Social Policies Flashcards
write a brief intro
social policies
. Marxists and Feminists- maintain power of dominant social groups
. Functionalists- core to improve society
. New right - policies that reduce state intervention and increase individual responsibility
what is the MARXIST POINT
Social policies are designed to maintain class divisions
what is the MARXIST EVIDENCE
Marsden and Jackson
- post-war mass edu created segregation between schools
- w/c - secondary modern schools, m/c- grammar schools, u/c- private schools
- class inequalities and DEA as w/c received a worse edu.
what is the MARXIST ANALYSIS
Reay
- abolition of grammar schools to comprehensive education (1965)
1. stream and sets- segregation within schools
2. marketisation- m/c families were able to use their capital to give their children the best education, eg moving homes near better schools
what is the MARXIST EVALUATION
Stroud
- grammar schools and sets and streams didnt reproduce class inequalities
- academically talented students were able to change their class
what is the RADICAL FEMINIST POINT
social policies maintain gender inequalities
what is the RADICAL FEMINIST EVIDENCE
Clarendon comission (1864) - only 12 public secondary schools
exclusion of women, gender inequalities and DEA
what is the RADICAL FEMINIST ANALYSIS
Ringrose
- forms of oppression in schools
1. girls are sexualised e.g skirt lengths are monitored
2. sexual bullying
what is the RADICAL FEMINIST EVALUATION
Ofsted (2020) - 1/3 girls experienced unwanted sexual touching
- 9/10 freq, sexist name-calling
what is the NEW RIGHT POINT
support social policies that reduce state intervention and increase individual responsibility
what is the NEW RIGHT EVIDENCE
- Education act (1980) - allowed parents to choose schools if they werent oversubscribed and schools had to publish exam results
- Academisation- schools can set their own admission policies
created competition between schools, parents could choose schools and undersubscribed schools received less funding
what is the NEW RIGHT ANALYSIS
GCSE league tables -> progress 8 : value added progress compares to SATS
- information must be provided through regular testing
- then ranked into league tables
what is the NEW RIGHT EVALUATION
Gerwitz
- privileged skilled choosers- used capital to bring their children to good schools
- disconnected local choosers- cant make informed choices, restricted to local schools
what is the FUNCTIONALIST POINT
social policies allow the state to gradually build social solidarity through a value consensus
what is the FUNCTIONALIST EVIDENCE
Durkheim
- National curriculum- overt, creates a sense of shared heritage, eg History
- Ofsted grading - hidden, understanding of norms like punctuality
