Social policy, Ideology and the Family Flashcards
Ideology definition
• Ideology= a set of ideas (values, beliefs and knowledge) the explain the way society is structured. This set of ideas serve to legitimate social action and behaviour
Effects of ideology
- Ideologies shape what we think of as a ‘family’ and what views we hold towards it.
- Marxist and feminist sociologists often refer to dominant ideologies. This means that those who are in more powerful positions (the ruling class and men) ensure that their ideas dominate the view of the world held by the rest- this view is natural or inevitable
Policy definition
- Policies = laws, actions, taxation, spending programmes etc enforced by the state , and affect groups in society
- Laws about marriage and divorce, adoption, child protection, education and social care of dependents (old, young and disabled)
Ideological function of policy
Marxist- social policies protect the interests of the ruling class, perpetuating the idea that hierarchy and inequality are justifiable
Feminists- Social policies reinforce patriarchal attitudes and structures as they
• assume women are involved in childcare
• school hours and holidays make it difficult for both parents to work full time and (because of pay inequality) women usually work part-time as a result (also paternity and maternity leave have different lengths)
• Lack of state assistance to the elderly usually means that women are expected to care for them
• Women and men are treated differently
• Married and unmarried couples are also treated differently by policies
Donzelot
social policies allow the state to monitor family life, e.g. parenting orders and compulsory school attendance force parents to control children’s behaviour, also social work departments maintain surveillance over families seen as ‘problematic’
New Right
The New Right- neoliberal views that the the two-parent nuclear family is self-reliant and the ‘building block’ of society, with parental roles being divided by gender
• see the rise in social problems such as crime, youth subcultures drink and drug abuse are a result of the contemporary family being under threat because of
• high levels of lone parent families (legal changes made divorces easier to access, as well as welfare benefits benefitting them)
• more teenage pregnancies (increased sexual permissiveness since 1960s)
• lack of male role models (decentralisation of the family and less traditional values, rise in feminism)
• more same-sex relationships (Civil partnerships and gay marriage (2014))
New Right - criticisms
o Feminists such as Abbot and Wallace (1992) see the new right as patriarchal (nuclear family is inherently patriarchal), if the welfare state was restricted women would be expected to take on more responsibility
o Marxists argue that poverty and inequality is not the fault of the individual but the fault of the capitalist society
Thatcher
o Banned teaching that homosexuality was appropriate
o Set up Child Support Agencies to chase absent fathers for maintenance payments
o Gave illegitimate children the same rights are children born into a marriage
New Labour
o Longer maternity leave plus paternity leave
o Working families Tax Credit
o New Deal- helping single parents return to employment
o Assistance with childcare for new mothers
o Increased Child benefit
o Sure-Start programme to help low earners
o Civil partnerships
o Made discrimination on the grounds of sexuality illegal
Coalition
o Introduces gay marriage
o Austerity changes to tax and benefits (supports New Right solutions)
o Poorer families face losing tax credits (hit lone-parent families hardest)
Evaluation - policy
o Conservative governments hold more tradition views on the family, though over time they have had to move further towards the centre and support alternative family structures (introduction of gay marriage, though this may be a result of pressure by the `Liberal Democratc) but austerity cuts has affected the ability of alternative structures to survive
o New Labour accepted family diversity earlier an helped disadvantaged groups.
