Social Policy Flashcards
1
Q
define social policy
A
- social policy = plans and actions of govt to tackle social problems
- e.g. education, poverty
2
Q
how does Worsley define a social problem
A
- social problem = any pattern of relationship that calls for explanation
3
Q
outline the political ideology of govt as a factor that influences policy
A
political ideology of govt:
- the researcher may have to support Govt ideology or objectives in order to receive funding for research
4
Q
outline extreme views as a factor that influences policy
A
extreme views:
- sociologists such as Marxists, who are critical of the state/ those in power, are less likely to influence policy as they may be seen as too extreme
5
Q
outline the power to define a situation
A
- sociological research is only one element in shaping social policy
- ultimately, any policy is the result of a political decision by those in power
6
Q
outline the Positivist view of social policy
A
- Positivists, e.g. Comte + Durkheim take the view that sociology is a science and can discover the cause of social problems + their scientific solutions
- their approach was part of the enlightenment project to advocate for science to improve society
- Durkheim suggested meritocratic education + abolishment of inherited wealth to promote social cohesion
7
Q
outline the Functionalist view of social policy
A
- state policies is a positive function that has a collective impact to promote solidarity + enforce social norms
- they serve the interests of society as a whole + implements policies for their benefit
- sociologists should work w/ Govt to uncover causes of social patterns + form policies to improve society
- e.g. housing policies help families to perform their role with more ease
8
Q
outline the piecemeal approach
A
- Functionalists favour social policies/ piecemeal social engineering
- this is a cautious approach which tackles one specific issue at a time
9
Q
outline a criticism of the piecemeal approach
A
- Marxists: educational policies aimed at equalising opportunity for children of lower classes are often defeated by the influence of poverty in society
10
Q
outline the social democratic perspective
A
- Social Democrats: favour a major redistribution of wealth
- Townsend: SD sociologists should be included in researching social issues + making policy recommendations to solve them
- based on his research of poverty, Townsend made recommendations for higher welfare benefits and more spending on health + education
11
Q
outline the Black report
A
- in 1980, this report on class inequalities in health + education resulted in 37 policy recommendations to reduce these deep-rooted inequalities
- e.g. free school meals, more spending on housing, etc
- Thatcher’s conservative govt refused to implement these suggestions on the grounds of cost
12
Q
outline 3 criticisms of the social democratic perspective
A
- Marxists: reject the idea that the policies in the Black report are enough to solve the deep rooted issue of class inequality. Capitalism is the ultimate issue + must be abolished
- M: as the Black report shows, the capitalist state is unlikely to implement costly public spending to benefit the working class
- Postmodernists: criticises sociologists for attempting to influence policy as all knowledge produced by research is uncertain, and so govt policies shouldn’t be based on it
13
Q
outline the Marxist view of social policy
A
- the state represents the ruling class and their social policies represent the interests of the capitalist state
- social polices do 3 things
14
Q
Marxist: name the 3 things that social policies do
A
policies…
- ideological tool
- maintains the labour workforce
- prevents revolution
15
Q
Marxist: outline how social policies maintain the labour force
A
- policies maintain the labour force to further exploitation
- e.g. the NHS serves capitalism by keeping workers fit enough to work, health + safety workplace laws
16
Q
Marxist: outline how social policies are an ideological tool
A
- social policies masks capitalist exploitation
- e.g. the welfare state gives capitalism a ‘human/ caring face’ - making it seem that the state cares about the old, poor and sick
17
Q
Marxist: outline how social policies prevent revolution
A
- when class conflict intensifies + threatens the stability of Capitalism, Marxists believe policy is a way to ‘buy off’ working class opposition to capitalism
- e.g. the creation of the welfare state post WW2 were a way to buy off WC oppression to capitalism
18
Q
how do Marxists view sociologists role in creating social policy
A
- the sociologists main role should be to critique capitalist social policy - not to serve the capitalist state
