Social Policy Flashcards
(29 cards)
What is social policy?
The actions, strategies, and plans that can be put into place to deal with societal issues e.g., parental leave
What are social problems?
Worsley- a social behavior that causes public friction. It calls for action to solve it.
What are sociological problems?
Issues that sociologists research/study- done to understand behavior, trends, and structural issues.
What factors affect whether or not sociologists research will influence social policy?
Electoral popularity, policy preferences of the government, interest groups, globalisation, critical sociology, cost, and funding research.
What is the functionalist view of social policy?
Policies help society to run smoothly and efficiently.
According to functionalists, what is the role of the sociologist?
To provide the state with objective, scientific information. By investigating social problems and discovering their causes, sociologists provide the necessary information on which the state can base its policies.
To functionalists, what is a sociologist like?
The medical researcher, they research the causes of the ‘disease’ (social problems) and then provide the state with objective information about their extent and explanations of their causes as well as possible cures (policy recommendations)
Give some examples of policies that benefit the whole of society (Functionalism)
Factory Act, adoption act, social services, and equality act.
What is the social democratic view of social policy?
It favors a major redistribution of wealth and income from the rich to the poor.
What does Townsend argue? (Social Democratic)
That sociologists should be involved in researching social problems and making policy recommendations to eradicate them.
What does The Black Report (1980) say? (Social Democratic)
That class inequalities in health made fewer than 37 far-reaching policy recommendations for reducing deep-rooted inequalities. For example, free school meals, improved working conditions, and better benefits for the disabled.
What is the Marxist view on social policy?
The state represent the ruling class and its social policies serve the interests of capitalism, not those of society as a whole
What does ‘they provide ideological legitimation’ mean? (Marxism)
Masks exploitation by creating a caring face e.g., welfare make it seem that they care about the poor, sick, and elderly.
What does ‘they maintain the labour force for further exploitation’ mean? (Marxism)
NHS keeps workers fit
What does ‘they are a means of preventing a revolution’ mean? (Marxism)
When class conflict intensifies and threatens the stability of capitalism. E.g., Marxists see the policies that created the welfare state after WW2 as a way of buying off working class opposition to capitalism.
What do Marxist recognise about some social policies?
That they do sometimes provide real, if limited benefits to the working class. However, such gains are threated with reversal by capitalisms tendency to go into periodic crisis of profitability, leading to cuts in state spending on welfare.
According to Marxists, what is the only solution to social problems?
A revolution to overthrow capitalism and create a classless society.
According to Marxists, what should be the main role of the sociologist?
Should be to criticise capitalist social policy, not to serve the capitalist state. The sociologist must reveal the exploitation that underpins capitalism, and the way in which the ruling class use social policies to mask this exploitation.
What do radical feminists say about social policy?
They believe that the state perpetuates women’s subordination through it policies. Policies assume that the main family is the nuclear family. Benefits to married couples reinforce stereotypes.
What do liberal feminists say about social policy?
That there has been an increase in policies in education and teacher training/employment and anti-discrimination laws which will bring about gender equality.
What are some policies that have been influenced by liberal feminists?
Equal Pay Act, Divorce Reform Act, Sex Discrimination Act, Human Right’s Act, and Shared Parental Leave.
What are some policies that have been influenced by radical feminists?
Due to them favouring separatism (women need to free themselves of the patriarchy and men), they made policies referring to refugees escaping domestic violence, for example Women’s Aid federation.
What is the New Rights view on social policy?
State should have minimum intervention and involvement in society- opposed to using state provision of welfare to deal with social problems. State intervention undermines their self of responsibility.
What does Murray argue? (New Right)
Generous welfare benefits and council housing for lone parents acts as a perverse incentive that weakens the family’s self-reliance and causes an underclass.
