Social Policy Debate Flashcards
Social policy
-plans and actions of the government in order to tackle social problems e.g. welfare to population
Influence
-electoral popularity
-interests groups
-globalisation
-police preference of gov
-cost
-funding resources
-critical sociology
Functionalism
Durkheim
-objectively study social fact
-advocate policy, social solidarity about what’s wrong
Parsons: support policies to promote nuclear family and meritocracy
New Right
-free market capitalist economy/privatised is solution to social problems
-thatcher 1979
-influenced by conservative and new labour
Murray: underclass theory, welfare policy creates dependency culture, they encourage cuts in benefits level
Marxism
-radical transformation in society
-job of sociology, radically different social policies
-policy appear to benefit all, just token concession to lower class to avoid class consciousness
Social democratic
Giddens
-left wing
-mixed economy needed
-rich have unfair advantage in capitalist economy
-goods provided by both state and private
-Blair government developed
-had significant shape to social policy
Feminism
Radical
-advocate female supremacy, women take control, men and women separated, sexual and domestic violence campaigns
Liberal
-advocate general change, equal opportunity, equal pay act 1970
Conclusion
-dependently influenced social policy
-politicians select evidence to support their favour
-campaigns highlight issues e.g. tax, violence, racism
Relationship: Functionalism
-statistical analysis very important/quantitate
-used by government
Relationship: New right
-very influential compared to functionalist
-influenced conservative and new labour 1997
Relationship: social democratic
-highly influential when labour was in power
-60s to 70s
-Giddens stated it was just a watered down version of neo- liberalism
Relationship: Marxism
-little influence
-too extreme
-2015 Jeremy Corbyn political agenda
-not deemed desirable
Relationship: Feminism
-radical too extreme
-considerable influence
