Social Policy Flashcards
What is meant by a ‘dependency culture’?
A culture where individuals rely on the state for support instead of being self-reliant.
What are the two essential functions that the family fulfills for society according to the New Right?
- The successful socialization of the young
- The maintenance of the work ethic among men
What is the New Right’s solution to the dependency culture?
Cutting welfare spending and tightening eligibility for benefits.
What advantage do the New Right argue would come from cutting welfare benefits?
It would reduce taxes and incentivize fathers to work and provide for their families.
True or False: The New Right supports policies that favor cohabiting couples over married couples.
False
What do the New Right advocate regarding absent fathers?
Making absent fathers financially responsible for their children.
How do functionalists view state welfare policies in relation to families?
They believe state welfare policies can benefit the family and help meet its members’ needs.
According to the New Right, what is the effect of state interference in families?
It undermines family life.
What do feminists argue about the New Right’s view on the family?
It justifies a return to the traditional patriarchal nuclear family.
What assumption do critics say the New Right makes about the patriarchal nuclear family?
That it is ‘natural’ rather than socially constructed.
According to Pam Abbott and Claire Wallace, what would cutting benefits do to poor families?
Drive them into even greater poverty and reduce their self-reliance.
What is social policy?
Plans and actions of state agencies affecting families, such as health and social services.
What are some examples of laws that directly affect families?
- Marriage and divorce laws
- Abortion and contraception laws
- Child protection laws
- Adoption laws
How does compulsory education affect family life?
It allows parents to work while schools provide a free ‘childminding’ service.
What is China’s one-child policy?
A government policy discouraging couples from having more than one child.
What benefits do couples receive for complying with China’s one-child policy?
- Free child healthcare
- Higher tax allowances
- Priority in education and housing
What extreme measures did Communist Romania take regarding family policy?
- Restricted contraception and abortion
- Set up infertility treatment centers
- Made divorce more difficult
- Lowered the legal age of marriage to 15
- Imposed extra tax on unmarried and childless couples
What was the aim of Nazi family policy in Germany?
To encourage the breeding of a ‘master race’ and confine women to domestic roles.
What did the Nazi regime do to disabled individuals regarding family policy?
Compulsorily sterilized 375,000 disabled people deemed unfit to breed.
How do sociologists view government intervention in families in democratic societies?
They argue that state social policies significantly shape family life.
What is the primary responsibility of the mother according to social policy?
The benefit is normally paid to the mother, giving her a source of income.
How do social policies affect women’s roles in the family?
They assume that the child’s care is primarily the mother’s responsibility.
What is a key criticism of functionalism regarding social policies?
It assumes that all members of the family benefit equally from social policies.
Who argues that social policies often benefit men at the expense of women?
Feminists.
What does the New Right advocate for in terms of family structure?
The conventional or ‘traditional’ nuclear family based on a married, heterosexual couple.
What do functionalists believe about the role of the state in social policies?
The state acts in the interests of society as a whole and its policies are for the good of all.
Fill in the blank: The existence of the _______ means that families can better take care of sick members.
National Health Service
According to the New Right, what are some social problems resulting from family diversity?
- Increases in divorce
- Cohabitation
- Same-sex partnerships
- Lone parenthood
What is Jacques Donzelot’s view on state policies and families?
He sees policy as a form of state power and control over families.
What concept by Michel Foucault does Donzelot apply to families?
Surveillance.
True or False: Donzelot believes that social policy has created a better and freer society.
False.
What term does Donzelot use to describe the control exerted over families by professionals?
Policing of families.
What do New Right commentators like Charles Murray argue about welfare benefits?
They undermine the conventional nuclear family and encourage deviant family types.
Fill in the blank: The New Right argues that welfare policies create a _______ culture.
dependency
What is one proposed solution by the New Right to address issues with family structures?
Cuts in welfare spending and tighter restrictions on who is eligible for benefits.
What do feminists criticize about the New Right’s perspective on families?
It justifies a return to the traditional patriarchal nuclear family.
According to the New Right, what is the effect of cutting welfare benefits?
It would give fathers more incentive to work and provide for their families.
What is one criticism of functionalism regarding the view of social progress?
It assumes a ‘march of progress’ with social policies improving family life continuously.
What does the New Right believe about state interference in families?
The less the state interferes, the better family life will be.
Who does Donzelot argue are more likely to be seen as ‘problem’ families?
Poor families.
What are some of the advantages the New Right believes would result from cutting welfare benefits?
- Reduced taxes
- Increased self-reliance among families
What do Marxists argue about the beneficiaries of social policies?
They generally operate in the interests of the capitalist class.
What does the New Right claim about the impact of divorce laws?
They undermine the idea of marriage as a lifelong commitment.
What is a potential consequence of generous welfare benefits according to the New Right?
They encourage young girls to become pregnant.
What is the New Right’s view on family policy?
The New Right is a conservative view of the family that first developed in the 1970s.
How did Mrs. Thatcher’s Conservative government reflect New Right views?
Banned the promotion of homosexuality by local authorities and defined divorce as a social problem.
What agency was set up by the Conservatives to enforce maintenance payments?
Child Support Agency.
What was a significant policy change introduced by the Conservatives that opposed New Right views?
Making divorce easier and giving ‘illegitimate’ children the same rights as those born to married parents.
What was New Labour’s view on the family?
The family is the bedrock of society, with a married, heterosexual couple as the best environment for raising children.
What did New Labour policies include to support dual-earner families?
- Longer maternity leave
- Three months’ unpaid leave for both parents
- Working Families Tax Credit
- The New Deal for lone parents.
How did New Labour’s view differ from the New Right regarding women’s roles?
New Labour recognized that women now go out to work, rejecting the idea of a single male earner.
What significant policy did the Coalition government introduce that was opposed by New Right traditionalists?
Gay marriage.
What conflict view do feminists hold regarding social institutions?
They see society as patriarchal, benefiting men at women’s expense.
What is a self-fulfilling prophecy in the context of family policies?
Policies based on assumptions about the ‘normal’ family reinforce that family type at the expense of others.
What are some examples of policies that reinforce the patriarchal family?
- Tax and benefits policies that assume husbands are main wage-earners
- Childcare policies that restrict mothers’ ability to work full-time
- Assumptions that families will provide care for the sick and elderly.
What is the implication of maternity leave policies according to feminists?
They reinforce the assumption that care of infants is primarily the responsibility of mothers.
What do feminists argue about the impact of social policies on family roles?
They help create and maintain patriarchal roles and relationships.
What types of policies are seen as challenging the patriarchal family?
- Equal pay and sex discrimination laws
- Rights for lesbians to marry
- Benefits for lone parents
- Refuges for women escaping domestic violence.
What is the functionalist perspective on social policies?
They see social policies as helping families to function effectively and make life easier.
What criticism do functionalists face regarding their view on social policies?
It assumes that all members benefit equally from social policies.
Who is Jacques Donzelot and what is his view on family policies?
Donzelot analyzed the relationship between family policies and social control, differing from functionalist views.
Fill in the blank: The New Right view emphasizes that families should be _______.
[conventional heterosexual nuclear families].
