Families and households: Section 1 Theory and social policy Flashcards
(146 cards)
1
Q
What perspective do structural Functionalists take?
A
Concensus
2
Q
What view of the family do structural Functionalists have on society?
A
Macro view
3
Q
What does a structural Functionalists say the family does?
A
Important and positive role in society
4
Q
What is a function?
A
Role carried out by something.
5
Q
What do structural Functionalists concern themselves with?
A
a) the functions of the family for society as a whole and for its individual members
b) the functional relationship between the family and the other social systems like the economic system.
6
Q
What are the four major functions: Murdock? (Functionalist)
A
Sexual: provides sexual gratification, emotionally uniting husbands and wives.
Reproductive: bring new members into the world so society can continue.
Economic: husbands are cared for by their wives enabling them to work productively. The family is a basic unit of consumption.
Education: socialising children into societys norms and values.
7
Q
What did Murdock say about the function of the family? (Functionalist)
A
The nuclear family in modern industrial society assissted by other social institutions performs 4 major functions. Murdock asserts no other body can match the efficiency of the family thus it’s a munltifunctional body which is indispensable to society.
8
Q
Criticisms of Murdock’s 4 major functions?
A
Others argue these functions can be performed equally well by other insitutions and the theory is outdated, failing to account for changing gander roles and a greater diversity of family types.
Marxists/Feminists reject this ‘rose-tinted’ view seeing the family either serving the needs of Capitalism or men.
9
Q
What is Emile Durkheims theory: Value consensus, social solidarity and collective conscince? (Functionalist)
A
Family are important in creating value consensus. He believes the family is central to the process of integrating individuals into society so it’s functioning properly. Creates social solidarity and collective conscience.
10
Q
What is value consensus?
A
Shared ideas about what is considered important.
11
Q
What is social solidarity?
A
People feel bound together in a group.
12
Q
What is collective conscience?
A
Where people have a strong sense of being part of a society.
13
Q
What is Parsons theory: Functional fit theory? (Functionalist)
A
Believes function of the family depends on which society it is found in. Either pre-industrial or modern industrial society.
14
Q
Parsons: What is a pre-industrial society?
A
People spend most of their lives living in the same village and working on the same farm.
15
Q
Parsons: What is a modern industrial society?
A
Based on constantly evolving science and technology so it requires a skilled, technically comptent work force. Essential that talented people win promotion and take the most important jobs, regardless of their background.
16
Q
Parsons: What does a modern society allow for?
A
Social mobility as an individual’s status is achieved by their own efforts and ability. Hence, the family provides a mobile labour force.
17
Q
What did Parsons believe the nuclear family was best suited for?
A
Modern industrial society as it allowed for easier geography mobility which in turn created the isolated nuclear family as they would be away from the support of their extended kin.
18
Q
Parsons: What was the pre-industrial family?
A
A multi-functioning unit who worked together. The now isolated nuclear family has lost a lot of these functions, sometimes to other institutions.
19
Q
Criticisms of Parsons functional fit theory?
A
Ideas are too generalised. Young and Willmott identity stages of family history specific to Britian:
1) pre-industrial nuclear family with family interdependant on father.
2) early industrial extended family where home and work became seperated.
3) modern industrial nuclear family becomes a symmetrical nuclear family.
Others critise Parsons view the nuclear family was a product of industrialisation and instead the family supports industrialisation.
20
Q
Parsons: What are the two irreductible functions of the family?
A
Primary socialisation of children
The stabilisation of the adult personality
No other body can perform these functions as well as the family making it vital to society.
21
Q
Parsons: Explain the primary socialisation of children?
A
Occurs within the nuclear family and children within this unit internalise society’s culture so that society can survive.
22
Q
Parsons: Explain the stabilisation of the adult personality?
A
Through marriage and family life husbands and wives secure emotional security and love which protects them from the stresses of industrial life. The warm bath theory states the husband worries about competiton and takes these strains home. The home and family act like a warm bath and wash away his troubles making him ready for work. The wife helps through her expressive role.
