SOC 204 Module 13 Family Policy (Final Exam)

diversifying

We have predominantly had two guiding themes in our sociological investigation of families: (1) we have acknowledged how family forms are ____________.

family forms

We have predominantly had two guiding themes in our sociological investigation of families: (2) _____________ are products of social, political, and economic forces within the larger society

family policy

__________ refers to objectives concerning family well-being and the specific measures taken by governmental bodies to achieve them

families

Five things to note regarding policies and families:

(1) Even when not explicitly stated, most policies affect ________ (whether directly or indirectly); however, for simplicity, we will focus on policies aimed specifically at _________.

support/change

Five things to note regarding policies and families:

(2) Public policy toward families (generally) look to either provide ______ for families (e.g. tax relief) or to _______ families (e.g. promote marriage)

official family policy/family policy

Five things to note regarding policies and families:

(3) The United States does not have an ____________ (i.e. the Constitution does not explicitly mention families). This does not mean that ___________ cannot be attained, but it does leave the protocol ambiguous.

family creation/economic/child rearing/caregiving

Five things to note regarding policies and families:

Government actions concerning family policy generally address four explicit functions of family

1. ______________ (marriage, divorce, childbearing, and adoption)

2. _____________ support

3. ________________

4. _________________ like assistance to the ill and elderly

government encroachment

Five things to note regarding policies and families:

(5) The notion of government planning or policies is in contention with the beliefs of some because it implies ___________________ into family life, which reminds us that public policies may often divide Americans along ideological lines

social and political/promote marriage/same-sex

Sociologist Andrew. J. Cherlin examined families in the U.S. and the other western countries and stated in his observation, “In none of the other countries has marriage become a _______________ battlefield. Nowhere else is the government spending money to ___________. Moreover, nowhere else is the debate about __________ marriage so fierce”

objective or neutral

Circling back to our discussion in Module 1, it is difficult for individuals to be _________________ about family issues because it is so closely tied to social locations and ideologies

families/promoting marriage

Family policy is about how the government takes measures that directly impact ________, in the United States, they are geared towards _______________.

governments/policies/families

Definitions of marriage have long been at the forefront of political discourse. “Local, state, and national ___________, through social and family _______, determine the rights, rules, and benefits for _______.”

interracial marriages

An example of the impact lawmakers and policies have on marriage is the outlawing of _________________, as well as the supreme court’s ruling that legalized ____________________ in 1967.

lesbian and gay/same-sex

Additionally, we have talked about the contentious discourse surrounding ___________ families, where ______________ marriage was not legally recognized, federally, until 2015.

political forces

This adds visibility to how families are also a product of ____________.

white, opposite sex parents with two kids

Because of the laws and prejudice that prohibited same sex and interracial marriage the nuclear family is thought of ______________.

poverty line/welfare program

In 2010, approximately 15% of the population (around 46 million people) were below the government’s official ___________. Since the 1930s, the U.S. has had a fairly comprehensive _____________ to help those in need. This changed in 1996. In this section we will examine the welfare system in the U.S. pre-1996, as well as review the changes that have taken place over time.

minimum/education/nutrition/food stamps/subsidized/dependent/resources

The Shrinking Welfare State

From 1935 to 1996 the U.S. had a minimal welfare program. The New Deal under president Roosevelt and the great society under president Johnson created the _________ wage, federal aid to _______, health and ________ programs, ________, __________ housing, and aid to families with __________ children. Beginning with President Nixon and accelerating under President Reagan, this welfare program was gradually dismantled by decreasing __________.

safety nets

Sociologists Stephanie Coontz and Nancy Folbre argue that strong ___________ make a difference in several important ways and can be seen among other western countries.

single/poverty and hunger/greater/resources

The association of ____ parenthood with poverty is not inevitable. In Canada and France, _________ mothers- and children in general - are far less likely to live in poverty. Sweden and Denmark, with higher rates of nonmarital births, have much lower rates of child ____________ than does the U.S. the reason for the difference is simple. These counties devote a _______ percentage of their resources to assisting families with children.

