families and social policy Flashcards
(10 cards)
Familial ideology: 6 factors
- Family ideologies are ideas that are used to justify how things are and therefore maintain the status quo, ruling classes present social ideologies related to the family structures and relationships to hide / cover up inequalities
- families are natural
- family life is normal
- families should have opposite sex parents
- women should care for children
- the nuclear family is best
- too many single parent families will lead to a crisis in society.
Reasons for the familial ideology
Marxists and feminists believe that familial ideology values are promoted to hide the true nature of family life. They believe that the nuclear family is in fact oppressive and dangerous.
- Gittens claims that there is a dark side to the nuclear family and that for many people people experience of family life is in no way represented by the media.
- ideology- Single parent families are damaging society as they are responsible for rising crime rates and a breakdown in societies values -explanation: Marx’s claims that attributing rising crime rates to single parent families allows the government to place the blame on the poorest and least powerful members of society. Feminists argue that most single parent families are headed by women to attributing rising crime rates to single parent families there’s another way of undermining and discriminating against women.
- ideology- the nuclear family will it define gender roles is best suited to meet the needs of society and its members- marxists argue that it benefits capitalism - feminists argue this message reinforces patriarchy and subject women to expressive role.
The influence of familial ideology on social policy
- local government act (stated that institutions could not promote the teaching of homosexuality): accepts familiar ideology as introduces families that are natural and nuclear
- The civil partnership act (enable same-sex couples to register a civil partners): reject familial ideology as it undermines nuclear
- marriage tax system (tax relief given to married couples making approximately 4mil couples financially better off) accepts familiar ideology as it is an incentive to get married
- parental advice and relationship guidance (gave accessibility of information): accepts familial ideology as it encourages people to stay together and prevents breakdown of relationships
- maternity and paternity leave: accepts familial ideology as it supports traditional gender roles
- shared parental leave: maternity leave supports, maternity leave rejects as man should be working to support while women are housewives
Family policies 1979 to present day.
New right policies (1979-1997)
attempt to strengthen traditional family through:
-the child support agency (for both fathers to provide financial support in the event of relationship breakdown)
- married couple allowance (introduced tax relief to encourage marriage over cohabitation)
- back to basics campaign (urged the return of traditional family values, failed due to scandals)
New labor policies 1997-2010
- supported the new right that the nuclear family is the best for society, so cut benefits for some single parent families
- Introduced policies that recognise the family form was changing:
- subsidised nursery childcare (15 hours free a week for 3 year olds)
- lengthened maternity leave (14 weeks to 39 weeks)
- almost doubled maternity pay
- civil partnership act (2004) enabled same-sex couples to register civil partners
- new deal (aimed to get single mum’s back into employment through supportive measures such as free training)
Compare the new right and the new labour policies.
Similarities:
- both do prioritise people in paid work
- both provide financial support for children and childcare
- both want to reduce reliance on the state
Contrast the new right and the new labour policies.
Differences:
- conservative government has more traditional ideas conservatives promoted nuclear families were as new labour and more accepting of diversity
2008- global financial crisis and impact on policy
- cut backs in government spending throughout Europe has led to increase pressure on women to take more responsibility for caring for family members
- individuals are encouraged to meet their own needs rather than relying on the state (for example paying for private care for elderly family members)
The coalition government 2010-2015
The coalition government returned to the support of traditional nuclear family by promising
- to restore the tax advantages for married couples
- plans for both parents to share parental leave after childbirth
- more support for couples in breaking down of relationships
- traditional wing of the party blames the rise of the SPF and decline a traditional family for most of Britain’s problems what they call ‘broken Britain’
- liberal wing have moved away from NR position and accepted all kinds of family arrangements by introducing the same sex couples act
conservatives 2015-present
- changes to child benefit: universal credit restricted to the first 2 children, affects WC with multiple children and ethnic minority WC
- strict immigration policy: right to free movement, affects ethnic minorities and interracial partners
- shared parental leave: share up to 50 weeks of leave