23
Q
Evaluation of the structural Functionalist view of the family?
A
Recently Murdock and Parsons have been the object of criticism.
24
Q
Morgan’s criticisms of the structural Functionalist approach?
A
Too positive: over emphasised the importance and efficiency of the family’s functions. Their view of the family is too good to be true, over stressing harmony and seeing the process of socialisation as moulded by parents, ignoring the two way interaction between parents and children.
25
Laing's criticisms of the structural Functionalist approach?
The privatised nature can cause family members to live in their own little world cut off from society. Causing overprotection of the children making an us versus them perspective. The isolated nuclear family is bad for its members and for society in general.
26
Oakley's criticisms of the structural Functionalist approach?
Radical feminist states traditional family life is trapping women, stifling their potential and cutting them off from society. Retars their economic progress and isolates them within mundane confines of home, reducing their development. Patriarchal isolation is dysfunctional for women and society.
27
Secombe's criticisms of the structural Functionalist approach?
Marxist states an exaggeration of the functional importance. In western society family merely functions to serve capitalism which ensures an alienating capitalist economic system with a well motivated, regular and reliable work force.
28
What persepctive do Marxists take?
Conflict
29
What view of society do Marxists take?
Macro
30
What role do Marxists think family perfroms?
Negative role as it its upholds a Capitalist society.
31
How do Marxists view society?
One big system made up of smaller systems based on an unequal conflict between the two classes. The economic system is the most important and forms the economic base which supports the superstructure.
32
What do Marxists see all institutions doing?
Contributing to the maintenace of exploitation. The family is seen as an oppressive force!
33
What is Engels theory: Inheritance of property and wealth? (Marxist)
Family in particular marriage and inheritance ensures the ruling class stays powerful as wealth is passed through the male line to the son-primogeniture. Engels claimed marriage within a monogamous nuclear family ensured wealth was kept within certain families and maintained power.
34
What is a criticism of Engels theory?
Fails to account how in socialist/communist countires the nuclear family exists even with little inheritance of wealth and power.
35
What is Zaretsky's theory: Ideological function-a haven from capitalism? (Marxist)
Family acts as a haven from the hard world of capitalism. Zaretsky argues this is an illusion based on domestic servitude of women.
36
By ideology what do Marxists mean?
Set of beliefs/ideas that justify inequality and maintain the capitalist system by persuading people to accept it as fair.
37
How is a capitalist ideology transmitted?
By socialisation and parental power.
38
What is Zaretsky's theory: a unit of consumption? (Marxist)
The family provides unpaid labour and reproduces the next labour force and is a unit of consumption. Capitalism needs workers to buy its products. Workers are exploited by capitalism selling them products of their labour for more than they are paid.
39
Why is family an important unit of consumption?
The media targets children and adults are encouraged to see increased consumption as an indicator of wealth. Eg. 'keeping up with the Joneses, pester power is given to children.
40
What is Althusser's theory: The family is an ideological state apparatus ISA? (Marxist)
Family in western society is a vechile of social control- transmitting capitalist culture while indoctrinating the working class into a state of false consciousness. The isolated nuclear family is an ISA which serves to uphold the capitalist status quo.
41
Althusser ISA: Family type?
Hierachal institution in which children learn that orders come from above and people cannot be equal. Thus, children are taught to be obediant and accept authority which forms a submissive workforce.
42
What does Althusser say the nuclear family teaches?
Children to be competitve and moulds them into different types of personalities which are essential for the functioning of capitalism. It's an authoritarian structure training children to be deferential keeping capitalism secure.
43
What does Althusser say about collective consciousness?
It's reduced within the working class so manual workers are less likey to engage in action to overthrow capitalism.
44
What does Althusser say about the familiys function in relaxing workers?
Ensures male workers return to work relaxed and ready to work. The self-fufilemnt workers gain from familes offers them an escape from monotomy of factory work. As men are main earners it dampens their likeliness to revolt as they need to support their family.
