Impacts of Social Policy on Family Life

Donzelot

Social policies are state surveillance and control over families, especially working-class families. Policies regulate family life.

Murray

Welfare policies undermine the nuclear family and encourage dependency, especially among lone mothers and the underclass

Hirsch

Ageing populations will require changes to housing, pensions etc; policies must adapt to new family structures and longer life expectancy.

Barter et al

Policies aimed at protecting children fail to consider young people’s voices leading to ineffective intervention.

Barrett and McIntosh

Social policies reinforce the nuclear family, benefits capitalism by reproducing labour, keeps women’s unpaid domestic work.

Fitzpatrick

New Labour balances traditional family values with support for diversity. Policies support working mothers, reduce child poverty, while still promoting marriage.

Abbott and Wallace

New Right policies return women to traditional roles by limiting support for lone parents and promoting marriage.

McKenzie

Government policies focus on economic role from fathers but ignores nurturing roles, marginalising non-resident fathers.

Morgan

Family policy promotes diversity and undermines the nuclear family, weakening social stability.

Giddens

Individuals now have greater choice in relationships ("pure relationships") and social policies must reflect individualisation.

Allan and Crow

Higher family diversity makes one-size-fits-all policies inefficient