State Policies Flashcards
Barrett and McIntosh
Cereal Packet Family
Argue policies based on stereotypical nuclear family type- this is patriarchal, harmful, and anti-social
Barrett and McIntosh
Patriarchal
Policy benefits men at womens’ expense- women disadvantaged in paid labour due to assumed (or actual) responsibility for housework, childcare, other dependents
Encourage gendered division of labour and perpetuate gender inequity
Barrett and McIntosh
Harmful
Suggests those living in other family arrangements are somehow deviant and a threat to normal family life
Lone parents particularly attacked- inadequate for bringing up children, source of social problems
Ignores darker side, overlooks isolation of women
Barrett and McIntosh
Anti-Social
Devalues life outside the family
Social life centred on family activities- us vs them establishes barriers
Fox Harding- Housing policy favours married couples, housing designed for nuclear families
Conservatives, 1979-1997
General Aim
New Right influence- aim to strengthen nuclear families, emphasise self-help through reliance on family, and save family (reduce welfare spending)
Conservatives, 1979-1997
Child Support Agency (1993)
Ensure absent fathers take responsibilty for children
Accompanied by cuts to benefits for single mothers
Not very successful
Conservatives, 1979-1997
Section 28 (1988)
Prevented local government from ‘promoting’ homosexuality, schools couldn’t teach ‘acceptiibility of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship’
Attacking + denying alternate family structure
Conservatives, 1979-1997
Married Men’s Tax Allowance
Higher tax allowance for men whose wives didn’t work
Married women’s taxes dealt with separate from husbands, but allowance remained
Conservatives, 1979-1997
Back to Basics
John Major- ‘back to basics’ approach
Traditional family values emphasised- associated with attacks on lone parent families
Didn’t translate to policy- remembered for sex scandals
Labour, 1997-2010
General Aim
Some New Right influence- concern over ‘dysfunctional’ families + lack of male role models in female-headed lone parent families
Emphasis on care, protection, and development of children
Labour, 1997-2010
New Deal
Support lone parents in moving from dependence on welfare to employment
Labour, 1997-2010
National Minimum Wage
To help most poorly paid
Labour, 1997-2010
Child Tax Credits
To reduce child poverty + help poorest families
Labour, 1997-2010
Increase in Free Childcare
All 3 and 4 year olds guaranteed five half days of nursery education a week
Labour, 1997-2010
Civil Partnership Act
2005
Gay and lesbian couples could (in effect) get married legally
Recognition of gay + lesbian families as legitimate
