social policy Flashcards
examples of state control over the family
- china’s one child policy to control population aimed to discourage couples from having more than one child. woman seeking permission to be pregnant. complying = extra benefits, only 1 child gets education priority. couples who break agreement have to repay allowances and may face pressure of sterilisation. 2015 = 2 kids, 2020 = 3 kids
- communist Romania 1980s introduced policies to drive up birth rate, falling because living standards were declining. restricted contraception and abortion and made divorce more difficult and made unmarried, childless couples pay 5% extra income tax.
what do functionalists see society as built on
harmony and consensus and free from major conflicts `
functionalist perspectives on social policies
helping families perform all their functions more effectively and make life better for their members
what does Ronald Fletcher (1966) argue about the development of the welfare state
introduction of health, education, and housing policies since the industrial revolution has gradually led to the development of the welfare state that supports the family in performing their functions effectively.
two functions that families perform for their members apart from healthcare
- Economic: the family provides its members by pooling resources and ensuring all have what they need.
- Reproductive: produces the next generation of the society.
two ways the functionalist view of social policy has been criticised
- it assumes that all members benefit equally (feminist’s argue that policies often benefit men at the expense of women)
- assumes that there is a ‘march of progress’ (Marxist’s argue policies can also reverse the progress like cutting benefits to poor families.)
how does Donzelot view social policy
as a form of state power and control over families.
explain Michael Foucault’s concept of surveillance
- power is not just held by the government or the state but is diffused throughout society and found within all relationships
- professionals such as doctors and social workers exercise power by using their expert knowledge
how does Donzelot apply Foucault’s theory to the family
- social workers, health visitors ad doctors use their expert knowledge to control and change families
- he calls this ‘policing the family
why is surveillance not targeted equally on all social classes
poor families are more likely to be seen as a ‘problem’ family and the cause of crime and anti-social behaviour. these families are professionals target for improvement.
how does Rachel Condry argue the state tries to control and regulate families
they may impose compulsory parenting orders. parents of young offenders may be forced to attend parenting classes to learn the ‘correct’ the way to bring up their children.
how do Marxists criticise Donzelot
social policies generally operate in the interests of the capitalist class
what are the new right in favour of
the conventional nuclear family based on married, heterosexual with the division of labour being the male breadwinner and the female homemaker
how do feminist criticise Donzelot
men are the main beneficiaries of state policy
what do the new right think about the traditional nuclear family
they’re naturally self reliant and capable of caring and providing for it’s members
what three points does Brenda Almond make about state policies undermining the nuclear family
- laws making divorce easier undermine the idea marriage as a lifelong commitment.
- introduction of civil partnerships and gay marriage sends out the message that the state no longer sees heterosexual marriage as superior
- tax laws discriminate against conventional families with a sole breadwinner. - paying more tax than a dual earner couple.
why do the new right think we have problems such as crime and welfare dependency
changed leasing to greater family diversity (increased divorce, cohabitation, same-sex partnerships, lone parenthood) threaten the conventional family and produce social problems like crime and welfare dependency
why is Charles Murray critical of the welfare policies
they undermine the traditional nuclear family and encourages deviant and dysfunctional family types that farm society.
they are a ‘perverse incentive’ and reward irresponsible or anti-social behaviour which encourages a dependency culture.
individuals being dependant on the state threatens which two essential functions that the family fulfils for society
- successful socialisation of the young
- maintenance of work ethic among young men
Charles Murray’s three examples of rewarding irresponsible behaviour
- fathers seeing the state provide for their children may abandon their responsibilities entirely
- providing council housing to unmarried teenage mothers encourages young girls to be pregnant.
- growth of lone parent households encouraged by generous benefits means boys grow up without a male role model which may be responsible for rising crime rate among young males.
what are the NR’s solutions to social policies
- cuts in welfare spending (tax could be reduced this may give fathers the incentive to work and provide)
- tighter restrictions on who is eligible for benefits. (denying council housing to teenage mothers may discourage young pregnancies)
how do the NR point out that policies are making marriage and cohabitation more similar.
increased rights for cohabiting couples (adoption rights, succession to council house tenancies, pension rights) sends the signal that the state does not see marriage as special or better.
how do the NR advocate policies that support the traditional nuclear family
taxes favouring married couples and making fathers financially responsible
how do feminists criticise the NR’s views on social policy
they argue that it is an attempt to justify a return to the traditional patriarchal nuclear family that subordinated women to men and confined them to a domestic role.
it wrongly assumes that the patriarchal nuclear family is ‘natural’ rather than socially constructed