45
Advantages of the Marxist view?
Shows how the nuclear family is ...
Not a natural institution but has taken a form to meet demands of capitalism.
vechile of social control.
Important ISA.
Shaped by economic base.
46
Disadvantages of Marxist view?
Claimed the approach has ...
Taken a stereotypical approach of family, incorrectly assuming a patriarchal nuclear family is the norm.
Been too deterministic, naivley views family as passive.
Overemphasised the degree to which the family socialises children.
Exaggerated extent to which family is functional for capitalism, whereas structural Functionalists would argue it functions for society as a whole.
Placed too much emphasis upon degree capitalism exploits women. Patriarchy according to feminists is the most important cause of domestic enslavement of females. Patriarchy also needs to be exploited not just capitalism.
47
What do Feminists view gender inequality as?
Socially constructed
48
What are Liberal Feminists concerned with?
Campaigning against sexual discrimination and equal rights and opportunities for women. Believe you can achieve these things in the current system.
49
Liberal Feminists: Main arguments? 3
Women's oppression is being gradually overcome through changing people's attitudes and through changes in the law.
Fully equality will depend on futher reforms and changes in attitudes, so are relatively optimistic.
Full equality has not been achieved and they argue it's a gradual process.
50
What is Bernard's theory: Marriage is beneficial for men only? (Feminist)
Liberal feminist-marriage is bad for women as they express marital dissatisfaction more then men. Also suffer more illness then their single counterparts and initiate more divorce proceedings.
51
Strengths of Bernard's Marriage is beneficial for men only theory?
Draws attention to the disadvantaged position of women in marriage.
Highlights conflict within family.
Highlights advantages of a more symmetrical family and how patriarchy can be challenged without revolution.
52
Weaknesses of Bernard's Marriage is beneficial for men only theory?
Other feminists criticise it for failing to challenge the underlying cause of womens oppression and believing changes in law will be enough.
Marxists and radical feminists believe revoluntionary changes are neccessary. Oakley argues wives still do most of the housework and mundane aspects of childcare and Dobash argues features of a patriarchal society still exist.
Henwood says wives still don't earn as much as they often work part-time and so are not equal bread-winners.
53
What do Marxists feminists believe is the cause of oprression?
Capitalism
54
What are the 3 ways Marxists feminists believe women serve capitalism?
Women reproduce the next labour force through unpaid domestic labour, socialising the next generation and maintaining the current one.
Women absorb anger. Ashely says women are the takers of shit who soak up frustration of their husbands based on them feeling alienated and exploited at work.
Women are the reserve army of cheap labour to be taken on when extra workers are needed and when no longer needed they can be let go.
55
What is Benston's theory: Women bear the next generation of wage slaves?
If women bear male children they bear the next generation of wage slaves to capitalsim. By doing housework and cooking meals they are refreshing their husbands to the alienating world of work.
56
What is Feeley's theory: Mothers socialise children for capitalism?
Mothers within a nuclear family bring their children up to accept authority and to be obediant; socialising them into personalities which are essential for the functionning of capitalism.
57
What is Ansley's theory: Women are the takers of shit?
Supports Benston by stating wives are used by their wage slave husbands to relieve their tensions. The releasing of emotional stress is achieved by a woman's expressive role or by becoming subject to domestic violence. She becomes 'a sponge to soak up their revolutionnary feelings.' Women are anti-revolutionnary to help maintain the capitalist status-quo.
58
What do Marxists feminists link women's opression to?
The exploitation of the working class. So the family must be abolished at the same time as a socialist revolution replacing capitalism with a classless society.
59
Strengths of Marxsist feminism?
They believe they clearly demonstrate that the nuclear family is part of the superstructure and shaped by the economic base. It exploits women and that the roles of the housewife within the patriarchal nuclear family helps to maintain capitalism.
60
Criticisms of Marxist Feminism?
