Social policy Flashcards
According to functionalists, what do policies help the family with?
Performing their functions more effectively-> better life for members
What does Fletcher (functionalist) argue about the introduction of health and housing policies since the industrial revolution?
- helped the family perform their functions more effectively
e.g. national health service- family can take care of their sick members
Give two criticisms for the functionalist (fletcher’s) pov on social policy
- Assumes all members benefit equally from social policies- fems argue men benefit more
- Assumes there is a march of progress with social policies, making life better- marx- worse for poor families e.g. welfare spending cut
What does Donzelot (functionalist) argue about social policies?
- policies= state power, control families- links to foucault, surveillance- social workers and doctors control and change fams, treat wc diff
- rejects march of progress view that social policies have created a better society
How do Marxists and feminists criticise Donzelot?
- fails to identify who benefits from such policies of surveillance- fems argue men benefit more, marx- serves needs of cap
According to the New Right, what have social policies encouraged?
A move towards the traditional lifestyle- threatening conventional family, producing social issues e.g. crime, welfare d
What does Almond argue about social policies? (New right)
- laws = making divorce easier-> undermining idea of marriage as lifelong commitment
- intro of gay and lesbian civil partnerships-> state no longer sees heterosexual marriage as superior
What does Murray argue benefits offer?
perverse incentives- reward anti-social behaviour of teen mothers, LP families= encourage dysfunctional family
What are two solutions the new right suggest in terms of social policies?
- cut welfare spending
- Tighter restrictions on who is eligible for benefits
4 criticisms of new right view of social policies:
- Abbott and Wallace- cutting benefits would drive poor families into greater poverty
- fems- attempt to justify return of traditional nuclear family
- assumes patriarchal, nuclear family= natural
- ignores how some policies do support conventional family e.g. tax policies assume male is bw
Name 3 policies that support the patriarchal family according to feminists and how they promote this:
- Tax and benefits- assumes husbands are wage earners, wives are dependent-> women can’t claim benefits-> women’s dependency
- Childcare- Gov pays for some pre-school childcare, not enough to allow women to work full time unless they can afford extra childcare
- Care of the sick/elderly- Policies often assume that women in the family will care for others- less likely to work full time-> economic dependence
How does maternity leave and childcare social policies promote a patriarchal society according to Diana Leonard?
- Maternity leave- ML= more generous than paternity leave (assumes women responsible for childcare), maternity benefits= also low-> economic dependence
- Childcare- Child benefit= normally paid to mother- she does not have income, assumes responsibility for children are permanently with her
How does Eileen Drew criticise familistic and individualistic gender regimes?
Familistic gender regimes:
Traditional gender divisions
Greece= little state funded childcare+ women rely mostly on extended kin
Individualistic gender regimes:
Husband and wives should be treated the same
Sweden- policies- women are less dependent on men
What is a criticism of feminists view of social policy?
Not all policies directed at women reinforce patriarchy e.g.
1. Equal pay and sex discrimination
2. Rights of lesbians to marry
3. Benefits for lone parents
example of how state policies have impacted families:
one child policy- 70s-2015 (china)-> couples discouraged from having more than 1 child= free child healthcare, extra benefits etc
example of how new right views have influenced conservative governments of 1979-97
Thatcher banned teaching about homosexuality in schools as acceptable in the family
according to feminists e.g. Land , how do policies act as a self fulfilling prophecy
social policies assume the ideal nuclear family is normal-> policies reinforce this= sfp (harder for people to live in different types of families)
What does drew mean by gender regimes?
how social policies are different in each country, affect gender dynamics diff
