AC 4.2- explain how social changes affect policy development

Question 1

social change and policy development

Answer 1

• structure of society is constantly changing
• demographic changes (population changes) can over time lead to changes in attitudes
• demographic changes happen because of different reasons ( increased migration / greater personal wealth)

Question 2

example of social change and policy development

Answer 2

• equality for women can be linked to increased awareness of domestic abuse
• attitudes changing towards sexual orientation and identity
• changes in perception of crime can lead to pressure for police to do something
• attitudes changing towards racism , sexism

Question 3

changes in public perception of crime have affected societal change

Answer 3

• drunk driving
• smoking

Question 4

drunk driving law change: 1925

Answer 4

• 1st law making drink driving an offence
• had no clear definition of ‘drunk’ and no legal amount set
• made it hard to follow and to enforce
• government didn’t collect figures on deaths caused by drink driving

Question 5

drunk driving law change: 1951-1966

Answer 5

• car ownership increasing
  
  • 1951= 15% 1971= 55%
• 5000 deaths in the 50s and 8000s in the 60s
• road safety became more of a public concern
  
  • 1966= new cars had to have a seatbelt

Question 6

drunk driving law change: 1967 Road Saftey Act

Answer 6

• blood alcohol limit set
• made an offence to be in charge of a car with an alcohol limit above that
• increase in medical & technological advances allowed things like breathalysers

Question 7

drunk driving law change: 1991

Answer 7

• an offence to cause death by driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
  
  • had a compulsory sentence of 5 years
• 2014 = sentence increased to 14 years
• 1979 = 1640 2016= 216 deaths

Question 8

smoking law change: Health Act 2006

Answer 8

• made it illegal to smoke in enclosed public spaces & workplaces
• resulted in 1200 fewer deaths for heart attacks
• before there was a large amount of research linking it to health problems
• studeis showed second-hand smoke increased an adults risk of lung cancer & heart disease by 1/4

Question 9

cultural changes: LGBT+ rights

Answer 9

• before 1960s = same-sex condemned as it was seen immoral , sinful & severly punished
• 1954 = over 1000 men in prison due to being LGBTQ+
• 1967 = act decriminalises same-sex activity in private between men over 21

Question 10

what caused the shift in public perception of same-sex relationships?

Answer 10

• individualism
• decline in religiosity
• equal rights

Question 11

demographic changes: immigration & racism

Answer 11

• 1945 = less than 20,000 non-white residents lived in the UK
  
  • main immigrant groups = irish
  • Jews prosecuted in Europe
• 1950 = non-white residents came over from the Carribean, India etc for economic opportunities

Question 12

demographic changes: windrush generation

Answer 12

• early arrivals from the Carribean faced hositility with white people
• immigrants suffered with housing & employment
• 1956 survey = 1.5% of white ppl in Brum were willing to offer jobs to black people

Question 13

Race relations act 1965

Answer 13

• made discrimination on the basis of colour , ethnic background etc an offence
• 1968 = prevented discrimination in employment , housing and public services
• 1976 = focused on indirect & direct racism
• 2010 = replaced by the Equality Act
  
  • more inclusive

Question 14

cultural changes: racism

Answer 14

Britsih Attitudes Survey
- 1987 = 39% racially prejudice
- 2017 = 26% racially prejudice

Question 15

what caused the cultural changes towards racism?

Answer 15

• public perceptions of race , discrimiantion and racism changed
• demographic changes
  
  • migration of other cultures , religions and racial groups