Social Policy

Question 1

What is social policy?

Answer 1

• Plans and actions of state agencies such as health and social care services, the welfare benefits system and schools etc
• Usually based on laws introduced by governments that provide the framework
• Affects families in some way or other and some are aimed directly at families such as laws governing marriage and divorce, abortion or contraception, child protection, adoption etc
• Not necessarily aimed at families

Question 2

Overview of Important Social Policies

Answer 2

1969 Divorce Act

• Before 1969, one partner had to prove the other was ‘at fault’ in order to be granted a divorce
• Following the act, a marriage could be ended if it had irretrievably broken down and neither partner no longer had to prove ‘fault’
• However, if only one partner wanted a divorce they still had to wait 5 years from the marriage date
  ↳ In 1984, this was changed so that a divorce could be granted within one year of marriage

The 1975 Employment Protection Act and the 2010 Paternity Act

• Social responsibility for women’s health during childbearing was first recognised through the 1911 National Insurance Act
• Many women were sacked for becoming pregnant until the late 1970s
  ↳ the UK only introduced its first maternity leave legislation through the Employment Protection Act 1975
• In 2003, men received paid statutory paternity leave for the first time
  ↳ this was extended in January 2010
• This leave is divided into two 26 week periods & after the first 26 weeks, the father of the child has the right to take up to 26 weeks leave if their partner returns to work
  ↳ essentially taking the place of the mother at home

The Civil Partnerships Act 2004 and the Marriage (Same-Sex Couples) Act 2013

• Gave same sex couples the rights and responsibilities similar to those in a civil marriage
  ↳ introduced by the New Labour government
  ↳ Civil partners are entitled to the same property rights, the same exemptions on inheritance tax, social security and pension benefits as married couples
• Allowed same sex couples to enter into a marriage in England and Wales on the same basis as heterosexual couples, and to convert Civil Partnerships into Marriages

Adoption Act 2002

• Came into force in 2005 under New Labour
• Gave unmarried couples, including gay couples, the right to adopt on the same basis as married couples

The Child Benefits Act 1975

• Introduced for the first time a universal payment, paid for each child
• From 2013, Child Benefit became means tested, those earning more than £50,000 a year would have part of their benefit withdrawn and if earning over £60,000 would receive nothing at all

Changes to Income Support for Lone Parents since 2014

• Income support who those deemed unable to work
• JSA for those who are able to work but are currently out of work
  ↳ is conditional on proving that you are looking for work

Other Policies

• Policies that effect reproductive technology (IVF and surrogacy)
• Retirement age and pensions
• Role of the CSA and legislation surrounding maintenance payments
• Government schemes to help out on early years childcare

Question 3

Functionalist View of Social Policy and The Family

Answer 3

• See society as built on harry and consensus and free from conflict
• See the state as acting in the interests of society as a whole and it’s social policies as being good for all
• See policies as helping families to perform their functions more effectively and making life better for their members

Question 4

Donzelot - Conflict Perspective

Answer 4

• Sees policy as a form of state power and control over families
• Uses Foucault’s concept of surveillance and sees power as spread throughout society and found within fall relationships
• Policing of families: argues that social workers, health visitors and doctors use their knowledge on control and change families
• Poor families are much more likely to be seen as ‘problem families’ and as the caused of crime and anti-social behaviour
• Rejects Functionalists march of progress view
• Sees social policy as oppressing certain types of families

Criticisms

• Marxists and Feminists: fails to identify clearly who benefits from such policies of surveillance
• Marxists: social policies generally operate in the interests of the capitalist class
• Feminists: men are the beneficiaries

Question 5

The New Right and Social Policy

Answer 5

• Strongly in favour of the conventional or ‘traditional’ nuclear family based on a married, heterosexual couple, with a division of labour between a male provider and a female homemaker
  ↳ see this type of family as natural self-reliant and capable of providing for its members especially the successful socialisation of children
• Divorce is bad because it goes against the nuclear family and encourages lone parenthood
• Against same sex couples as they prefer the conventional nuclear family
• Emphasise the nuclear family plays a very important role in shaping the moral order of society

Charles Murray - Dependency Culture

• ‘Welfare State’: collection of social policies which benefitted individuals and institutions in society
• The welfare state undermines individual responsibility and effectively traps claimants within the benefits system with little or no incentive to escape
• This culture is said to emerge when welfare claimants adopt a subculture of norms and values that make it difficult for them to return to work
• eg The London Riots: ‘troubled families’ had a massive impact upon the London Riots and they generally cause a large proportion of the problems in society
  ↳ they have a culture of disruption and irresponsibility that cascades through generations

Evaluations

• Radical Feminists: many policies support the patriarchal family and don’t go for enough to support women
• Liberal Feminists: changes have led to greater gender equality
• Marxists: welfare state and other social policies clearly benefit the higher classes

Question 6

Feminism and Social Policy

Answer 6

Liberal Feminists - Greater Gender Equality

• Paternity Act 2010: means it isn’t down solely to the women to look after the child
• Employment Protection Act 1975: women are no longer getting sacked for getting pregnant and can instead take maternity leave
• Sex Discrimination Act 1975: ensures equality in the workplace

Radical Feminists

• Many policies support the patriarchal family and don’t go far enough to support women
• Eg when women divorce they are not supported enough if they are left with children to raise

Question 7

New Labour and Family Policy

Answer 7

• Seemed to be more in favour of family diversity than the New Right
• Child Tax Benefit 2003: paid to the main cater of children and this money is usually spent on the children
• Child’s Commissioner: to help look after their interests and setting goals to eradicate child poverty
  ↳ Ceased to condemn single mothers as moral problems/threat and recognised that family life reflected a rich diversity of families types
• Believes in more state intervention in the family life and think it is often necessary to improve the lives of families
• In June 2007 New Labour established the Department for Children, Schools and Families which was the first time there ever was a ‘department for the family’ in British politics
  ↳ aimed to ensure every child would get the best possible start in life, receiving the ongoing support and protection that they - and their families - need to allow them to fulfil their full potential

Question 8

Comparative View Of Family Policy - Case Studies

Answer 8

Nazi Germany’s 1930s: wanted a high birth rate to grow the Aryan population

• Law for the Encouragement of Marriage 1933
  ↳ have newly weds a loan of 1000 marks and allows them to keep 250 marks for each child they have

Communist Romania 1960/1970s: wanted to increase birth rate

• Decree 770: declared abortion and contraception illegal except for women over 45, women who already had 4 children (later raised to 5), women’s whose lives would be in danger if their pregnancy were to go full term and women who had conceived through rape or incest

China’s one child Policy

• 1979: meant that the vast majority of couples in the country could only have one child
• Those who complied to the policy got financial incentives, as well as preferential employment opportunities
• Those who violated the rules got sanctioned and in certain cases, the government started to carry out forced abortions and sterilisations