Sociology SHOULD NOT influence Social Policy Flashcards
(2 cards)
1- Piecemeal approach does not work
By tackling issues one at a time, some sociologists argue the problem at a whole isn’t solved. Government may try and fix WC differences through bursaries but this is defeated by the influence of poverty in wider society
One step at a time piecemeal approach won’t be useful if the wider structural issues are not solved in the first place
Therefore the relationship between sociology and social policy is negative as it does not solve the problems within society
2- Marxists
They reject the idea that social problems such as class inequality can be solved by government as capitalism is ultimately responsible for these problems and that cannot be solved without the abolishment of capitalism
State represents bourgeoise so social polices reflect the interest of capitalist eg
- polices mark exploitation and have a caring face
- polices maintain labour force: NHS serves capitalism by keeping workers fit enough to work
Therefore this shows that there is a negative relationship between sociology and the state as policies promote inequality