Fails to recognise the degree of diversity in society and fails to recognise other family forms. Morgan believes their picture of family life seems dated and too stereotypical.
61
What do Radical feminists argue society is founded on?
Patriarchy with the key division being between men and women.
62
What are the key beliefs of radical feminism?
Men are the enemy and the source of women's expolitation and oppression.
Family and marraige are key institutions in a patriarchal society. Men benefit from women's unpaid domestic labour and sexual services. They dominate women through sexual and domestic violence and/or threat of it.
63
What do radical feminists believe the solution is?
Patriarchal society needs to be overturned and the family needs to be abolished. This can only be achieved through seperatism. Many argue for political lesbianism as heterosexual relationships are oppressive as they involve sleeping with the enemy.
64
What is Greer's theory: Matrilocal households?
Argues for the creation of all female or matrilocal households as an alternative to heterosexual families.
65
What is Oakley's theory: Women carry out dull repetitive work?
She states women work long hours dong dull and repetitive work for little status and no wage, often resulting in mental and physical illness.
66
What is Barrett's theory:Nuclear family opresses women?
The patriarchal nuclear family is the basis of women's oppression in society. Comes from a) economic power held by men over women b) married women are regarded as secondary to men and therefore subservient to their husbands.
67
Strengths of radical feminism?
Reveals patriarchy manipulates womenwithin the family rather than capitalism, indicates how women can live happily seperated from men to escape the tyrannies of male domination. The patriarchal nuclear family is not consequently a natural institution.
68
Weaknesses of radical feminism?
Liberal feminists such as Jenny Sommerville state radical feminists fail to recognise how women's positions in society has drastically improved. Claims seperatism is unlikely to work due to heterosexual attraction. However also realises women are yet to achieve full equality so there is a need for family friendly policies to promote greater equality between partners.
69
How is intersectional feminism different to other types of feminism?
They don't assume that most women live in convential nuclear families and all share the same experience of family life.
70
What do intersectional feminists argue?
We cannot generalise about women's experiences arguing lesbain and heterosexual women, white and black women, middle class and working class have very different experiences of family.
71
What do Nicholson & Calhoun say? (Intersectional feminism)
Critise other feminists for failing to consider women in different families experience different family lives.
72
Criticisms of intersectional feminism?
Other feminists argue it neglects the fact all women share many of the same experience eg. all face risk of domestic and sexual violence, low pay etc.
73
What do the New Right maintain?
The traditional monogamous nuclear family is the most deirable environment in which to raise a child and the unit uniquely fits the needs of modern industrial society.
74
What is the New Right sometimes known as?
Political functionalism
75
Who are the New Right?
A group of politicians, sociologists and researchers who argue the nuclear and traditional, conservative values are very important. State men and women should take convential roles within the family with the woman responsible for childcare and housework and the man the breadwinner.
76
What does the New Right think will happen if the nuclear family breaks down?
Children won't be adequately socialised.
77
What do the New Right think about the breakdown of the monogamous nuclear family?
The traditional nuclear family has been in decline. Supported by increasing promiscuity, divorce, cohabitation, illegitamcy and spread of one-parent families. Hence we are in a state of moral decay.
78
What is Murray's theory: The underclass (or the new rabble)?
The negative trends are especially evident in young white working class males in Britain and lower class black men in America. These groups tend to be found in inner city working-class areas, forming the underclass.
79
What does the New Right believe about the growth in social problems?
Murray argues the growth in promiscuity etc. has led to a variety of social problems eg. crime. In order to reverse these problems the significance of the nuclear family should be restored.
80
What policies according to the New Right should be introduced to restore the nuclear family?
Traditional families should be encouraged.
Women should realise their main role in life is a housewife/mother. Females hwo work take jobs away from men.
Welfare benefits should be lowered as a disincentive to work.
Gender roles are biological rather than cultural.
81
What do the New Right say about the welfare state?
