Social policy and the family Flashcards
Functionalist perspective
The state is acting in the interests of society as a whole they see social policy as being good for all.
Functionalist perspective link to the family
They see policies as helping the families perform their functions.
Fletcher (1966)
Argues introduction of health, education and housing polices since the Industrial Revolution has gradually led to the development of the welfare estate.
This helps the family perform their functions more effectively.
Two criticisms of the functionalist perspective
- Assumes that social policy benefits all members of the family equally. Feminist argue that policies benifit men at the expense of women
- Assumes that there is ‘march of progress’ with social policy making family life better. Marxist argue that policies could reverse previous progress made. Example cutting welfare benefits to poor families.
Donzelot (1977)
Difference perspective. Has the view that policy is a form of state power and control over the family.
The policing of the family
Argues that social workers, health visitors and doctors use their knowledge to control and change families.
New Right perspective
They strongly favour the nuclear family and division of labour
What do the New Right dislike
- Laws that make divorce easier
- civil partnership and gay marriage
- increased rights for non married couples.
- tax laws that discriminate against the conventional nuclear family
Why do the new right dislike the welfare benefit?
They undermine the conventional nuclear family and there is a growth in lone parent families.
Benefits reward irresponsible behaviour (teen pregnancy and farther abandoning their families)
The New Rights solution
- Cut welfare spending
- tighten restrictions on benefit eligibility
- Deny council houses to un married teen mothers.
What the state should do (NR)
Introduce tax polices that favour married couples and make absent fathers finaically responsible
Evaluation of the New right
- Feminist says it attempts to justify the nuclear family making women subordinate.
- Cutting benefits make the poor families poorer
- assumes nuclear family is conventioinal
Feminist view on policy
Polices are based what normal family is like and often reinforce nuclear family.
can be oppressive to women
Which policies that help maintain the patriarchal nuclear family
Tax benefits assumes that the husbands are main wage earners.
Childcare - government doesn’t pay enough to let parents work full-time.
Social policies feminist like
The vote 1918 and 1928
Divorce act 1969
Equal pay act 1972
Rape in marriage made illegal 1991
Paternity act 2011
