazi AO1

Answer 30

used a twofold policy
- it encouraged the healthy and supposedly ‘racially pure’ to breed a master race
- women out of the workforce and confined them to children, kitchen, church

Question 31

new right influence on policies - conservative government 1979-97

Answer 31

banned the promotion of homosexuality

defined divorce as a social problem

Question 32

new right influence on policies - new labour government 1997-2010

Answer 32

favoured dual-earner - working family tax credits, claim tax relief on childcare costs