Against the welfare state as it's costly and creates a dependency culture making people lazy. Murray believes the generous welfare provision makes it economically rational for unmarried girls to become pregnant and aquire a higher living standard from benefits. Murray stresses the importance of individuals taking responsiblity for their children.
82
What is Berger's supporting theory: Nuclear family is essential?
Supports the New Right claiming its correct in stressing the importance of traditional nuclear families. Parents should teach the values of reliability, politeness and respect for others hence reducing crime and delinquency.
83
What is Dennis's supporting theory: Fatherless children are more likely to commit crime?
Supports Murray/New Right by stating children brought up without fathers are more likely to commit crime.
84
What is Halsey's supporting theory: Alternative family types are unhealthy?
Supports the New Right, stating, alternative family types have led to all social problems. In matrifocal families the lack of a father is espcially bad for male children and consequently they grow up criminal and undisciplined.
85
What is Abbot's criticising theory: Nuclear families are oppressing women?
Criticises Murray/New Right's model of the family, which pictures women as full-timehousewives is exploitative for women. It fails to recognise unhappiness and illness women experience and the extent to which violence is perpetuated by their husbands. Abbott claims Murrays view are anti-egalitarian as he sees this institution as being patriarchal.
86
What is Halsey's criticising theory: Family type doesn't cause crime?
Halsey criticises Murray/New Right is that high rates of crime amongst the underclass may not be caused by a decline of the monogamous family. Other factors like unemployment and poverty may be more significant.
87
What do all structural theories assume?
Families and their members are passive and mainpulated by society to perform specific functions. Assume the traditional nuclear family is the dominant family type.
88
What is the personal life perspective influenced by?
Social action viewpoint and argues we have a choice in creating our family relationships so families and their members are active.
89
What does the personal life perspective focus on?
The meaing and motives from the pov of individuals rather than the family's supposed function.
90
What approach do the personal life perspective take?
Bottom up, emphasising the means that individual family members hold and how these shape their actions and relationships. They take a wider view of the family relationships outside of just blood ties.
91
Examples of realtionships not based on blood ties within the family?
Relationships with friends-who may be like a brother or sister.
Fictive kin-close friends who are treated as relatives.
92
What is Nordgvist & Smart theory: Donor-concieved children?
What counts as family?
They found
a) Issue of blood and genes raised a range of feelings and some emphasise importance of social relationships rather than genetic ones.
b) Difficult feelings could flare up for a non-genetic parent due to differences in appearance and could lead to quesions about possible donor siblings and if they count as family.
c) For lesbian couples extra issues such as equality between genetic and non-genetic mothers, and if the donor may be treated as the real parent.
93
Strengths of the personal life perspective?
Rejects top down approach so helps to understand how people construct and define their relationships rather then imposing definitions.
Sees intimate relationships as performing an important function of providing a sense of belonging and relatedness.
Recognises relatedness is not always positive.
94
Weaknesses of the personal life perspective?
Accused of taking too broad a view by including a wide range of different personal relationships we ignore what makes them special eg. blood.
95
What approach did Foucault take? (Postmodernist)
Critical approach to the family which involves the idea of surveillance. He argues even the most personal aspects of our lives have become subject to scrutinity.
96
What is the Panopticon? (Foucault)
Functioned as a round the clock surveillance machine in prisons. The mental uncertainty that in itself would prove to be a crucial instrument of discipline.
97
Foucault was interested in which other disciples are involved in supervision?
We are continually assessed and supervised in schools, work, check ups, CC-TV, social services, counselling, therapy and the census.
98
What did Foucault believe was the best way to manage prisoners?
Make them potential targets of the authoritys gaze at every moment of the day. It was viewed as part of the system. However it was not confinded to prison but in various other institutions in society.
99
What have surveillance techinques become?
Fundamental part of daily life in modern western societies.
100
Who is Foucault?
Post-modern theorist who is critical of Functionalism. He argues society is heavily involved in family life and routine state intervention is necessary to control domestic life and family relations.
101
What is Foucault's theory: Internalisation of norms?
