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Sociology Fam + households > Social Policy > Flashcards

Social Policy Flashcards

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Sociology 101 flashcards
1
Q

A policy is a…

A

Plan of action for tackling political issues

e.g. war, migration, human rights etc.

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2
Q

A social policy is a…

A

Plan of action for dealing with social issues

e.g. education, welfare, health care, crime, FAMILY etc.

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3
Q

Give 2 examples of other cultures family policies

A
  1. China’s 1 child policy (stop over-population)

2. Nazi family policy (‘racially pure’ breed ‘master race’)

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4
Q

Which political party is left wing?

A

LABOUR (Jeremy Corbyn)

Concerned with community as a whole

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5
Q

Which political party is right wing?

A

CONSERVATIVES (David Cameron, now Theresa May)

Emphasis on indvidual responsibility

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6
Q

What do the labour and the Conservative party have in common, in relation to the family?

A

Both aim to strengthen traditional family - support TNF
See family as being threatened by increase in divorce + lone parents
Wider social problems have been blamed on failure of the fam
e.g. teen pregnancies, Ed failure, welfare dependancy

BUT labour believes in supporting everyone with children, not just married couples

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7
Q

Give policies that were enforced before 1979

A
  1. Divorce Reform Act 1969 (came into effect Jan 1971)
  2. Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (discrimination illegal on grounds of sex/ marital status)
  3. Equal Pay Act 1970
  4. The Beverage Report 1942 (development of welfare state, national insurance -> NHS)
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8
Q

What were the New Labour the 1st party to do?

A

1st G to really address the massive changes that were occurring in the family structure
Acknowledged W’s increased participation in £ work + that both parents work
- helped with childcare costs

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9
Q

What ministerial role did the New Labour create in 2003?

A

Minister for Children

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10
Q

What department did the New Labour create in 2007?

A

Department of Children, Schools and Families

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11
Q

Give 5 policies that the New Labour introduced

A
  1. More generous maternity pay + leave, introduced paternity leave
  2. Free childcare for 2 1/2 year olds (easier for parents to return to work, helps children form range of backgrounds get ready for school)
  3. The New Deal 1998 (helped lone parents enter £ work after having children, helps costs of childcare)
  4. Help for elderly (winter fuel payment, reduce health issues)
  5. Adoption and Children Act 2002 (same-sex couples can adopt, alternative to heterosexual family)
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12
Q

When were the New Labour in power?

policies come into action

A

1997-2010

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13
Q

When were the New Right in power?

policies come into action

A

1979-1997

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14
Q

Give 6 polices that reflect the New Rights traditional views of the family

A
  1. Benefits cut (encourage individuals particularly fathers to take care of children)
  2. Single-parent benefits were cut (discourage alternative fam structures)
  3. Child Support Agency = set up (fathers £ maintenance for children, discourage children out of marriage)
  4. Failure to introduce free/ reduced childcare (favour traditional roles)
  5. Married couples getting tax + welfare benefits (incentive to marry, alternatives = less desirable)
  6. Privatising care for the elderly (poorer families = responsible for elderly, W - reinforcing GR)
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15
Q

How have many Conservative polices been criticised?

3

A
  1. FEMINISTS - go against gender equality
  2. ‘Blaming the victim’ - SPF for societal problems, antisocial behaviour, when actually many headed by working parents who don’t rely on benefits
  3. THEY INCREASE INEQUALITY
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16
Q

How do the New Right criticise the New Labour?

A

NL intervened too much with family
Results in nanny state - individuals rely on overly generous benefits from G
Families don’t take responsibilities for themselves

17
Q

When was the Coalition G in power?
What parties were a part of it?
Who was the Prime Minister?

A

2010-2015
Conservative + Liberal Democrats
David Cameron

18
Q

Give 4 policies that the coalition G introduced

A
  1. Reintroduced married tax allowance (cut by new labour)
  2. Legal aid budget cut substantially (enabled low income families to free legal aid)
  3. Child benefit means test (benefits cut for parents earring over certain amount, take responsibility for children)
  4. Troubled Families Programme 2011 (aim to get children back in school, reduce youth crime, antisocial behaviour)
19
Q

What does Donzelot (1997) argue about social policy?

A

Family policy reflects views of powerful in G
G use it as form of surveillance over individuals + families
Policies = applied differently according to class (mc/wc), benefit the mc
Key agents (e.g. social workers) ensure that family life occurs in the way that G sees as appropriate

20
Q

What does Murray (1984) argue about social policy?

A

Overgenerous welfare state leads to ‘culture of dependency’
Individuals no longer take responsibility of own income
His views = similar to New Right (state should reduce benefits)

21
Q

What does Leonard argue about social policy?

A

G policies all reflect strong preference for ideology of nuclear family
Strong emphasis on role of W as nurturing + subordinate
Family policy encourages individuals to focus on work consumption - makes ideas about traditional GR are reinforced

22
Q

What is a criticism of the Coalition G family policies?

A

Fail to support alternatives to nuclear family

At worst regard alternative as inferior/ inadequate for raising children

23
Q

Who introduced the Housing Bill?

What did it do?

A

Conservative G (2015-?)
Gives more people opportunity to buy a home - extended the Right to Buy
Built 200,000 new Starter Homes for 1st time buyers

24
Q

Give 4 policies that were introduced by the Conservative G form 2015-?

A
  1. Housing Bill (extended right to buy, 200,000 new starter homes for 1st time buyers)
  2. Childcare Bill (x2 free childcare available for working parents of 3/4 yr olds to 30 hours per week)
  3. Education + Adoption Bill (improvements adoption system + speeds up interviewing with failing schools)
  4. Full employment + welfare benefits Bill (3 million more apprenticeships)
25
Q

What was so significant about the Conservative party introducing the Childcare Bill?

A

1st time the Conservatives recognised that most parents both work

26
Q

How many £ of cuts are the Conservative G planning to make by 2018?

A

£12 billion

Cuts will hit poor families the hardest

27
Q

Do Functionalists see social policy as having a +ve/-ve effect on the family?
Why?

A

+ve
S = built on v. consensus
State = acting in interests of S as a whole, social policies = good for all
Policies help families perform their functions more effectively, better for members

28
Q

Do the New Labour see social policy as having a +ve/-ve effect on the family?
Why?

A

+ve
Although they support the TNF, believe in supporting ALL families + take more +ve approach to social policy than New Right
Believe some state intervention can improve life for families

29
Q

Do the New Right see social policy as having a +ve/-ve effect on the family?
Why?

A

-ve
TNF = self reliant + fully capable
Social policies should therefore avoid doing anything to undermine it - minimal state involvement
NR believes that the NL policies encourage dependancy culture

30
Q

Do Feminists see social policy as having a +ve/-ve effect on the family?
Why?

A

-ve
All institutions + policies help to maintain W’s oppression + unequal DDOL
Social policies encourage traditional roles

31
Q

Do Marxists see social policy as having a +ve/-ve effect on the family?
Why?

A

-ve
DON’T benefit everyone equally
G uses policies to benefit capitalism (ISA)
Donzelot sees policy as a form of power over families

32
Q

What does Donzelot see social policies as?

A

Form of state power over the families

Sociology Fam + households (16 decks)

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