Social Policy Flashcards

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1
Q

Introduction

A

Although sociologist agree that social policy can have an important influence on family life they hold different views about what kinds of effect it has and whether these are desirable

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2
Q

Which 5 views can you mention ?

A

Functionalists
New Right
Feminists
Marxists
Jacque Donzelot

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3
Q

Functionalist

A

see state as acting in interests of society as a whole and its social policies as being for the good of all.

They see policies as helping families to perform their functions more effectively and make life better for their members

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4
Q

Functionalist
Example/ evidence

A

Ronald Fletcher
-argues that the welfare state supports the family in performing its functions more effectively
-the existence of NHS NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE means that w/ the help of drs, nurses, hospitals and medicines, the family today is better able to take care of its members when they’re sick

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5
Q

Evaluation of Functionalists
Feminists

A

Functionalists assume that all members of the family benefit from social policies, where as feminist argue that policies often benefit men at the expense of women

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6
Q

Evaluation of Functionalists
Marxists

A

Fs assume that there is a ‘march of progress; w/ social policies steadily making family life better and better

WHEREAS

marxists argue that policies can also turn the clock back and reverse progress, e.g by cutting welfare benefits to poor families

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7
Q

New right

A

criticise many existing government policies for undermining the family
-they argue that governments often weaken the family’s self-reliance by providing generous welfare benefits

Such as:
providing council housing for unmarried teenage mothers
cash payments to support lone-parent families

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8
Q

Evidence for New Right

A

Charles Murray 1984
-argues that these benefits offer ‘perverse incentives’- that is, they reward irresponsible or anti-social behaviour

e.g
-growth of lone-parent families encouraged yu generous benefits means more boys grow up w/o a male role model authority figure
-this lack of paternal authority is responsible for a rising crime rate among young males

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9
Q

Evaluation Of New Right
Feminists

A

Feminist argue that New Right views are an attempt to justify a return to the traditional patriarchal family that subordinate women to men and kept them confined to a domestic role

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10
Q

Evaluation Of New Right
Feminists believe New Right wrongly assumes what ?

+ E.G

A

that the patriarchal nuclear family is ‘natural’ rather than socially constructed

cutting benefits would simply drive many poor families in to deeper poverty

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11
Q

Feminist

A

argue that SPs simply reinforce patriarchal ideas about the roles and status for men and women.

E.G
tax and benefits policies may assume that husbands are the main wage-earners and that wives are their financial dependents
-this means women can find it difficult to claim benefits in their own right
-therefore reinforcing women’s dependence on their husbands

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12
Q

Feminists
Example

A

Diana Leonard
-argues that although maternity leave policies benefits women, they also reinforce patriarchy in the afamily, by encouraging the assumption that the care of infants is the responsibility of others rather than fathers

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13
Q

Evaluation Of Feminists

A

NOT ALL SPs are directed at maintaining patriarchy

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14
Q

Name some SPs that are NOT directed at maintaining patriarchy

A

qual pay act
sex discrimination laws
benefits for lone parents
refuges for women escaping domestic violence
equal rights to divorce could all be said to challenge the patriarchal family

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15
Q

Evaluation of Feminists
2.0
example

A

whether or no SPs promotes patriarchy often depends on the country.

Eileen Drew
-found that in more equal societies family policy is based on the belief that husbands and wives should. be treated the same

In sweden for example policies treat husbands and wives equally as responsible for both income-earnings and childcare.

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16
Q

Marxist

A

Unlike functionalisys, Marxits sdoe not see SPs as benefiting all mebers of society eqyally.
they see the state and its policies serve capitalism
-e.g they see that the low level of state pensions as evidence that ocne workers are too old to produe profits they are ‘maintained; at the lowest possible cost

17
Q

Marxist do not accept

A

that there is a steady march of progress toward ever better welfare policies producing ever happier families

-they argue that improvements for w/c families, such as pensions or free healthcare, have often only been won through class struggle to extract concessions from the capitalist r/c

18
Q

Evaluation of Marxist
Functionalists

A

-would disagree that SPs works in the interest of the r/c
-see SPs as beemgoting all members of family
-allows family to perform its essential fucntions more effectively

19
Q

Evaluation of Marxist
Feminists

A
  • feminists would argue that Marxists ifgnore the detrimental effect of family on women in particular

E.G
-maternity leave policies reinforces patriarchal assumptions that childcare is women’s work

20
Q

Jacque Donzelot

A

Policing families
-like Marxists and feminist, Donzelot sees SP asa from of state power over families
-he argues that social workers, health visitors and drs use their knowledge to control and change poorer families

21
Q

Jacque Donzelot
Example

A

-state may seek to control and regulate family life by imposing compulsory parenting orders through courts
-parents of young offenders, truants or badly behaved children may be forced to attend parenting classes to learn the ‘correct’ way to bring up their children

22
Q

Evaluation of Jacque Donzelot
Marxists and Feminists

A

-criticise Donzelot for failing to identify clearly who benefits from such SPs of surveillance

-Marxists argue that SPs generally operate in the interests of the capitalist class, while feminists argue that men are the main beneficiaries