Social policy- focused Flashcards
What political parties support the nuclear family ?
- Labour and conservative - they seek to strengthen the traditional family
specifically the new right they see the nuclear family as under threat bevause of the increase in cohabitation , increase in divorce etc - Wider social issues such as welfare dependency and teenage pregnancies and educational failure has lead to the nanny state and a moral decay
Give some examples of social policy directly and indirectly affecting the family
- Directly
• Married person tax benefits - gives cheaper tax to traditional nuclear famalies
-Indirectly
• privitisation of.
What are some significant policies pre 1979( before thatcher)
- 1942 beveridge report - which developed the welfare state , national insurance and free healthcare
- 1969 Divorce reform act - introduced the idea of irretrievable breakdown of marriage and increased divorce rates
- 1975 SEx discrimination act - encourages/reflects greater gender equality and more career centered women
- 1970 EQual pay act - reflects gender equality and women becoming more career centered
Name 4 significant conservative polices
- 2011 Reintroduction of married persons tax allowance – encouraging people to get married - this reinforces views on the traditional nuclear family
- • 1993 Child Support Agency – to make fathers especially take responsibility for their children- goes against ideas on traditional gender roles shows the promotion of more equalitarian relationships
- 2016 – Full employment and welfare benefits bill, cutting benefits and increasing the number of apprenticeships
Name 3 labour policies
- • 2003 Paternity rights introduced stressing the role of fathers and more equal gender roles
- • 2003 The Adoption and Children Act – same sex couples can adopt acknowledging same sex couples as adequate- shows the process of family diversity
What does Donzelot argue ?
that policies act as a form of surveillance
What does Murray argue ?
He is a new right thinker that who argues that over generous welfare benefits create a ‘culture of dependency’ whereby people rely on benefits rather than getting a job
What is the functionalist view on social policy ?
Functionalists such as Parsons see society as built on harmony and consensus (shared values), and free from major conflicts. They see the state as acting in the interests of society as a whole and its social policies as being for the good of all. Functionalists see policies as helping families to perform their functions more effectively and make life better for their membes.
- ie Fletcher argues that social policy led to the development of the wellfare state which supports family life for example 1942 Beveridge report ,
- Parsons theory of fit- this shows changes to policy and the family structure
What would the new right view be on policy ?
New Right see traditional nuclear family as self-reliant and capable of caring for its members. Social policies should therefore avoid doing anything that undermines this ‘natural’ self-reliant family. New Right believe New Labour policies encourage a dependency culture where individuals depend on the state rather than being self-reliant
- Murray argues that increased social policy will lead to a dependency culture and a nanny state
- The divorce reform act 1969 made divorce much easier nd contributed to the breakdown of the family specifically the traditional nuclear family
- Dennis and Erdos - moral decay and increase of fatherless families which leads to inadequate socialisation of young boys because of the lack of role model
- individuals should take responsibility for themselves - this is reflected in the Child support agency act 1993 which made absent fathers financially support children
What is the Rad Fem view on social policy ?
- Barrett and McIntosh (1982) argue that social policy creates stereotypes about the traditional family. All institutions, including the state and its policies help to maintain women’s oppression and unequal division of labour in the family. Social policies construct family roles and relationships by assuming traditional roles (familistic gender regimes
What are some examples of policies which can be used as a counter argument of the rad fem view ?
Lib fems would argue that policy has contributed to relationships becoming more equal ie the 1969 equality act , sex discrimination act etx
What is the Marx view on social policy ?
Social policies DO NOT benefit everyone equally. Government uses policy to benefit capitalism (ISA) Donzelot sees policy as a form of state control of families
What policies have contributed to the legal protection of children ?
- Children and Social Work Act (2017)- enables better learning at the local and national levels to improve practice in child protection. … promoting the safeguarding of children by providing for Relationships and Sex Education in schools.
- Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018)- atutory duty on three key agencies to hold local responsibility for safeguarding; the Local Authority, the Police and Health (through the Clinical Commissioning Groups — CCGs). …
What policies have contributed to gender equality ?
- the equality act 2010
- 2018 Pension age for women to rise to 66
What are some polices that are the result of the ageing population
- Bedroom Tax (2012) A reduction in housing benefit if you have a spare room
- Care in the Community (1990) - elderly needing family support rather than state help.
