Policies

Question 1

Social Policy and Family Governments

Answer 1

Conservative Government (1979-1997):
- banned teaching and promotion of homosexuality
- defined divorce as ‘social problem’, set up support agencies
- divorce made easier, ‘illegitimate children’ given equal rights

New Labour Governments (1997-2010):
- family is ‘bedrock of society’, heterosexual is best
- emphasise need for parental responsibility (eg: parenting orders for young offenders)
- favour dual earner family (eg: longer maternity leave, 3 months for both parents)
- civil partnerships for same-sex couples
- unmarried couples given same adoption rights

Conservative Led Government (from 2010):
- policies reflect desire to cut public spending (take new right view)
- Gay Marriage Introduced
- Divided by:
- Traditionalists (diversity is morally wrong)
- Modernisers (recognise diversity, policies reflect this)

Question 2

Perspectives on Social Policy

Answer 2

(1) Functionalists:
- benefits society to perform functions effectively
- Fletcher= introduction of health policies caused development of welfare state to help families (eg: NHS)

(2) Marxists:
- Policies (can) reverse progress made
- Donzelot= ‘policing the family’, use of knowledge to control people

(3) New Right:
- favour nuclear family= diversity causes social issues (eg: crime)
- Policies undermine Nuclear Family, and aid in causing issues
- Almond= divorce laws undermine marriage
-Murray= providing benefits causes ‘perverse incentives’ (rewarding bad behaviour) which encourages dependency culture on state

(4) Feminists:
- (conflict view)
- policies keep women in dependent position
- Land= policies assume ideal family type is nuclear and patriarchal, it is difficult for other types to exist

Question 3

Comparative View

Answer 3

China’s One Child Policy:
- 1979= discourage couples from having more than one child.
- They had to seek permission, complying gave extra benefits (eg: free childcare), not complying could result in fines or sterilisation.
- Phased out from 2015

Communist Romania:
- 1980s= aim to increase birth rate (fell due to decline in living standards)
- Restricted contraception and abortion, divorce made difficult, unmarried adults pay 5% income tax. Marriage age reduced to 15

EVALUATION: Democratic Societies:
- family is private, government doesn’t interfere
BUT policies still influence in shaping family life

Question 4

Gender Regimes

Answer 4

Drew= this describes how different countries’ policies encourage or discourage gender equality (family and work)

(1) Familistic Regimes:
- based on traditional division (male=breadwinner, female= homemaker). EG: Greece has no welfare state so reliant on extended kin
- Continues patriarchal dependence

(2) Individualistic Regimes:
- based on gender equality EG: Sweden, policies treat equally (work and domestic), so promotes equality
- Most EU countries have individualistic regimes so moves towards greater equality in family roles and relationships

• However, some policies include conflict over who should pay and benefit