Family's and Households : Family policy Flashcards
(21 cards)
What is social policy?
➡️ Government laws, strategies and actions that affect family life, structure, and relationships.
Examples: education, health, benefits, childcare, marriage/divorce laws, etc.
Give 3 examples of UK social policies that affect families.
Divorce Reform Act (1969) – made divorce easier
Child Benefit Act (1977) – financial support for raising children
Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act (2013) – legalised gay marriage
What is the functionalists’ view of family policy?
Consensus view – policies help the family function better
➡️ Fletcher (1966): Introduction of the NHS and housing policies help families to perform functions more effectively (healthcare, support)
✅ Policies = support, protection, welfare
Evaluation of the functionalist view?
❌ Assumes policies are always positive
❌ Ignores that policies can oppress or control certain family types (e.g. lone parents, LGBTQ+)
What is the New Right view of family policy?
📘 Policies should support the nuclear family and traditional gender roles
➡️ Too much state intervention = dependency culture
👎 Oppose: benefits, easy divorce, same-sex marriage
👍 Support: marriage tax breaks, child support enforcement, benefits cuts
What does Murray (1984) argue?
➡️ Welfare policies create a dependency culture
➡️ Encourages single parenthood and non-working families
➡️ Undermines traditional roles of male breadwinner and female homemaker
Evaluation of the New Right view?
❌ Blames victims (e.g. lone mothers)
❌ Ignores structural inequality
❌ Idealises the nuclear family
What is the Feminist view of family policy?
📘 Policies often support patriarchy and traditional gender roles
➡️ State assumes women are the natural carers
➡️ Women more likely to take parental leave = economic disadvantage
➡️ Leonard (1978): Even policies that seem supportive (e.g. maternity leave) can reinforce patriarchy
Examples of patriarchal policies (Feminist view)?
❌ Maternity leave longer than paternity = assumes women care
❌ Childcare costs = women leave work
❌ Tax policies may favour male breadwinners
Evaluation of the Feminist view?
✅ Recognises hidden bias in policies
❌ Some policies do promote gender equality (e.g. equal pay, shared parental leave)
What is the Marxist view of family policy?
📘 Policies serve capitalism, not families
➡️ Welfare state maintains labour force for capitalism
➡️ Supports reproduction of workers, not out of care for families
➡️ E.g. Education policy teaches obedience and punctuality – benefits bosses
➡️ Family absorbs stress of work to prevent revolution
Evaluation of the Marxist view?
✅ Highlights economic influence
❌ Too negative – ignores progressive aspects of policy
❌ Ignores gender and ethnicity differences
What is Donzelot’s (1977) view on social policy?
➡️ Uses Foucault’s idea of surveillance
➡️ State uses policies to control and monitor families, especially the poor (e.g. parenting classes, social workers)
📘 Social policy = form of state power
What is the New Labour view on family (1997–2010)?
➡️ Recognised family diversity, but still emphasised marriage
✅ Introduced Working Families Tax Credit
✅ Sure Start centres
✅ Longer maternity leave
✅ Civil Partnerships Act 2004
What is the Coalition/Conservative view on family (2010–2015)?
➡️ Mixed:
✅ Legalised same-sex marriage (2013)
❌ Austerity cuts hit working-class and lone-parent families
❌ Emphasised self-reliance and traditional marriage
What is the impact of globalisation on family policy?
➡️ Rising influence of international human rights norms (e.g. UNCRC – children’s rights)
➡️ Increased migration = more multicultural policies (e.g. translation services, cultural sensitivity in schools)
What is the Child Support Act (1991)?
➡️ Requires non-resident parents (usually fathers) to contribute financially
✅ Enforces economic responsibility
❌ Can strain family relationships
What is the Children Act (1989)?
➡️ Emphasises child’s welfare as paramount
✅ Parents and state share responsibility for child welfare
✅ Introduced child protection and safeguarding
What is the Equal Pay Act (1970) & Sex Discrimination Act (1975)?
➡️ Aimed to reduce gender inequality in the workplace
➡️ Indirectly affects family roles by encouraging dual-earner households
What is the Shared Parental Leave (2015) policy?
➡️ Parents can share up to 50 weeks of leave
✅ More equal parenting
❌ Few families take full advantage due to cultural norms and income differences
Evaluation: Do social policies support family diversity?
✅ Same-sex marriage, adoption rights, civil partnerships
✅ Recognition of lone parents and cohabiting couples
❌ Some policies still favour the nuclear family (e.g. marriage incentives)
