perspectives on family policy

functionalism

• state acts in interest of society and social policies help to improve this

• assumes all policies help everyone equally

the new right

• social policies may weaken and undermine families self reliance such as benefit policies but favour child maintenance services

• feminists argue this is a attempt to justify return to traditional roles

feminism

• maintain womens subordinate roles such as being paid child benefit and maternity leave

• not all policies support patriarchy such as same sex marriage and sex discrimination laws

marxism

• benefit capitalism and ignore class inequalities and any help can easily be cut again such as 1980 thatcher benefit cuts- benefit capitalism such as in ww2 needing a female labour force but remocing benefits once men return for war

• gender blind and to deterministic