The surveillancance of family life seeks to instil discipline. The idea of the panopticon has a constant threat of scrutiny regulates family life. The constant defining of normality and measuring families against it controls family life. We become self critical and internalise state norms and behaviours and reinforced by self-surveillance.
102
What is Foucault's theory: Surveillance of the family?
Power is diffused throughout society and within all relationships. This expert knowledge allows individuals to intervene in family life. Society supports a particular family type (monogamous nuclear family) and any deviation from it is corrected by laws, social workers and other agencies.
103
What is Foucault's theory: Conventional motherhood?
Laws and professionals reinforce convential ideas of motherhood. The conveyed message is going out to work is not normal and working mothers may experience guilt and stress due to societal dissapproval. (He isn't saying this is correct, its just what is happening.)
104
What is Donzelot's theory: The policing of families?
Argues social workers, doctors and health visitors use knowledge to control and change families.
Surveillance is not equally targetted, poor/working class families are more likely to be seen as problem families and the cause of crime and anti-social behaviour. So generally these families are subject to improvements such as parenting orders.
105
What is Condry's theory: The policing of families?
Supports Donzelot by saying how the state may seek control and regulate family life by imposing parenting orders. Parents of young offendors may be forced to attend parenting classes.
106
Conclusion of Foucault?
Foucault argues even the most personal aspects of our lives are subject to scrutiny but unlike Marxists, Feminsists etc. Foucault offered no solutions.
107
What is the family subject to?
Private sphere but also subject to external influence from government.
108
How does the government influence families?
Laws and social policy
109
Social policy
Measures taken by state and the bodies such as schools and welfare agencies. Policies are usually based on laws introduced by government.
110
What is the 1942 Beveridge report?
Government report influential in founding of the welfare state. Identified the issues of 'want, disease, ignorance, squalor and idleness' that needed to be tackled. Reccomondations were taken up by Labour gov. of 1945 which created social services including the NHS.
111
How did the Beveridge report affect family life?
Healthier families means bigger families, increase of life expectancy, free access helps working class, change of family structure eg. grandparents, lower infant mortality rate.
112
What is the 1969 divorce reform act?
Divorce became easier due to a 'no fault' policy. An individual did not need grounds such as adultery or abondment for divorce.
113
How did the 1969 divorce reform act affect family life?
More divorce menas an increased diversity of family types eg. reconstituted families, fewer dual income families, fewer nuclear families.
114
What is the sex discrimination act 1975?
Protected mean and women from discrimination on the grounds of sex or marital status. The Act concerned employment, training, educatio, harassment, the provision of goods and services and disposal of premises.
115
How did the sex discrimination act 1975 affect family life?
Less pressure on marriage, dual earner families, having kids later, women more financially independent.
116
What is the 1991 rape became illegal in marriage?
Law Lords ruled rape can occur within marriage.
117
How did 1991 rape became illegal in marriage affect families?
More protection within marriage, less abuse so reduce in divorce, increase in divorce, policing of families Donzelot.
118
What is the civil partnership act 2004, gay marriage act 2013, partnerships acts 2019?
Civil partnership act-union which was for same sex couples, very similar to marriage as it was impossible for gay couples to wed.
Gay marriage act-legal right for gay couples to marry.
Civil partnership act-extended right of a civil partnership to heterosexual couples.
119
Chinas one child policy
Government's attempt at population control, supervised by workplace family planning committees as women had to seek permission to try to become pregnant. Couples who complied got tax benefits and those who broke the agreement had to repay allowances and pay a fine. Women also faced pressure to undergo sterilisation after having one child. China ended the policy in 2016 as it coped with an ageing population and a shrinking workforce.
120
Communist Romania family policy
1980s introduced a series of policies to drive up the birth rate. They restricted contraception, set up infertility centres, made divorce more difficult, age of marriage 15 and unmarried/childless couples had to pay extra 5% tax.
