T7; FAMILY + SOCIAL POLICIES - PERSPECTIVES ON FAMILY + SOCIAL POLICIES // THE NR INFLUENCE ON POLICIES

What view does NR have on the family when was it first developed and what can policies since the 70s be described as?

• Conservative view of family, 1st developed in 70s, mixed picture since 70s

how has the conservative government 1979-97 through policies shaped families?

• tax trainspotting esque

• 1980…

• 1988…

• banned…

• poll tax - shift tax burden rich → poor

• 1980 housing act (right to buy) → promote aspirational WC to buy council estate homes at signif. discounted prices, less social housing?

• 1988 edu act - marketisation of education shape childhood + family in regards to socialisation of children

• banned promotion of homosexuality by local authorities inc. ban teaching as ‘acceptable’ family relationship

what did conservatives define divorce as in alliance with the NR view? what did they in turn set up empathising continued responsibility of parents for their children after divorce?

• social problem

• setting up the Child Support Agency to enforce maintenance payments by absent fathers usually

what conservative policies been set up that oppose the NR view?

• making divorce easier

• giving illegitimate children same rights as those born to married parents

What are the similarities between NR and new labour gov 1997-2010?

• view of family?

• best type of family?

• empathis on… via introduction of p______ orders…

• view of family as bedrock of society

• family headed by heterosexual married couple = best enviroment for raising children

• empathis on need for parents to take responsibility of children e.g via introduction of parenting orders for parents of truants and young offenders

what have SILVA + SMART noted about New Labour’s stance on the NR view? Therefore what type of family do their policies favour? (total 4 areas of differences)

• reject NR view that family = one male earner; women now go to work too

• therefore policies favour DUAL-EARNER neo-conventional family (CHESTER) similar to symmetrical family (YOUNG + WILLMOTT)

what are the policies that promote CHESTER’s family reflecting the key difference from NR’s opposition of state intervention being? (total 4 areas of differences)

• NL = some kinds of intervention = help imp. lives for families e.g

• longer maternity leave → easier to work

• working families tax credit → enabling parents to claim some tax relief in childcare costs

• The New Deal → helping lone parents return to work

What stance did the NL take as opposed to NR’s disapproval of re-distributing income through taxes + benefits? (total 4 areas of differences)

• Their welfare, taxation + minimum wage policies were partly aimed at lifting children out of poverty by re-distributing income to the poor through higher benefits

What is the final difference with NR and NL?

• NL support for alternatives to the conventional heterosexual nuclear family this includes policies e.g

  • civil partnership act 2004

  • giving unmarried couples the same rights to adopt as married couples

  • outlawing discrimination on grounds of sexuality

What have conservative-led govs from 20101 been divided between according to HAYTON? What does this mean for their policies?

• modernisers - recognise that families = more diverse, willing to reflect this in policies

• traditionalists - favour NR view, reject diversity as morally wrong

• difficult to maintain consistent policy line on family e.g conserv-led coalition go intro gay marriage (policy opposed by NR traditionalists)

How was the influence of traditionalists weakened?

• conservatives had to share power in a coalition w/ liberal democrats

What do critics argue that the conservative government’s financial austerity policies reflect? However, what has the government failed to introduce w// supp of BROWNE?

• NR’s desire to cut public spending

• policies that specifically promote the NR ideal of a conventional heterosexual nuclear family e.g

  • BROWNE → found 2-parent families w/ children fared particularly badly as a result of the gov’s tax + benefits policies