Theories Topic 6 : Social Policy

Question 1

2 bodies that produce research to feed into the formation of social policy

Answer 1

The institute of public policy research

The Joseph rowntree foundation

Question 2

AO2 example of social policy tackling social issues

Answer 2

William Beveridge - Beveridge Report 1942
= led to the creation of the welfare state

Tackling poverty, I’ll health, poor housing, insufficient education and employment

Question 3

9 ways sociology influences / contributes to social policy

Answer 3

Giddens

1. Providing an awareness of cultural differences
2. Providing self awareness and understanding
3. Changing assumptions
4. Providing a theoretical framework
5. Providing practical professional knowledge
6. Identifying social problems
7. Providing the evidence
8. Identifying the unintended consequences of policies
9. Assessing the results

Question 4

Giddens - Providing an awareness of cultural differences

Answer 4

Seeing society from different perspectives allows us to become more aware of different cultures - easier for policy makers to tailor policies more effectively

Question 5

Giddens - providing self awareness and understanding

Answer 5

Helps to reflect on ourselves and key issues. If we can understand experiences such as racism, sexism etc can empower people to change their lives

Groups can form to pressurise government

Question 6

Giddens - changing assumptions

Answer 6

McNeil - sociological research can indirectly influence SP by being absorbed into common sense assumptions

Helps us make sense of reasonable policies but ridicule silly ones

Question 7

Giddens - providing a theoretical framework

Answer 7

Governments base their policies on a framework (EG thatcher influenced by NR view / New Labour influenced by Giddens)

Question 8

Giddens - providing practical professional knowledge

Answer 8

Sociologists work in a range of occupations, and they provide professional inputs as SP is formed in a range of ideas

Question 9

Giddens - Identifying social problems

Answer 9

Can identify social problems for governments to act upon their research

Question 10

Giddens - providing the evidence

Answer 10

Sociologists conduct the research - policy makers then draw on this to form evidence-based policies

Question 11

Giddens - identifying the unintended consequences of policies

Answer 11

Sociological research can evaluate existing policies and draw out unintended consequences of these policies (EG if crime has reduced in one area, is this because it has been displaced to another?)

Question 12

Giddens - assessing the results

Answer 12

Sociological research can help establish whether policies have worked

Question 13

AO2 for providing a theoretical framework

Answer 13

Murray influenced Thathcer’s govt (cut welfare state)

Giddens influenced New Labour govt (focus on social cohesion)

James Wilson (RR) developed the broken windows thesis that influenced policy in New York

Question 14

AO2 for identifying social problems

Answer 14

Labour 1997-2010 = compensatory education through sure start centres

Labour 1997-2010 = lack of funding in education led to EMA

Black report 1980 = identified huge inequalities in health

Question 15

What influences whether governments introduce social policies

Answer 15

Electoral popularity

Ideological preferences of governments

Interest groups

Globalisation

Cost

Public opinion

Question 16

What influences whether governments introduce social policies - electoral popularity

Answer 16

Research might result in sociologists recommending a policy that may prove unpopular with voters. Governments will be reluctant to introduce an unpopular policy that might lose them an election

Ministry of Justice’s - prison cuts crime so little that it doesn’t justify the money put into the prison system
= politicians care about what works with voters (rehabilitating people doesn’t)

Question 17

What influences whether governments introduce social policies - ideological preferences of governments

+ AO2

Answer 17

If a researcher’s political perspective is similar to the political ideology of the government, they will stand more chance of influencing that government’s policies

Politicians are selective in their use of research and will only utilise it if it supports their political stance

Davies = government distorted research to justify policy decisions that were really based on ideological grounds
= EG prostitution and cannabis policies

AO2:
The Black Report and Acheson Report both produced very similar research, highlighting the health gap between different socio-economic groups
= conservatives refused to implement its findings

Question 18

What influences whether governments introduce social policies - interest groups

Answer 18

Pressure groups that seek to influence policies in their own interests

Question 19

What influences whether governments introduce social policies - globalisation

Answer 19

UK’s SP may be influenced by global factors
= EG UK’s aid to less developed countries should be spend on free education or health care to lift people out of poverty

Question 20

What influences whether governments introduce social policies - cost

Answer 20

Govs may feel sympathetic to the research but may not have the funds to turn it into a social policy

= EG coalition government austerity policies to save money

Question 21

What influences whether governments introduce social policies - public opinion

Answer 21

Some research may be reported by the media and consequently spark public debate - may make govts feel they have to act upon this

Question 22

Different sociological views on social policy - positivism

Answer 22

The role of sociological research was to discover the cause of social problems and to come up with scientifically-based solutions to them

Question 23

Different sociological views on social policy - functionalism

Answer 23

Sociologist’s role is to provide the state with objective data, collected in a scientific manner

Question 24

Different sociological views on social policy - radical feminism

Answer 24

State is perpetuating women’s subordination through its SP

Question 25

Different sociological views on social policy - liberal feminism

Answer 25

Policies can (and have) improved the position of women

Question 26

Different sociological views on social policy - social democratic

Answer 26

SP should be introduced in order to re-distribute wealth to produce a more equal society

Question 27

Different sociological views on social policy - Marxist

Answer 27

State represents the RC, and its SP serves the interests of capitalism only

Question 28

Different sociological views on social policy - NR

Answer 28

State should have only minimal involvement in society
= opposed to state provision to deal with social problems

Question 29

Different sociological views on social policy - PM

Answer 29

Sociology has no contribution to make in SP
Sociology only provides interpretations of the world, rather than a universal truth

Question 30

The view that sociology SHOULD be involved in social policy research

Answer 30

Comte, Durkheim and Marx saw sociology as a way of improving society
= identifying social problems and tackling them through SP

Liberal feminists - SP improves the position of women in society

Marsland - empirical sociological research is necessary, and plays a constructive role in policy
= policy makers ignore sociological research
= it would be better for society if sociologists got involved in evidence-based policy making

Question 31

The view that sociology SHOULDN’T be involved in social policy research

Answer 31

Sometimes sociologists may distort their findings and policy recommendations so they don’t risk alienating their bosses

Research may create rather than solve social problems and then end up being completely ignored (EG Black Report)

There’s a risk that too much involvement in research can mean that policy making becomes the driving force of sociology
= sociology becomes a way for the gov to extended its power

What happens to objectivity? Govs pick and choose what they implement

Sociologists may have to make unwilling compromises

Question 32

PM view on whether sociology should be involved in social policy research

Answer 32

Sociology SHOULD NOT be involved in social policy research because it has no contribution to make to policy making

Sociologists only provide interpretations of the world rather than universal truths which policy should be based on

Any sociological evidence used in influencing SP is just sociologists imposing their view of reality on others - their views are no better than others

Question 33

Outline and explain 2 ways in which sociology might influence government policy (10)

Answer 33

1. Through the identification of a social problem that requires policies to solve it
2. Provides a theoretical framework that governments can follow

Question 34

Outline and explain 2 ways why a sociologist’s research does not lead to changes in social policy (10)

Answer 34

Political bias - not fitting in with agenda (EG New Right not responding to research regarding child poverty - Murray and dependency culture)

The research method used - surveys (lie? Unreliable), bias from researchers (EG radical feminists would neglect male perspectives)