Social policiy Flashcards
What is social policy?
Government attempting to deal with a social problem using a policy.
What are some beliefs of Left Wing (Social democratic)
- Everyone should be supported
- Making society fair
- Encourage diverse family structures.
What are some beliefs of the Right Wing (New Right)
- Want to roll back the state (Neo liberal)
- Encourage Nuclear family + discourage others.
- Traditional.
Define the terms:
Conventional and Neo-Conventional families.
Conventional - (declining) The traditional nuclear family with a segregated breadwinner and homemaker.
Neo-Conventional - (new norm) – a dual-earner family (both go out to work)
Created by Robert Chester
Define familistic gender regimes.
Policies that encourage traditional gender divisions and provide little state welfare.
Define Individualistic gender regimes.
Each policy has the same entitlement to state benefits.
Summary of the 1979 - 1997 Conservative government’s policies impacting family life.
1.Introducing tax welfare benefits for married couples.
Effects:
-encouraged marriage.
-supporting nuclear family
2.Cut benefits to single parents.
Effects:
-Discouraged divorce
-Rolled back state (neo-liberal)
What do the 1979 - 1997 Conservative government’s policies show about their feelings towards family life.
That they felt the family unit should be self sufficient and that was only possible with a nuclear family structure.
Summary of the 1997 - 2010 New Labour government’s policies impacting family life.
Modernist:
.Sure start centres - placed in working class areas for support.
.Civil partnerships act - which encouraged homosexuality.
Traditional:
Parenting orders - Punished parents for their child’s misbehaviour.
What do the 1997 - 2010 New Labour government’s policies show about their feelings towards family life.
More accepting of family diversity and gave support to the working class rather than rolling back the state.
Summary of the 2010 - 2015 Coalition government’s policies impacting family life.
Modernist:
.Marriage Act 2013 - Legalised same-sex marriage
Traditional:
.Troubled families program - local authorities payed to support “problem families”
.Legal aid cut - rolling back the state
What do the 2010 - 2015 Coalition government’s policies show about their feelings towards family life.
Continued many of the ideas developed by the new right cutting back the state and calling the underclass “troubled families” is counterintuitive.
(But they did legalise same sec marriage maybe to get more votes?)
Marxist, Denzelot’s belief on family and social policy
Using Michel Foucault’s concept of surveillance:
He claims state professional exercise control and surveillance, intervening to regulate family life (known as the “policing of family”)
What are the three factors explaining the breakdown of the family according to CJS’ report.
Economic dependancy, Educational failure and Worklessness.
Cross cultural comparisons of family policy.
China’s one-child policy established in 1979.
Due to over-population China suffered a famine. This introduced the family that meant Chinese families were fined up to 3-10 times their income if they had more than child. There were policies that forced women to have abortions and forced families to abandon children usually women.
What do functionalists say about policy?
Functionalism:
- generally see any social policy that supports family as positive because they allow structural differentiation/specialisation and focus on socialisation.
-Don’t favour policies that encourage family diversity because the traditional nuclear family is the most efficient .
Define the terms Neo-Liberal and liberal
What do Marxists say about policy?
-They view social policy with suspicion.
-Any social policy supporting proletariat is just a ‘smokescreen’ to distract them from their exploitation.
-Would argue some social policies are designed to disrupt/demotivate the proletariat e.g. Troubled families program. (Linking donzelot’s theory of ‘policing the family’)
What do Femenidts say about policy?
- They both support and criticise family policies related to the family.
-Any policy that supports women’s right to leave a toxic patriarchal family is viewed positively. e.g. the Matrimonial Causes Act (1923) which equalised the grounds for divorce.
-Argue that some policies reinforce traditional gender stereotypes.
- Negatively view familistic gender regimes.
What do new right say about policy?
- Support tolling back the state to avoid state dependency from WC.
- Disapprove. social policies which support family diversity
- Like policies that support the nuclear family e.g. Benefits to married couples (Conservatives 1979-1997)