- sociologists must expose the exploitation in capitalism and how it is reflected in social policy
19
Q
outline a criticism of the Marxist view of social policy
A
- the M view of social policy + sociologists role in it is unrealistic + impractical
- Social Democrats: sociological research can help to create progressive change in the system
20
Q
outline the Feminist view of social policy
A
- state policies perpetuate women’s subordination
- e.g. family polices may assume that the conventional nuclear fam (which oppresses women) is the norm, and so policies may produce a self fulfilling prophecy making it harder for family diversity where W aren’t oppressed - they make policies which maintain the NF
21
Q
what do Liberal Fs think of social policies
A
- Feminist research has impacted a number of policies
- e.g. in education, it has influenced policies on learning materials in promoting a more positive view of w
- this reflects the Lib F view that anti-discrimination reforms will ultimately bring about gender equality
- e.g. 1975 Sex Discrimination Act, 1970 Equal Pay Act
22
Q
how have Rad Fs influenced policy
A
- the idea of separatism (women living separately from men to be free from patriarchy) is reflected in refuges for women escaping domestic violence
23
Q
how do other feminists criticise the idea of social policies for women
A
- Marxist + Rad Fs reject the view that reformist social polices can liberate women - they believe they oppress W
- e.g. the criminalisation of sex work aims to protect W from exploitation, but in reality, esp for WC W, reduces their chance of employment + can make sex work more unsafe
24
Q
outline the New Right view of social policy
A
- New Right: the state should have only minimal involvement in society;
- state intervention in areas like the family, income support, education + healthcare robs peoples freedom to make choices which leads to other social issues like crime
- in particular, they oppose state welfare as it creates a dependency culture/ underclass
25
outline Murrays (New Right) view of welfare benefits
- generous welfare benefits act as 'perverse incentives' that weaken the family's self-reliance
- benefits encourage the growth of a dependency culture + underclass of lone mothers, undisciplined children + irresponsible fathers
- M favours a reduction in state spending on welfare
26
what do New Right think about the role of sociologists in relation to policies
- sociologists can propose alternative policies which aim to restore individual responsibility
- e.g. Breakdown Britain (a Conservative report) proposes policies such as marriage preparation + parenting classes
- the report thinks the state has stripped people of their self responsibility. social policy should enable people to help themselves
27
outline the influence of New Right thinking
- the NR ideology is largely influenced from the Conservatives, however some Labour policies have shown the influence of the NR
28
name 7 factors that influence policy
Curious People Investigate Every Peculiar Functionalist Guess
1) Cost
2) Political ideology of Gov
3) Interest groups protesting research/ area
4) Extreme views
5) Popularity with voters
6) Funding + influence of funders
7) Globalisation
29
outline the costs as a factor that influences policy
costs:
- the Gov may not have the money to fund the policy
30
outline interest groups protesting research/ area as a factor that influences policy
interest groups protesting research/ area:
- interest groups can influence policy by protesting specific areas of research they view as unethical/ harmful/ contrary to their values
- e.g. through campaigns, lobbying
- this can shape public + Governmetn opinion, leading to lack of funding
31
outline popularity with voters as a factor that influences policy
popularity with voters:
- some groups in society may not support your research aims which might discourage organisations/ the govt from providing funding as they need to be popular with voters
32
outline funding + influence of funders as a factor that influences policy
funding + influence of funders:
- funders may have certain requirements for the researcher to follow - if the sociologist doesn't meet these, they may refuse to fund the research
33
outline globalisation as a factor that influences policy
globalisation:
- international organisations may have requirements that need to be met when introducing policy which might prevent research being carried out that would go against this
- e.g. influence from the EU
34
outline the Functionalist vs Marxist view of pupil premium
- Functionalists: PP 'bridges the gap' between the classes + offers social stability
- Marxists: schools dont always use PP funding for its intended purpose (supporting the disadvantaged)
