Social Policy Flashcards
1
Q
what is social policy?
A
- plans or actions set out by the government with a specific aim
2
Q
what are the two types of social policy?
A
- direct: compulsory education, exam changes
- indirect: benefits, family policies
3
Q
Left Wing: labour
A
- believe in equality for all
- family diversity
- change
- modernising
- social services,
- welfare support
- reform to help disadvantaged people
4
Q
Right Wing: conservatives
A
- believe in working hard
- looking after yourself
- capitalism
- free market
- nuclear family
- traditional values
- low taxes
- not changing too much
5
Q
Nazi Germany Family Policy:
A
- the Mother’s Cross policy:
- rewards were offered to mothers with the most children
6
Q
Back to Basics Campaign (1990’s):
A
- introduced by conservative government
- aims:
- herald the virtues of traditional family views
- impact:
- demonise lone-parent families
- increase social stigma attached to lone-parent families
7
Q
Child Support Act (1991):
A
- introduced by conservative government
- aims:
- force absent fathers to pay for maintenance of their children
- impact:
- reducing welfare payments to lone mothers
8
Q
Family Law Act (1996):
A
- aims:
- prevents couples from divorcing unless they have been married for a year
- decrease divorce
- impact:
- support the institution of marriage
- increase empty shell marriages
9
Q
Supporting Families Document (1998):
A
- aims:
- suggested ways provided better service and support for parents
- emphasis on all families
- not to intervene in family life
- not to pressure people into preferred family type
- not to force married couples to stay together
- impact:
- supporting family diversity
- increase family diversity
10
Q
New Deal (2001):
A
- introduced by labour government
- aims:
- help people find paid employment
- impact:
- aimed at matri-focal lone-parent families
11
Q
Sure Start Programme:
A
- aims:
- provide health and support services for low-income families with young children
-impact:
- early start
- free nursery
- supporting family diversity
12
Q
Civil Partnerships:
A
- introduced by the new labour government
- aims:
- new legal
- impact:
- reduced social stigma
13
Q
Functionalism: Fletcher (1996)
A
- help families perform their functions more effectively
- argues that the introduction of health, education and housing policies led to a welfare state that supports the family
14
Q
Evaluation of Functionalism:
A
- feminists argue that policies often benefit men at the expense of women
- marxists argue that some policies turn the clock backwards
- also assumed that some policies made family life better
e.g ‘march of progress’
15
Q
The New Right:
A
- criticism: many welfare policies undermine the family’s self-reliance by providing generous benefits
- Murray (1984) benefits ‘preserve incentives’ regarding irresponsible behaviour
-favour cutting welfare spending