SOCIAL POLICY

Question 1

What is social policy?

Answer 1

Plans and actions of the government to tackle social problems.

Question 2

Social Problems and Worsley

Answer 2

• A piece of social behaviour causing public friction and/or private misery and calls for collective action to solve it.

Question 3

Sociological problems

Answer 3

A pattern of relationships calling for an explanation, does not need to be considered as a problem.

Question 4

What influenced social policy?

Answer 4

• Cost
• Funding sources
• Electoral popularity
• Ideological and policy preferences of governments
• Interest groups
• Globalisation
• Critical sociology

Question 5

How does sociology contribute to social policy according to Giddens (2006)?

Answer 5

• Providing an awareness of cultural differences
• Providing a theoretical framework
• Identifying social problems and providing the evidence

Question 6

Functionalism and Social Policy

Answer 6

• They argue that social policy benefits everyone.
• View sociology as a science and that it can discover scientifically based solutions to social problems.
• Educational policies help to promote equal opportunities and social integration.

Question 7

Social Democratic (Townsend 1979)

Answer 7

• Favours a distribution of wealth from the rich to the poor.
• Townsend researched poverty and made policy. recommendations
• e.g. Higher benefits and more public spending on health, education and welfare

Question 8

Black-Report (1980)

Answer 8

37 far-reaching policy recommendations to reduce inequalities.
Includes free school meals for all children, improved working conditions and more spending on improving housing.

Question 9

Marxism and Social Policy

Answer 9

• Policies represent the ruling class and benefit capitalism.
• Provide a legitimate way to mask capitalist exploitation.
• e.g. Welfare state makes it appear like that system cares about the poor, sick and old.
• Maintain the labour force.
  A means of preventing revolution.

Question 10

Feminism and Social Policy

Answer 10

• Policies benefit men and keep women subordinate
• e.g. Assume normal family type is nuclear, harder to live in other family types and creates a self-fulfilling prophecy.
• Influences on policies have been to create more positive images of females and have teachers avoid gender bias.
• Radical feminist policies include refugees for women escaping domestic violence e.g
  Women’s Aid Federation.

Question 11

New Right and Social Policy

Answer 11

• Encourages policies that give individuals responsibility back
• e.g. Parenting classes and marriage preparation.
• Wilson and Kelling Zero Tolerance policy.