AQA A Level Sociology - Families and Households (Social Policy)

Social policy

The plan/action of state agencies and are usually based on laws introduced by the government which provides the framework within these agencies.

- Some is aimed directly at families and some do not.

The comparative view of family policies

• Can sometimes have deep effects on families and members and cross-cultural from different societies/historical periods shows most extreme way.

○ China's one child policy:

§ The government's population control aims to control the amount of infants born and discourages parents for having a 2nd child.

○ Communist Romania:

§ In the 1980s, they introduced policies which drove up the birth rate and they did this by restricting contraception & abortion, set up infertility centres and made divorce more difficult to obtain.

○ Nazi family policy:

§ The state pursued a 2 fold policy where on one hand, it encouraged a healthy and 'radically pure' to breed but wants women to stay at home and sterilised disabled people.

○ Democratic societies:

§ Some people argue that in democratic societies, the family is a private sphere of life but however, sociologists argue that the state plays a major role in shaping lives.

Functionalism of social policy

• They see policies as helping families perform their functions effectively to make family life better.

• Fletcher (1966) argue introduction of health, education and housing policies led to the development of the welfare state which supports the family.

• They see society as built on harmony and consensus from major conflict.

Criticisms:

○ Feminists argue it's an attempt to justify return to traditional family that subordinated women.

○ Assumes traditional family is natural rather than socially constructed and cutting benefits simply drives people into greater poverty.

○ Assumes that all members benefit from social policies and also assumes that there is a 'march of progress' with social policies.

New Right on social policy

• Had considerable influence of government thinking on social policy and in their view, it should avoid anything that undermines the conventional family.

• They say that changes have led to greater family diversity which are threatening the traditional nuclear family and are creating social problems.

• Almond (2006) argue that:

○ Divorce laws undermines the ideology of lifetime commitment

○ Introduction of civil partnership shows heterosexual couples are superior.

○ Tax laws means that they cannot transfer to non-working partners tax allowance.

○ Points that cohabitants have the same rights as married couples.

• Murray (1984) are critical of welfare policy who argue that that the government are providing 'generous' welfare benefits which undermines the nuclear family and encourages alternative types of family.

• He also argue that the welfare benefits offer a perverse incentive which has a major impact on family roles and relationships.

• This creates a dependency culture which threatens the 2 essential function.

Solution:

• They argue that policies needs to change with cuts in benefits and tighter restrictions which means that taxes can be reduced.

• Also advocate policies which supports the nuclear family while functionalists says it benefits the family.

• Argue that the less the state interferes with family life, the less self-reliant members are and so makes family life better.

Criticisms:

• Feminists argue that it just wants the nuclear family back and wrongly assumes that it is biological.

• Abbott and Wallace (1992) argue that cutting benefits can drive families into greater poverty and ignores that there are many policies that supports and maintains the nuclear family.

New Right influences on social policy

• Conservative government (1979-1997):

○ They banned promotion and teaching of homosexuality and defined divorce as a social problem.

○ They emphasised the continued responsibility of parents and set up the Child Support Agency to enforce maintenance payments.

○ Introduced measures such as easier divorce and rights for 'illegitimate' children.

• New Labour government (1997-2010):

○ Took the view that the family is the bedrock of society and supports the conventional nuclear family. It emphasised the need for parents to take responsibility.

○ Silva and Smart (1999) argue that the New Labour rejects the New Right's view of the family and favoured dual-earner neo-conventional family.

○ This reflects a further difference with the NR and argue that some state interventional can improve family life.

• The Coalition government (2010-2015):

○ Hayton (2010) calls:

§ Modernisers recognises that families are now more diverse.

§ Traditionalists favours NR and rejects diversity.

○ Means that the Conservative Party found difficult to maintain a consistent policy line.

○ Critics argue that their financial austerity policies reflects NR desire but failed to introduce policies with promotes NR idea of conventional family.

Feminism on social policy

• They take a conflict view arguing that society is patriarchal which benefits men. They argue that all social institution helps to maintain women's subordinate position and unequal gender division of labour.

• Policies are based on assumption on what a 'family' is and Land (1978) argue that the ideal family is the convention patriarchal heterosexual nuclear family with a clear division of labour between couples.

• This affects the kind of policies governing family life is often to reinforce the nuclear family which creates a self-fulfilling prophecy.

• They identify numerous example where policies supports the patriarchal nuclear family:

○ Tax and benefit policies:

§ Assumes that there is only one breadwinner which is the husband.

§ This makes it more difficult/impossible for women to claim social security benefits from the government.

§ This increases the economic dependence on husbands.

○ Childcare:

§ Childcare is not provided enough for parents likewise, school timetables makes it difficult for women to work full-time and so they are restricted from work which increases dependence.

○ Care for sick and elderly:

§ Often assumes that the provide for care and it is women who are more likely to do this care.

§ This prevents them working full time and increases economic dependence on their husbands.

• Maternity leave entitlements are more generous towards women than men and so encourages assumption that the women should look after infants which increases their economic dependence.

• Criticisms: not all policies are directed at supporting the patriarchal nuclear family for example, equal pay and sex discrimination laws.

Marxism on social policy

• Do not see them as benefitting members of society and sees it as serving capitalism.

• Do not accept there was a 'march of progress' towards better welfare policies and argue that improvements has been women through class struggles.

DONZELOT (1977):

• Has a conflict view of society and sees it as a form of state power and control.

• Uses Foucault's (1976) idea of surveillance as not held by government/state but diffused through society and found within all relationship.

• Sees professional as exercising power by using expert knowledge. Donzelot applies this and calls this the policing of families.

• Condry (2007) says that the state seeks to control and regulate family life by parenting orders for young offenders.

• Rejects the functionalist march of progress view that members have a better, freer/more humane society and shows importance of professional knowledge.

• Marxists and feminists criticises Donzelot for failing to identify who benefits from this. Marxists argue that social policies were put into place to benefit capitalism while feminists argue that these policies benefits men and supports the patriarchal nuclear family.