Social Policy

Question 1

Families and social policy

Answer 1

• social policy refers to the plans and actions of the state agencies, such as health and social services, the welfare state benefits system, schools and other public bodies
• polices are usually based on laws introduced by government that provide the framework within which these agencies operate. E.g, laws lay down who is entitled to each specific welfare benefit
• most social policies affect families in some way other than other. Some are aimed directly at families, such as laws governing marriage and divorce, abortion and contraception, child protection, adoption and so on.
• other polices, although, not necessarily aimed directly at families, still have an effect on them. E.g,
• the policy of compulsory education enables parents to go out to work while schools provide a free ‘childminding’ services
• the policy of ‘care of community’ often means that it is family members rather than hospitals or nursing homes who have to care for the sick or elderly
• taxation policies affect how much money is taken from families and hoe much is made available to pay for the services provided for families

Question 2

A comparative view of family policy

Answer 2

• the actions and polices of governments can sometimes have profounded effect on families on their members
• cross cultural examples from different societies and historical periods can show us some of the more extreme ways in which the state policies can affect family life. This can help us to see the relationships between families and social policies in a new light. A good example of this is the chinas one child policies