Topic 4- Social policy

Question 1

What was China’s one child policy?

Answer 1

The gov. made it so women had to seek permission before getting pregnant. And if couples comply to the rule they get extra benefits such as free healthcare, higher tax allowance and child gets priority in education and housing.

Question 2

What did Communist Romania introduce in the 1980s to drive up the birth rate?

Answer 2

• Restricted contraception and abortion.
• Made divorce difficult
• Lowered the legal age of marriage to 15.

Question 3

What does functionalism say about families and social policy?

Answer 3

See society is built on harmony and consensus (shared values). They see policies as good for all and help families perform their function better

Question 4

What does Fletcher (1966) argue about the introduction of health, education and housing policies?

Answer 4

Led to the development of a welfare state that supports families.

Question 5

What policies do the New Right dislike because it undermines the nuclear family?

Answer 5

• Laws making divorce easier.
• Introduction of civil partnerships and same sex marriage.
• Increase rights for cohab couples.

Question 6

What did the conservative government introduce during Margaret Thatcher’s run?

Answer 6

• Banned promotion of homosexuality by legal authorities, including ban on teaching it was acceptable.
• Defined divorce as a social problem and set up child support agency
• Made divorce easier giving all children the same rights ( whether they were born inside or outside of marriage)

Question 7

What policies did the Labour government introduce?

Answer 7

• Longer maternity leave for both parents and right to seek unpaid leave for family reasons
• Working family tax credits allow people to claim some tax relief.
• Civil partnerships for same sex couples

Question 8

What do Marxists think about social policies?

Answer 8

They believe that policies only help the ruling and privileged class families, not the working class.

Question 9

What do Feminists say about social policy?

Answer 9

They argue that all policies help maintain women’s subordination to men in the patriarchal society.

Question 10

What policies support the patriarchal family?

Answer 10

• Tax and benefits policies- makes it harder for women to claim social security in their own right.
• Childcare- Childcare costs increasing makes it harder for families to send children to childcare making women have to take time out of work to take care of children.

Question 11

What are the two types of gender regimes?

Answer 11

1. Familistic regimes- policies are based around a male breadwinner and female homemaker.
2. Individualistic regimes- policies made on the belief that husbands and wives should be treated the same.