Topic 7- Families & Social Policy Flashcards
How have policies improved the position of the family?
Fletcher
The introduction of health, education and housing policies in the years since the Industrial Revolution has gradually led to the development of a welfare state that supports the family in performing its functions more efficiently
For instance, development of the NHS means that the family today is better able to take care of its members
How does the state have control over the family through policies?
Donzelot
Conflict view, sees policy as a form of state power and control over families
Uses Foulcaults concept of surveillance (observing and monitoring) sees power not just held by government and state, but diffused throughout society and found within all relationships
Foulcault sees professionals such as doctors and social workers exercising power over clients by using their expert knowledge to turn them into cases to be dealt with
Donzelot applies with principle to the family, argues that social workers and doctors use their knowledge to control and change the family
Surveillance is not targeted equally between all social classes, families of lower classes are seen as a problem and as the cause of crime and anti social behaviour therefore these are the families that professionals target for improvement
How have policies undermined the traditional nuclear family?
Almond
Laws making divorce easier undermine the idea of marriage as a lifelong commitment between a man and a woman
The introduction of civil partnerships for gay and lesbian couples sends out the message that the state no longer sees heterosexual marriage as superior to other domestic set ups
Tax laws discriminate against conventional families with a sole male breadwinner, pay more tax compared to dual earning couples
Who is critical of the welfare policy and why?
Murray
Providing generous welfare benefits such as council housing for unmarried teenage mothers, undermines the conventional nuclear family and encourages deviant dysfunctional family types that harm society
For example, if fathers see that the state will maintain their children, some will abandon their responsibilities towards their children
The growth it lone parent families encouraged by the generous benefits provided by the state means more boys grow up without a male role model and authority figure, lack of parental authority is responsible for rising crime rate among young males
When was the divorce reform act & how does it affect families?
1969
More lone parent families, single parent, step parent households
Undermines nuclear family
When was the employment protection act and how does it impact families?
1975
Increase in maternity pay, couples can afford to have more children, look after more family members
Larger families — extended
Undermines traditional gender roles
Free childcare act?
2024
15 hours free childcare for children from 9 months
May increase family size
Undermines traditional gender roles
Civil partnership act and his does it affect families?
Increase in legally recognised same sex couples
How did new labour policies favour the neo-conventional family?
Chester
- Longer maternity leave, 3 moths unpaid leave for both parents and right to seek time off work due to family reasons, made it easier for both parents to work
- Working families tax credit, enabling parents to claim some tax relief on childcare costs
- the new deal, helping lone parents return to work
How are social policies patriarchal?
Land
Social policies assume that the ideal family is the patriarchal nuclear family either a male provider and female homemaker
This norm of what the family should be like affects the kind of policies governing the family, for example if the state assumes the normal family is based on marriage and offers tax incentives to married people that are not available to cohabiting couples, this may encourage marriage and discourage cohabitation, undermining idea of personal choice