The personal responsibility and work opportunity reconciliation act

_________________________________________ (PRWORA) of 1996, a welfare law passed aiming to reform the state of the welfare system.

block grants/spend it

In 1996 (PRWORA), a welfare law passed aiming to reform the state of the welfare system. The major provisions of this law include the following:

States are given a fixed sum of money (_________) and have considerable flexibility on how to ___________

work/cash assistance/shorten

In 1996 (PRWORA), a welfare law passed aiming to reform the state of the welfare system. The major provisions of this law include the following:

_____ is required within 2 years of receiving _________, although states had the right to _______ the period (Kansas shortened the time for receiving benefits after giving birth from 6 months to 2 months)

5 year lifetime limit

In 1996 (PRWORA), a welfare law passed aiming to reform the state of the welfare system. The major provisions of this law include the following:

The law mandated a _______________ on the receipt of assistance, which states can reduce if they wish

In 1996 (PRWORA), a welfare law passed aiming to reform the state of the welfare system. The major provisions of this law include the following:

live at home and go to school

In 1996 (PRWORA), a welfare law passed aiming to reform the state of the welfare system. The major provisions of this law include the following:

Unmarried teen parents ____________________ to receive assistance.

cuts/qualifying criteria

In 1996 (PRWORA), a welfare law passed aiming to reform the state of the welfare system. The major provisions of this law include the following:

Additional ______ and narrowing ___________ were made to other federal programs that offer assistance to those in need.

legal immigrants/ineligible

In 1996 (PRWORA), a welfare law passed aiming to reform the state of the welfare system. The major provisions of this law include the following:

All _________ were cut from food stamps, and those who entered the country after the welfare bill were _________ for other federal programs such as the supplemental security income, as well as state run programs such as TANF and Medicaid.

Federal funding for welfare

In 1996 (PRWORA), a welfare law passed aiming to reform the state of the welfare system. The major provisions of this law include the following:

___________________________ is capped without adjustment for inflation or population growth over time.

welfare system/states

In sum, this new welfare legislation changed the way the _____________ (and individual ________) aid families.

marriage/fatherhood/marriage

Welfare Suggested Solutions:

The 2006 welfare reauthorization bill provided $150 Million for projects to promote healthy __________ and responsible _________. Because families of single mothers are more likely to be in poverty than families of married couples, this legislation sought _________ as a solution to diminish poverty.

micro-level factors/unempolyment/economic insecurity

The Critique to Marriage being the Solution for Poverty

Many scholars and policymakers criticized this legislation for placing too much of the focus on _________________, and not addressing the structural constraints that impact poverty rates, such as _____________ and ________________. Additionally, many argued that marriage quality has a high impact on adults and children.

joblessness and poverty/social safety net

Welfare Suggested Solutions:

Some argued that the welfare reform failed to address the structural sources of ________________. Because of that, along with the economic downturn, a suggested solution was to strengthen the _____________ to aid those who are adversely affected economically.

individuals/state

The Critique to a Stronger Safety Net being the Solution for Poverty

Contrarily, policymakers argued that the fault lies on the _________ to remove themselves from a culture of poverty not necessarily the job of the __________.

both/parental leave and childcare

In the majority of the U.S. families, _______ parents are in the labor force. Two especially critical problems face working parents: ____________________.

paid

Parental Leave

As we have discussed in a previous module, there is no federal policy for _______ leave.

