social policy introduction: Flashcards
what are the types of social policy?
- Providing Material Support for the family. Such as cash benefits through tax credits and child benefits.
- Helping parents to balance working life and family life. Policies such as maternity pay, early years childcare and child protection laws.
They can affect families directly and indirectly.
i.e. divorce, adoption, tax laws, compulsory education
define social policy:
SOCIAL POLICIES refer to laws made by the government which aim to improve society or deal with a social policy.
Policies are based on laws introduced by governments that provide the framework within which these agencies will operate
Conservatives on social policy:
Conservative 1979 - 1997
Hugely influenced by the New Right, focused on strengthening the traditional nuclear family structure and roles. Emphasized self-help and reliance by reducing welfare payments.
New labour on social policy:
New Labour 1997 - 2010
Still under the influence of the New Right, however much more
progressive, favouring the Dual Earning family over traditional
roles. Gave some support to alternative family types but still
preferred the heterosexual nuclear family.
Coalition party on social policy:
Coalition Government 2010 - 2015
The coalition government had very inconsistent policies on the family due to the conflict between two camps of MP’s:
1.Modernists – acceptance of diversity within the family.
2.Traditionalists – who favour the new rights view of the
traditional nuclear family.
Chinas one child policy:
If you break the agreement, you will be fined.
Women face pressure to be sterilised after their first child.
Wilson (1985) the policy was supervised by workplaces –women had to seek permission in order to get pregnant and were sometimes put on a waiting list.
If you comply you get extra benefits e.g: free child healthcare and a priority in education.
China’s one child policy was introduced after a decade of there being a two-child policy.
Conservative party now on social policy:
Conservative 2016 - Present
The current Conservative government has been mostly concerned with
the issue of the UK leaving the European Union, however they have
passed some policies relating to the family which return to the New
Right focus they had in the 1980/90’s
Soviet government abolishing the family:
This happened after the Russian revolution of 1917. It was influenced by Marxism.
The Soviet government did not agree with the pre-revolution patriarchal family structure.
It was seen as an obstacle to equal socialist state.
Soviet government changed abortion and divorce law to make it really easy.
Women could work and the state provided childcare and nurseries
It thought the traditional family would wither away.
However, they faced many difficulties such as Famine, Civil war and the threat from Hitler. The ended up rapidly industrialising, making divorce and abortion illegal.
Nazi family policy:
It encouraged the supposedly ‘racially pure’ to breed a ‘master race’.
They restricted abortion and contraception.
Official policy sought to keep women out of the workforce and confine them to ‘CHILDREN, KITCHEN AND the CHURCH’. So that they could perform their biological role.
Sterilised 375,000 disabled people,and murdered Jewish people
Communist Romania
Aimed to increase population due to the declining birth rate.
Restricted contraception and abortion availability
The legal age of marriage was lowered to 15
They set up infertility centres and made divorce more difficult.
Unmarried and childless couples paid 5% more in tax.
What do sociologists argue about social policy in the UK?
By contrast to these extreme examples, some argue that in democratic societies such as Britain, the family is a private sphere which the government does not intervene with (unless things go ‘wrong’ i.e. abuse).
However, Sociologists argue that that even in democratic societies social policies shape family life.
