YR2 DEBATE: sociology / social policy Flashcards
what is meant by social policy?
the plans + actions of the government to tackle ‘social problems’. they are usually developed in relation to the welfare of the population in areas like education & health
what are the main questions of the sociology / social policy debate?
should it be the job of sociologists to influence social policies? what kinds of policies do different perspectives favour? how far does sociological research actually influence social policy?
how many perspectives comment on the sociology / social policy debate? and who are they?
5:
-Functionalists
-Social democratic
-Marxists
-Feminists
-The new right
what opinions do functionalists have on the sociology / social policy debate ? sociologists role? real impact?
-the state serve the interests of society as a whole, producing and implementing social policies for the good of all.
-Therefore sociologists’ role is to provide the state with objective scientific (sociological) information on which they can base their policies.
-favour policies that tackle one specific issue at a time
How can the functionalist view on the sociology / social policy debate be criticised?
by tackling one social problem at a time, can these policies really make any changes?
what opinions do the social democratic perspective have on the sociology / social policy debate ? any examples? sociologists role? real impact?
-favours policies that support the redistribution of wealth from the rich to the poor
-Townsend (1979) argues that sociology should involve researching social problems + making policy recommendations to try and eradicate them.
-the Black Report (1980) took this approach with research into poverty and made 37 policy recommendations including free school meals.
How can the social democratic view on the sociology / social policy debate be criticised?
Marxists agree that social problems need to be tackled, but they reject the view that social policies can achieve this. Capitalism is the ultimate issue, and the capitalist state is unlikely to allow public spending on social policies that support working class
what opinions do Marxists have on the sociology / social policy debate ? sociologists role? real impact?
-the state only represents the interests of the ruling class + uses state policies to maintain capitalism.
-the only solution to social problems, is the working class revolution to overthrow capitalism.
-The main role of sociologists should be to criticise capitalist social policy and reveal the way in which the ruling class use social policy to their advantage.
How can the Marxist view on the sociology / social policy debate be criticised?
social democrats argue that progressive social policies can make a difference within the capitalist system
what opinions do feminists have on the sociology / social policy debate ? sociologists role? real impact?
-the state help to maintain the subordination of women through its social policies
-However, feminist research has had an impact on many policy areas especially within the education system.
-Radical feminists have also had some influence on social policy, like the creation of women’s’ refuge centres through government funding, to allow women to flee domestic violence.
How can the feminist view on the sociology / social policy debate be criticised?
many feminists themselves reject the view that reformist social policies can liberate women.
what opinions do the New Right have on the sociology / social policy debate ? sociologists role? real impact?
-the state should have limited involvement in society + are opposed to using state welfare to deal with social problems.
-Murray - welfare benefits encourages a dependency culture, worsens issues. (not a fan of many existing social policies)
-still believe that role of sociologists should be to propose alternative policies.
-such policies should aim to restore an individual’s responsibility of their own welfare
How can the New Right’s view on the sociology / social policy debate be criticised?
New Right policy proposals often use the findings of politically sympathetic think tanks, which also raises question around bias and a lack of objectivity.
