Social Policies - Sociologists

Question 1

Functionalism - Fletcher - Views

Answer 1

positive view
they are introduced by the government for the good of all.
welfare state takes the pressure off the family through the introduction of education, health care and housing so the family can concentrate of its 4 functions.

Question 2

Functionalism - Fletcher - Criticism

Answer 2

Functionalism assumes that the social policies benefits everyone equally - Feminists say that it benefits men more than women.
functionalists assume that social policies are making family life better - Marxists say that they can make life worse (cutting benefits)

Question 3

New Right - Murrey - views

Answer 3

negative view
families should be self sufficient - NF are self sufficient
welfare state has corrupted society
taught the next generation to depend on benefits- benefits are a perverse incentive - wrong reason for doing something
support - cut benefits and should pass laws to make divorces harder

Question 4

New Right - Murrey - criticism`

Answer 4

Feminists say that new right ignore the dark side of the NF - domestic abuse
not all NF work
belief in marriage is patriarchal
cutting benefits would make poor families even poorer

Question 5

Feminism - land

Answer 5

negative view
social policies are patriarchal. help maintain women’s subordinate position and encourage a particular type of family structure. ideal family is patriarchal NF

Question 6

feminism - leonard

Answer 6

social policies are sexists - negative view

maternity and paternity leave - longer for women thus encouraging women to stay at home and look after the baby

Question 7

Feminism - drew

Answer 7

not all social policies are patriarchal - it depends on the country
Greece - no nurseries and no welfare - low single mum rates - feminist gender regime (rule)
Sweden - Individualistic gender regimes - laws that make men and women equal. paternity and maternity - both are 6 months each

Question 8

Marxism

Answer 8

negative view
only law passed by the government will only benefit the ruling class/ capitalist society
empty gesture

Question 9

marxism - criticism

Answer 9

deterministic - there are benefits and they are making life easier

Question 10

Donzelot and Faucault - view

Answer 10

negative view
through social policies the government carries out surveillance of families -CCTV
pass laws/social policies that give certain professionals the right to interfere with people’s personal lives
examples - nurses, doctors, social workers - break families - problem families - lower income families and lone parent families