Families and social policy

Question 1

Government agencies like social workers, health visitors and doctors use their knowledge to control and change families - ‘the policing of families’

Answer 1

Donzelot

Question 2

Generous welfare policies such as council housing undermine the nuclear family and encourage deviant and dysfunctional family types

Answer 2

Murray

Question 3

Policies that support women can be a disguise for reinforcing the patriarchal family (e.g. maternity leave entitlement is more generous than paternity leave encouraging women to stay home)

Answer 3

Leonard

Question 4

The concept of gender regimes shows how policies in different countries can encourage or discourage gender inequality (familistic gender regimes and individualistic gender regimes)

Answer 4

Drew