Topic 7 - family and social policy Flashcards
family and social policy
What does social policy refer to?
What are they based on?
What are they directly aimed at?
What are other policies that aren’t directly aimed at families but they still affect them? 2 points
- social policies refers to the plans and actions of government agencies
- policies are based on laws, that peovide a framework within which these agencies operate
- Some policies are directly aimed at families i.e. laws governing marriage, divorce, adoption and child protection
- compulsory education = allows parents to go and work whilst schools provide a free ‘childminding’ service
- taxation policies = affect how much money is taken from families and how much is made available to pay for services provided for families
comparative view of family policy
what are the 4 policies?
- china - 1 child policy
- communist romania
- nazi family policy
- democratic societies
china 1 child policies
- aimed to control the population
- couples who comply with the policies get benefits i.e. free health care and higher tax allowances
- an only child will receive priority in education and housing
- couples who break the agreement have to pay a fine
- women face pressure to get steriliesed after their first child
communist romania
- aimed to increase birth rate
- restricted contraception and abortion
- made divorce difficult
- lowered legal age of marriage to 15
- childless and unmarried people paid extra 5% tax
nazi family policy
- wanted to breed a master race
- keep women out of workforce - there should be performing their biological role
- sterilised disabled people because they’re unfit to breed
democratic societies
- families a private sphere
- don’t interfere unless things go wrong. child abuse
( links to topic speaking about domestic abuse )
USA
- abortion being banned
- pay for healthcat
sociological persepective on family and social policy
functionalist perspective
- view on society
- societies built on harmony and value consensus
- there are no major conflict
- the state act’s in the interest of everyone in society
- policies help families to perform their functions more effectively and make life better for their members
sociological perspectives on family and social policy
what does fletcher speak about?
functionalist perspective
- introduction of housing, education and health policies after the industrial revolution
- = has led to the development of welfare state that supports the family in performing its functions more effectively
identify two functions that families perform for their members apart from healthcare
suggests 2 ways in which welfare policies may help families carry put each pf these two functions more effectively
2 A03 evaluation
- primary socialisation
- emotional support
- helping families when they need help so they’re not alone
- almost rely on the welfare policies to get the rigjt support
- assumes that all members of the family benefit equally from social policies. feminists argue that policies benefit men
- assumes there’s a MOP with policies, making family life better. Marxists argue that progess is being reversed - cutting welfare benefits for poorer families
Conflict view of society
What does Denzelot say about policing the family?
- policy is how the state exercise power and control over famikies
- he adopts Foucallt’s ideology on surveillane - he sees power as being spread throughout society and found in all relationships
- he’s interested in how professionals conduct surveillance of families
- policing of families - these professionals then target them for ‘improvements’
- he argues that social workers, health visitors and doctors use their knowledge to control and change families
- poor families are likely to be seen as problems and as the cause of crime in society
part 2 for Donzelot - policing the family
What does he say it is a form of?
What has it done for society?
What does Condry say? How does the state regulate family life? What does this mean for parents of young offenders?
- social policy is a form of state control over the family
- it has not created a better, freeer or a more humane society
- The state regulate family life by imposing parenting orders
- parents of young offenders may be told to attend compulsory parenting classes to learn the ‘correct way’ of raising children
A03 evaluation for Donzelot
- feminists would argue men control the state as they forward policies which benefit ‘men of the household’
- marxists would agrue that the bourgeoisies benefit from this
New right perspective on families
Best family type and why?
Traditional patriarchal nuclear family, married heterosexual couple, male breadwinner, female homemaker. The family type is caring and successfully socialises children
new right perspective on families
worst family type and why?
Lone parent families, inadequatley socialise their children as the mother’s incapable pf doing so, boys don’t have a male role model, then they turn to crime, low achievement. burden on welfare state.
New right view on family and policy
what have state policies encouraged?
what are they threatening?
what are the three ways it has happened in, elaborate?
- State policies have encouraged greater family diversity
- these are threatening the conventional nuclear family and producing social problems i.e crimes and welfare dependency
- divorcee has been made easier to obtain legally - marriage as a commitment has been undermind
- introduction of civil partnerships for homosexual couples - gives an indication that the state doesn’t see heterosexual couples as superior to other set-ups
- tax laws discriminate against conventional families - with a male breadwinner, they tend to pay more tax than dual earner couples
New Right view on family and policy
What did Murray say ?
What welfare benefits undermine?
What do the benefits offer?
- providing generous welfare benefits undermines the conventional nuclear family and encourages dysfunctional family types
- these benefits offer ‘proverse incentives’ - they reward irresponsible behaviour
murray
* give examples
- What happens when fathers abandon their responsibility towards children?
- why are young girls encouraged to become pregnant?
- what has had a massive impact on families?
- what has this led to?
what 2 essential functions threaten what the family fulflls?
e.g. unemployment and children outside of marriage
1. fathers will abandon their responsibility towards their children because they know the state will financially support their children
2. young girls are encouraged to become pregnant - they know council housing will be provided for them
- social policy has had a massive impact on families
- it’s led to a dependency culture and people are no longer self-reliant
this threatens 2 essential functions the family fulfulls
1. successful socialisation of children
2. maintainance of a work ethic among men- important as they’re role models for boys in family
What are New Rights solutions
- cuts in welfare spending and tighter restrictions on who is eligible
- denying council housing to young pregnant mothers
- have taxes that support the traditional N.F and married couples
A03 evaluations for New Right perspective
- Feminists see this as just wanting to return to a patriarchal family where women are subordinated
- abbot and wallace = cutting benefits would put poor families at a greater disadvantage and into more poverty
- they ignore policies that support the nuclear family
New right influence on social policy
Conservative government 1979-97
What was banned?
what did they set up?
what policy was introduced?
- Banned promotion of homosexuality as an acceptable family relationship
- set up child support agency to enforce maintenance payments made by absent parents
- policies introduced that made divorce easier
new right influence on social policy
New labour government 1997-2010
- What did they agree about the N.F?
- What do they recognise about women about the work?
- What do policies favour for the dual earner couples and the neo-conventional family?
- Pros for women when they’re pregnant
- what happens for working families and tax credit
- the new deak
- important for society to raise children in and parents should take responsibility for their children
- they recognise that women now go out to work and that there shouldn’t be just one male earner
- policies favour dual earner couples and the N.C.F
- Longer maternity leave, 3 months unpaid leave
- working families, tax credit that allow some tax relief on childcare costs
- the new deal which helps lone parent return to work
New labour government
What do they argue about the state intervention and improvements for families?
What does N.R disprove of ?
What do they support in terms of alternatives to the conventional N.F
- 3 points
- argue that state intervention can improve life for families
- welfare, taxation and minimum wage policies aimed to lift children out of poverty by redistributing income to the poor through higher benefits
- N.R disapprove of redistributing income through taxes and benefits
1. civil partnerships for same-sex couples
2. giving unmarried couples the same rights to adopt as married couples
3. outlawing discrimination on the grounds of sexuality
Conservative led governments from 2010 - 2024
Explain the divisions between :
1. Modernism
2. Traditionalists
What have they not maintained?
In 2013, what did they introduced (a law)?
Moderism = families are more diverse, they want to reflect this in their policies
Traditionalists = favour new right and reject diversity as being morally wrong
They haven’t maintained consistency in their policies on family
Introduced gay marriage
- opposed by N.R
- austerity policies to cut public spending support of New right.
