Impacts Of Social Policy On Family Life Flashcards
(26 cards)
Creation of NHS
Improved health and wellbeing for families, reducing financial stress and supporting children’s welfare. Helped working-class families survive and care for dependents.
Donzelot on the nhs
Sees welfare policies like NHS as a form of social control where professionals monitor and regulate families, especially poorer ones.
Divorce Reform Act 1969
Made divorce easier, increasing family breakdown but also allowing people to leave unhappy marriages. Led to more diverse family forms like lone-parent families.
Morgan on the divorce reform act
It led to changing family structures
Barter et al on the divorce reform act
Highlights the impact of family breakdown on children, including domestic abuse risks.
Family Planning Act & Legalisation of Abortion
Gave women more control over reproduction, delaying childbirth, smaller families, and more freedom. Increased individual choice in family planning.
Giddens on the family Planning act
Connects these policies to increased individualisation and choice in family life.
Equal Pay Act & Sex Discrimination Act
Helped reduce gender inequality in the workplace, allowing women to contribute financially and change traditional family roles.
Barrett and McIntos on Equal Pay Act & Sex Discrimination Act
Argue that despite these laws, women still face financial inequalities within families (e.g., male-controlled income).
Marital Rape Clause Removed
Recognising marital rape as a crime improved women’s rights and safety in the family.
Section 28
banning promotion of homosexuality) was repealed, helping acceptance of LGBTQ+ families.
Abbot and Wallace on the rape clause
Discuss how law changes affect family power dynamics and promote equality.
Civil Partnership Act & Gay Marriage Act
Legal recognition of same-sex relationships expanded the definition of family, promoting equality and diversity.
Giddens on the gay marriage act
Discusses how these policies reflect changing family structures and growing acceptance of diversity.
Two-child Benefit Cap & Universal Credit & Tax Credits
Designed to control welfare spending but often criticized for penalizing larger or poorer families, increasing financial stress.
Murray on universal credits
Murray: Argues welfare policies can encourage dependency and undermine family responsibility (New Right view).
Sure Start & 30 hours Free Childcare & Maternity/Paternity Leave
Support working parents, improve child development, and encourage shared parenting roles.
Bott on paternity leave
It leads to joint conjugal roles
Creation of Child Support Agency
Ensures non-resident parents contribute financially, supporting lone-parent families and child welfare.
Married Person’s Tax Allowance
Tax and benefit policies influence family income, sometimes supporting traditional marriage, sometimes disadvantaging single parents.
Barrett and McIntosh on financial policies
Discuss how financial policies often favour men and married couples.
Troubled Families Programme & Cuts to Legal Aid
Target ‘problem’ families to improve behaviour, but cuts to legal aid reduce families’ access to justice.
Triple Lock Pensions & Winter Fuel Payments
Help older family members, supporting multi-generational family living and financial security.
Hirsch on policies for older population
Sees pension policies as reducing old-age poverty and improving family care.
