Social policy

Question 1

Functionalist approach -

Durkheim and Comte

Answer 1

View sociology as a science and finds social facts.
They believe sociology should be used to create social laws - eg promote nuclear family - help create value consensus and social cohesion.
Take positivist approach - believe what they find is social fact.
‘Piece meal approach’ - social policy should be used to create v/c and s/c

Question 2

Random

Answer 2

Worsley - made link between sociological problems/research&social problems
Durkheim - sociology should improve society, provide government objective research to inform social policy

Question 3

Functionalism

Answer 3

Sociology should only be about objective social facts not implication on which policies should follow

Question 4

Marxism

Answer 4

No influence on social policy as their beliefs of the ruling class are too extreme.
Research and policy carried out by m/c and paid for by gov - gov won't give money for research if makes them look bad. 
Gov will use social policy to reinforce capitalism - gov part of superstructure eg right to buy - reduces price of council houses makes inheritance of property

Question 5

Townsend

Answer 5

Argues sociologists should be involved in researching social problems and making policy recommendations to eradicate them eg his own research on ‘poverty’, he came to conclusion should have higher, fairer benefits, more spending on health, education and welfare.
Black report 1980 on class inequalities in health made 37 policy recommendations for reducing inequalities eg free school meals and better housing benefits for disables
Sociology should influence policy - can tackle deprivation

Question 6

Left realist

Answer 6

Sociological research could create social policies such as tackling the causes of crime - subcultures, relative deprivation and marginalisation
Eg more benefits, youth clubs, assimilation policies, community centres, black History month in education

Question 7

New Right - Murray

Answer 7

Argues generous welfare benefits and council housing for lone parent act as ‘perverse incentives’ weakens families self-reliance encourages growth of dependency culture and underclass of lone mothers and undisciplined lads.
Wouldn’t want research to create policy as it exposes inequality and then people protest for more support causing further drain on NHS.
Would encourage marriage tax allowance, family allowance to women.

Question 8

Factors influencing whether gov put social policies in place based on research

Answer 8

Political party in power - they’re ideological policy
Public opinion
Funding/cost
How it reflects on gov/electoral popularity
Interest groups
EU membership

Question 9

Worsley

Answer 9

Social problems are issues concerning mainly the public, its behaviour that causes public friction, and calls for collective action to solve eg poverty, divorce
Government may need to introduce policies to tackle

Whereas, sociological problem is any pattern of relationship that calls for explanation, for example why some people are poor, commit crime or fail in school.

Question 10

Definitions

Answer 10

Sociological problem - why is a certain group doing something - eg black people and knife crime, boys underachieve in education. Tries to explain why things are happening
Social problem - anything that is a problem is society and causes disruption - crime, racism, poverty

Question 11

Feminist approach

Answer 11

Feminism would want policy to be connected to research - identify and tackle oppression