12 weeks unpaid leave

Parental Leave

Federal policy mandates up to ________________, guaranteed job, and retention of benefits for companies with more than 50 employees.

paid parental leave

Parental Leave

Although it is not federally mandated, some businesses provide generous ________________ policies for their employees, so that parents can have children and or meet emergency needs without jeopardizing their jobs, benefits, or wages.

tech companies

Parental Leave

______________ tend to be the most generous employers, with Google for example, offering 22 weeks of paid leave and Yahoo providing 16 weeks for mothers and 8 weeks for fathers and $500 for baby-spending money.

less generous/no/little

Parental Leave

Other employers have ___________ programs or _____ programs at all for their employees. Some states require maternity leave, whereas other states do not. So, there is ________ consistency across the U.S.

paid parental leave

Parental Leave

Almost all other industrialized countries provide new mothers (and sometimes fathers) with ________________ (a range of 4 months to a year at 80% to 90% of normal pay)

Family and Medical Leave ACT

Parental Leave

The current family leave policy is the ____________________ (FMLA).

labor force/both parents

According to the Children’s Defense Fund, about 2 out of 3 mothers of preschool-age children and 3 out of 4 mothers of school-age children are in the __________. Six in 10 preschool-age children and 7 in 10 school-age children have ___________ in the labor force (2008)

childcare

For working parents, finding accessible and acceptable ____________ is probably the biggest issue facing working parents.

childcare

_____________ tends to be very expensive, and it tends to be the largest single work related expense for working mothers

more affluent/higher quality/less costly

When thinking about how class shapes this relationship between work and childcare, those who are _______________ are able to take advantage of _________________ facilities. Those less well off are prone to use _________ facilities that are likely overcrowded, unlicensed, and possibly even unhealthy.

childcare system

The U.S. currently has no comprehensive ____________. This differs from other industrialized nations.

childcare payments

The U.S. currently has no comprehensive childcare system. This differs from other industrialized nations. Currently, the federal government is involved in providing for childcare through:

Permitting the deduction of _______________ on income tax returns.

government

Policy issues on child care tend to involve:

Whether or not the ________________ should provide financial assistance for childcare

standard/state

Policy issues on child care tend to involve:

At what level of involvement should the government intervene, and should there be a set __________. For example, in 2007, NY, GA, and OK had programs that were available to all 4 year olds at participating school districts, regardless of family income, however some states do not provide any assistance for preschool education. Thus, benefits vary widely at the _______-level.

below the poverty line

In 2007, 13.3 million children in America lived ______________. Compared to other industrialized nations, the U.S. ranks 22nd in low birth weight rates, 390th in infant mortality rates, last in relative child poverty, 31st in the gap between the rich and the poor, last in adolescent birth rates (15-19) and last in protecting children against gun violence.

low/twice

Infant mortality: The U.S. infant mortality rate of 6.86 deaths per 1,000 live births (2005) ranks ____ among industrialized nations, and Black infants have a mortality rate more than _____ that of white infants.

preventable/prenatal/medical insurance

Much of infant mortality is mostly __________. One-third of pregnant women receive inadequate _________ care, mostly because they lack economic resources, including ______________. In 2009, 1 in 8 Black children and 1 in 6 Latino children were uninsured.

immunized/poor/racially marginalized

Infectious diseases: In 2009, 1 out of 3 children were not fully ___________. Children lacking immunization were disproportionately _____ and ______________________.

polluted/lead

Exposure to toxic chemicals: Poor children often live in __________ environments. Young children are especially vulnerable to _____ exposure. A clear example of this is what we have seen occurring in Flint, Michigan and Jackson, MS. You can also think about exposure to chemicals in paint (older homes/exposure to lead paint).

diet/food subsidies

Hunger and malnutrition: Poor children are less likely than higher-income families to have an adequate _____. Children living in poverty receive some ___________. In 2009, an average of 15.6 million children each month received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and more than 17 million received free or reduced-price lunch.

school/poorer quality

Educational deficits: As a result of the risks above, poor children often start _______ less prepared than their more affluent peers. Low-income children are further disadvantaged by the greater likelihood that they will attend ___________ schools that are largely underfunded.

increased/stable/decrease

This data shows how child poverty has __________ and remained fairly ______ (with a slight _________) overtime.

healthy environment/life chances

Many believe that government policies (both federal and state), have the opportunity to provide a ___________________ for children and increase their __________________.

cost

Funding Programs to Help Disadvantaged Children

Some policymakers argue that the _______ is what prohibits improving programs for disadvantaged children.