Social policy and the family
- Created by: eleanorjones97
- Created on: 02-05-15 18:55
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- Perspectives on policy and the family
- Functionalism
- Functionalists see society as based on value concensus
- The state acts in the intrests of the whole society and it policies benefit everyone
- Policies help the familt to perform its functions
- there is a march of progress view - policies are gradually improving family life
- Marxism
- marxism is conflict perspective
- it sees society as divided into two classes, inwhich the capitalist class exploits the working class by paying them less than the value of what they produce
- All social institutions - including policies - serve the interests of capitalism
- Policies effecting families is often the result of capitalism
- World war two, women were needed as a reserve arm of about and so the government set up nurseries to enable them to work
- Women were no longer needed and the nurseries were closed forcing them back into the housewife role and they became once again dependant on their husbands.
- The New Right
- the new right is a conservative political perspective that opposes state intervention in family life.
- It has a major influence on social policy
- It sees the traditional nuclear family as natural, based on a biological division of labour
- If parents perform these roles properly the family will be...
- Self-reliant
- Able to socalise children effectively
- Care for its members
- The PROBLEM that new right crises may welfare policies for undermining the family's self reliance by providing generous benefits
- results in the dependency culture
- MURRY (1984) sees benefits as perverse incentives rewarding irresponsible behaviour
- The NEw right favour cutting welfare spending especially universal benefits.
- unlike functionalists the New Right beleive that the less families depend on the state the better.
- Feminism
- Feminism is a conflict perspective
- sees society as based on a conflict of interests between men and women.
- Society is patriarchal - male dominated
- Social policies often shape or define family like in ways that benefit men and maintain patriarchy
- LAND (1978) - argues that policies assume the patriarchal family to be the norm
- Policies act as a self-fulfilling prophecy, actually helping to reproduce this family type
- New Labour
- New labour is a political perspective
- It favours the traditional family as usually the best place to raise children, and prefers means-tested benefits targeted at the poor rather than usual benefits
- Unlike new right...
- More accepting of family diversity
- Believes some policies can improve family life
- Functionalism
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