121
Nazi family policy in Nazi Germany in the 1930s
Pursued a two fold policy to encourage healthy, racially pure master race. Offical policy kept women out of work and confinded them to children, kitchen and church. 375000 disabled people were sterilised on the grounds they were unfit to breed. Many were later murdered in concentration camps.
122
Democratic societies family policies
In societies such as Britian the family is a private sphere of life, governments don't intervene unless things go wrong. Social policies still play a huge part in shaping families.
123
What does social policy cover?
Divorce, benefits, education reform, adoption/fostering, employment.
124
How have social policies changed overtime?
1945-1979 the governemnt have taken an interventionist approach. The 1948 Labour government then set up the welfare state. This meant policies were designed to improve the lives of all before they needed support.
125
1979-1997 Conservative gov social policies
Reforming and changing many social policy. Thatcher was influenced by the New Right and Charles Murray.
126
What do the New Right believe about the nuclear family?
The cornerstone of society and believed social policies should avoid undermining the ideal type of family.
127
Why do the New Right believe the nuclear family is the best?
Only family type which is self-reliant and capable of caring and providing for it's members.
128
What did the New right feel about the pre-1979 Conservative gov?
Interferred to much and created a 'nanny state' so people had become too dependent and weren't responsible for their own lives and instead lived on benefits.
129
Examples of New Right policies?
Child support agency 1993-made absent fathers pay for their children to reduce dependency but it wasn't overly successful and was sold to a private corportaion.
Children's act 1989-outlined for the first time the rights of a child and allocated duties to local authorities, courts, parents and other agencies. Stated children are best cared for in their families but if necessary the state with intervene.
Tax and welfare benefits-provided to those who were married.
130
Policies that the New Right don't support
Policies which oppose and undermine the nuclear family which 'lead to social policies.' Almond 2006 argues laws making divorce undermine importance of marriage, civil partnerships shows that heterosexual marriages are no longer superior.
Increased rights for unmarried signals that the state does not see marriage as special.
131
Why does the New Right criticise welfare policies?
Undermines families self-reliance and creates a dependency culture where people depend on the state to support their families.
132
What does Murray argue generous tax benefits provide?
Perverse incentives and reward irresponsible behaviour eg. fathers may abandon responsibilities within family.
133
What is the New Right's solution to the dependency culture?
Cutting welfare spending and believe the fewer families dependent on welfare the better.
134
Criticisms of the New Right/Conservative governments policies
Criticised by feminists who argue policies are simply trying to counter efforts providing greater gender equality. It is an attempt to return to the traditional patriarchal nuclear family.
Critised for blaming the victim whereas Abbott and Wallace argue cutting benefits drive poor families deeper into poverty.
Many single parent families are headed by working parents who don't rely on benefits as the main income.
135
New Labour gov 1997-2010 changes
First government to address changes occuring in the family structure and the consequence of women entering more paid employment.
136
When was the minister of children introduced?
2003 New Labour government created it.
137
What did labour introduce in 2007?
Department for children, schools and families. Which prioritised education and introduced policies to help poorer children access education.
138
What did labour recognise regarding working parents?
In most families both parents are working so have introduced policies to help women into work and improving childcare.
139
What was labour's approach to single parent families?
Introduced policies to support them.
140
What was changes to paternity and maternity leave?
Maternity leave was extended to 1 year and maternity pay was increased. Fathers could also take more time off work.
141
How has changes to maternity and paternity leave affected the family?
More equal position of men and women, stronger bonds between parent and child, more children as better benefits, less stress on mother when returning to work.
142
What was the New Deal 1998?
Workfare programme to reduce unemployment by training, subsidised employemnt and voluntary work to the unemployed. Single parents with school age children were targetted to get them back into work.
143
How did the New Deal affect the family?
Dual income families, increase in lone parent families, less reliant on benefits.
144
What was the adoption and children act 2002?
Allowed single people,unmarried, married couples and same sex couples to adopt children.
145
How did the adoption and children act affect the family?
Changes/more diverse families, reduce in nuclear families, New Right would disapprove.
146
