Family: Social Policy

Question 1

What are functionalists view on social policy?

Answer 1

They see society based on a consensus of shared norms and see policies as helping the family function better and perform more efficiently. For example the NHS looks after family members

Question 2

What are the 3 evaluative points of Functionalist views of the family?

Answer 2

It assumes that everyone benefits / has access to thing like the NHS dentists and doctors. Feminists argue that is is at the expense of women

Donzelot 1977 came up with the idea of policing the family. More vulnerable groups may end up being labelled / taken into care. Knowledge is power

Assumes a March of progress. Marxists argue policies turn back the clock for example welfare cuts.

Question 3

What does the New Right think about social policies?

Answer 3

They believe state policies have undermined the conventional nuclear family where the division of labour is split and led to the emergence of new unacceptable types of family such as same sex marriage threatening self reliance and increased crime

Question 4

What are the two sociologists of the New Right who are critical of policy

Answer 4

Murray

Almond

Question 5

What does New Right sociologist Murray say about social policy?

Answer 5

He is critical about social policy because they allow people such as single mothers to live off of benefits and it leads to a dependency culture. They want to cut taxes and benefits

Question 6

What does New Right Almond say about social policy

Answer 6

Laws make divorce easier undermining marriage

Same sex couples are inferior

Question 7

What are the three evaluative points of the New Right perspective of social policy?

Answer 7

Feminists don’t like the New Right because they say they are trying to justify a Return to a patriarchal family

Abbott and Wallace say that cutting benefits just poor families into even more poverty

Assumes patriarchal families are natural rather than socially constructed

Question 8

What do feminists think about the social policies?

Answer 8

Policies reflect the ideal of the patriarchal nuclear family, this leads to a self fulfilling prophecy for example:

Tax and benefit policies assume that men are the wage earner
Childcare doesn’t allow parents to work full time and many policies assume family will care for the sick/elderly

Question 9

What does Feminist Leonard say about social policy?

Answer 9

Policies like maternity may look to support women but they actually encourage them to stay at home. Child benefit is paid to the women so the assumption is she will look after the child

Question 10

What are the evaluative points of Feminist perspectives on social policies?

Answer 10

There are examples of policies that support women:
Equal pay laws
Sex discrimination laws
Law change to prosecute rape in marriage

Question 11

What is a social policy

Answer 11

A law the government places to help people

Question 12

What is a direct policy

Answer 12

For example child benefit where money is directly given

Question 13

What is an indirect policy

Answer 13

For example raising the school leaving age

Question 14

What are gender regimes

Answer 14

How social policies in different countries can encourage/ discourage gender equality

Question 15

What are the two types of gender regimes

Answer 15

Familistic

Individualistic

Question 16

What are familistic gender regimes

Answer 16

Policies based on traditional gender division for example in Greece where there is little welfare women have to rely on kin

Question 17

What are individualistic gender regimes

Answer 17

Where husbands and wives should be treated the same

Question 18

What were the key views of the Thatcher government

Answer 18

Unacceptable public spending creates the dependency culture. She became known as the milk snatcher

Question 19

What were the policies of the Thatcher government

Answer 19

Banned promotion of homosexuality
Preferential tax allowance (encouraging women/mums to stay at home)
Cut child benefit

Question 20

What were the key views of the New Labour government

Answer 20

It was based on the idea of the dual earner families and wanted to lift children out of poverty

Question 21

What were the policies of new labour

Answer 21

New deal
Longer maternity leave
Civil partnerships
Unmarried couples given the right to adopt

Question 22

What were the views of the coalition government

Answer 22

They tried to combine being modern and traditional in family types

Question 23

What were the coalition policies

Answer 23

A benefit cap of £23,000 in London and £20,000 outside so people couldn’t earn more on benefits
Only first two children could get child tax credit
Universal credit