sociology and social policy
- Created by: kjaneway1
- Created on: 09-05-17 20:39
argument 1 sociology can help with the formation a
giddens - argues that the relationship between sociology and social policy is a productive one.
he uses peter townsends study of poverty to illistrate this. townsends study shoed that poverty remained huge, hidden problem in the uk. this was despite the creaqtion of the welfare state
through this study he made povery socially and potitically visable again
townsend provided a theoretical ananlysis of this problem by deviding sophisicalted ways of measuring it. he divised the relative deprivation model
the impact of the research: townsends study along with further socialogical research into poverty, led indirectly to the creation of the minimum wage and tax credits
giddens points out that sociology has a vital role to play in makeing assessments if tge effectiveness if government social policies.
giddens therefore argues that social research has had a positive influence upon government social policy both at an empitical level and also theoretically.
argument 1 sociology can help with the formation a
left realists have has an influence on government social polices towards crime. new labours firmer approach to the policing of hate crimes, sexual assults long with the introduction of asbos, refect the left realist concern for the victims of crime.
leas and young haveused the results of local victim serveys to put forward aq range of practical solutions to reduce crime.
they claim state intervention and community involvement are essential to halt the spreed of crime. for example they have encoredged coloser partnerships between the police and local communities
socialogical research - has resulted in teh disability discrimination act and the disability rights commission act in the 1990s
research also led to the race equality legislation of 1976 and 2000 and the 1975 sex discrimintion and 1970 equal pay act grew out feminist research into sexual discrimination in the work place
argument 1 sociology can help with the formation a
liberal feminsts argue that gender eqality change be achieved via implementation of policies and laws to eradicate gender inequality in a variety of social institution e.g family, education, workplace
argueing theat patriachy can be changed gradualy through legislation, liberal feminsts argue that sociologists shold try and influence social policy
they point to ground breaking legislation such as the equal pay act, the sex discrimination act and the martial **** act as evidence of liberal feminism influencing social policy in britain
argument 2 sociology should keep away from social
others argue that governments do not simply respond to socialogical research in the way giddens describes. the practical issue of winning an election leads to the dismissal of policies that are not vote winnners to the inclusion of the ones that are.
governments only act when they are pressured by groups that are powerfull anough to ahve their views by polititions.
finally it is suggested that governments only act on research when it fits with their political agenda.
an example of this is how the black report carried out in the 1980s on class inequlities in health was regarded by the conservative government
the report made 37 far reaching inequlities which included free school meals for all children, improved working conditions, better benifits for the disabled and more spending on housing
the labor government that had originally commissioned the report in 1977 but it was only completed in 1980 the yeat after mrs tharchers conservative governemt refused to implement the report's recomendations on grounds of cost and even tried to prevent its publication
argument 2 sociology should keep away from social
marxists reject the idea that policies even as far reaching as those promosed by the black report are enough to solve the problem. for them cappitalism is responsible for inequalities and so the solution is the abolishment of capitalism however any government in power would be reluctant to commit itself to such radical economic change
stuart hall and other critcal sociologists argue that this is to maintain ruling class hegemony. in fact social policies provide ideological legislation for capitalism and mask capitalist exploitation. marxists argue that the welfare state gives capitalism a caring face marking it appear like the system cares about the sick, poor and old
in fact marxists see the polices that created the welfare state after the 2nd world war as a way of preventing revolution by buying off the workers opposition to capitalism
hard line marxists such as westergaard and resler are against making social policy recomendations to welfare. they believe that if sociologists such as townsend encoredge more benifits this will only serve to reduce class solidarity. sociology has bee coloised by the ruling class. the government is part of the superstructure and so will always act to protect the ruling class interests
argument 2 sociology should keep away from social
so maxists argue social problems can only be solved through radical ecoomic change - not refore through legislation.
marxists do reconise that social policies do sometimes provide real if limited benigits to the working class
however such gains are constantly under threat by capitalisms tendecy to go into periods of recession leading to cuts in spending on welfare
argument 2 sociology should keep away from social
the new right are often against sociologists making social policy recomendations as they believe that the state should have a minimal involvement in social problems
they stress individual responsibility instead
murray maintains that providing generous welfate ( as favored by sociologisgts such as townsend) as a social policy for poverty actually makes the problem worse. this is becuse he believes it creates a dangerous underclass. who become dependent on welfare
however there is a contradiction in the new right thinking the new righ believe that governemnts whould intervene when it suits there beliefs: for example social policy initiatives that prop up the traditional nuclear family: the new right were very influential on concervative policy during the thatcher years
argument 2 sociology should keep away from social
radical, marxist and socialist feminists argue that the current system is actually based on the exploitation of women: it is patriachical and onlu by diamantaling the entire system will women achieve any form of liberation. they therefore criticise liberal feminists for their close ties with government
in fact despite equlisation legislation women still earn less than men and are prevented from reaching powerful positions
argument 2 sociology should keep away from social
for thwm sociology has no contribution to make to policy. some postmodernists would claim that socilogists are in no position to make social policy recomendations
this is becuse they argue that it is not possible to objectively identify the truth and therefore all socialogical knowledge is uncertain
they thus claim that there is no valid basis for socialogical policy intervention. this has lead bauman to claim that in postmodern times sociologists should merely take the role interpretors and cannot and should no be seem as legislators as they did in modern times
sociology and social policy conclusion
although many sociologists are keen to amke social policy recomendations their views are not always listened to. for example the government not only ruled out the black reports reccomendations on the grounds of cost but restricted the publication of what was seen to be a politically embarissing report. social policy also very often fails to have much impact e.g despite having policies on how to tackle it, new labour failed to reach its target of elliminating child povery by 2010 finally many sociologists argue sociology itself should just stick to being an academic subject of study and not enter the political battlefield at all
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