Family and Households: Social policy

Question 1

Functionalists

Answer 1

see society as built on harmony + consensus. sate acts in interest of society as a whole + social policy being good for all

Question 2

Fletcher

Answer 2

introduction of health education + housing policies led to development of welfare state

Question 3

Marxists

Answer 3

policies can turn the clock back and reverse progress previously made e.g. cutting welfare benefits

Question 4

Donzelot

Answer 4

conflict view of society. sees policy as a form of state control + power over families. policing of families-doctors + social workers use knowledge to control/change families

Question 5

Foucault

Answer 5

concept of surveillance. see power as not just held by government but as diffused throughout society

Question 6

Condry

Answer 6

state can seek to control/regulate family life by imposing compulsory parenting orders. parents of young offenders learn how to parent child.

Question 7

Marxists

Answer 7

social policy operates in interest of capitalist class

Question 7

Marxist + Feminists

Answer 7

criticise denzelot for failing to identify who benefits from surveillance

Question 8

New right

Answer 8

strongly favour heterosexual nuclear family. state policy encourages changes leading to more family patterns + undermines the nuclear family

Question 9

Almond

Answer 9

laws make divorce easier, undermining idea of marriage. intro of civil partnership, state doesn’t see heterosexual marriage=superior. Tax laws discriminate against nuclear family

Question 10

New right

Answer 10

increased rights of unmarried cohabitants make it more similar to marriage. seems like state doesn’t see marriage as special

Question 11

Murray

Answer 11

critical of welfare policy-providing generous welfare benefits encourages deviant/dysfunctional families. Are perverse incentives

Question 12

New right

Answer 12

social policy has major impact on family roles + relationships encouraging dependency culture on the state. threatens 2 essential functions of society

Question 13

New right

Answer 13

argue policy must be changed with cuts in welfare benefits: reduce taxes, fathers more incentive to work + provide

Question 14

New right

Answer 14

advocate policies supporting traditional nuclear family. e.g. taxes favouring marriage

Question 15

Functionalists

Answer 15

state welfare policies benefit families making it more able to meet members needs

Question 16

Feminists

Answer 16

the new right view is an attempt to justify return of traditional patriarchal nuclear family subordinating women

Question 17

Abbott + Wallace

Answer 17

cutting benefits would drive families even deeper into poverty-even less self reliant

Question 18

Silva + Smart

Answer 18

new labour reject new right view on family so their policies favoured neo conventional family(Chester)

Question 19

New labour

Answer 19

state intervention can improve life for families. support alternatives e.g. civil partnerships + outlawing discrimination of sexuality

Question 20

New right

Answer 20

disapprove of redistributing income through tax + benefits

Question 21

Hayton

Answer 21

conservatives divided by: modernists(recognise family=more diverse),traditionalists(favour new right view)

Question 22

Browne

Answer 22

2 parent families with children fared badly as result of coalitions tax + benefits policies

Question 23

Feminists

Answer 23

conflict view. see society as patriarchal. social institutions including policy maintains women subordinate position + unequal gender division of labour

Question 24

Feminists

Answer 24

example of policies: tax + benefits(expects husband to provide),childcare(not enough for mothers to work full time),care for sick + elderly(assume family/women=expected to do the care)

Question 25

Leonard

Answer 25

even when policies appear to support women they may still reinforce patriarchal family e.g. maternity leave

Question 26

Drew

Answer 26

concept of gender regimes describing how polices in different countries dis/encourage gender equality: familistic gender regime, individualistic gender regime

Question 27

Drew

Answer 27

most European countries moving towards individualistic regimes(based on belief that husband + wife=treated equally)