Family and social policy

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New right- Golden age
The view that there was a time where the traditional nuclear family dominated and this caused a functioning society, this has now gone and the nuclear family and character of the young are under threat
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New right- Familial ideology
Set of dominant ideas promoting particular sets of family features, revolves around the nuclear heterosexual families.
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New right- How is the familial ideology spread
It is transmitted through the media, polliticians (conservatives and far right), religious leaders and pressure groups such as the the insititute of economic affairs
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Effect of threat of the nuclear family
It is the main cause behind wider moral decay, which is experienced through crime, anti-social behaviour and welfare dependancy
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New right- 1967 abortion acts effect on the family
It legalised abortion in the UK on the NHS, often argued that some young women use them as a form of contraception thus undermining the sanctity of family life and childbearing.
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New right- 1967 sexual offences act
Partialy decriminalised male homosexuality in England and Wales, age of consent was put at 21, reduced to 16 in 2000.
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New right- Homosexual favouring social policy
2005 civil partnerships acts, 2014 coalition government introduced same sex marriage, the 2002 adoption act allowed same sex couples to adopt and the human fertilisation and embryoogy act allowed homosexuals to have IVF etc.
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New right- Morgan on homosexual social policy
Gay families are unnatural becuase children can only come out of natural loving sex between man and women. CHildren of homosxuals are trophy children, who may suffer bullying and stigma. She doesnt like gay favouring social policy
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New right- 1975 sex discrimination act and 1970 equal pay act
Outlawed women and men being payed different ammounts in the same jobs and discrimination against women in the workplace.
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New rights oppinions on sex discrimination acts
These social policies are unnatural, distracting women from their calling as mothers, lead to many women deciding to be childless, and to maternal deprivation as mums work whislt mothering
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New right- Contraceptive pill effects on the family
in the 1960's it was made available on the NHS. Claim it has weakened the family because it seperates the sex from reproduction, it encourages sexual promiscuity and freedom. Allso unermines marital fidelity encourages immorality such as affairs
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New right- Effect of the welfare state
Relieved families of responsibility for their own welfare, overgnerous welfare system is seen by the new ight as responsible for the rise in one parent families
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New right- Morgan on the welfare state
Very criticle of it, 2/3 of the average income of single parent families is from benifits. Because the state is willing to pay for upbringing of children theyre undermining self supporting family structures
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New right- Butler- broken families
Durable families are important to stability of society as broken families are more likely to produce children who will break the law, be dependant on the state and be educationality underachieve
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New right- Lack of male role models in single parent families
Single mother parent families lack a male role model for the children so when they reach adolescence teenage boys are more influenced by deviant role models such as men engaging in deliquent or criminal acitvities
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Lewis- Lack of social policy before 1997
The UK, unlike their European counterparts did not formulate explicit family policy, Labour reversed this when in 2003 they introduced the minister for children and in 2007 it formed the department for children, schools and families
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Finch- transition from familial to individualistic regime
Labour victory in 1997 changed family policy from familistic, which exclusively promoted nuclear family idea, towrds individualistic look, aimed to extend rights for both parents, regardless of marriage, to get better traiing and jobs
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Lewis- Labour from 1997-2000
Idea of social investment in children was takes seriosuly, childrens commissioner loked after their interestsset goals to erradicate child poverty. Ceased to condemn single mothers, recognised family diversity and that in most families both work
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Labour- Child tax credit
Introduced in 2003 for all families that pay income tax, recognised children as individuals in own right, paid to main carer
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Finch- Purse and wallet concerns
Concerns that any money paid directly to dad would be spent on himself and paid to mother would be spent on kids, the way child tax credit was payed helped prevent this
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New right criticism of Labour policy- Nanny state
New right criticise it saying that it undermines family privacy and that labour was creating a nanny state that interfered excesively with family life
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New right criticism of labour- Morgan
Labour family policy undermined marriage and traditional family because it was biased to families other than the nuclear. Family policy replaced individual choice with increased state control in citizens private lives
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Labour policy is effective- Judge
Between 1999 and 2011 number of children in poverty was reduced by 900000 while another 900000 were prevented from falling into poverty in the same period
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Labour policy is effective- Bradshaw
Claim that labour governments family policy was successful because child neglect and abuse fell and subjective childwellbeing (measured by leauge tables on happieness int the family) improved.
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Coalition- CSJ breakdown Britain report
Heavily influenced by New Right thinker Charles Murray said family brekdown was underpinned by dissolution (becuase divorce was too easy to obtain), Dysfunction (parents not taking responsibility for kids) and dalessness (single mother families)
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Coalition- Troubled family program
Idenitifed 120 thousand troubled families which they said cost teh country 9billion annually. Porgram aimed to turnt heir lives around within 3 years reducing criminality, unemployment, it did work a little but has been heavily criticised
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Coalition- Factors making you a 'troubled family'
Involved in crime adn antisocial behaviour, have childred who persistently truant, have adults who have never worked or long term unemployed so dependaent on welfare, high cost to public purse in what they claim from the state, and have health issues
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Criticism of troubled families- Historians
Presents misleading and empiracaly inacurate pictur of a British past filled with happy untroubled families. Evidence shows every generation for the past 200 years has expressed concerns about problem families
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Criticism of troubled families- Did it actually turn peopleslives around?
Data suggests that three-quarters of troubled families who have been turned around are still committing crime being excluded from school and unemployed
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Criticism of troubled families- Levitas
Argues that language used by the new right is punitive and vindictive. Blames poor families behaviour, they are often unemployed through no fault of their own. theyre often the victim of economic policies of which they have no control
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Effect of coalition policy- Bradshaw
Claims that by 2015 cuts in public spending have had a disproportionately large impact on the poorest and vulnrable with children, resulting in increases in child poverty
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Effect of coalition policy- Reed-
Predicted that by 2015 austerity measures would result in 120000 more workless families, 25000 families with a mother with depression and 40000 more living in overcrowded or poor quality accomodation
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Effect of coalition policy- UNICEF
Coalitions performance on child povery was dissapointing compared to 18 other wealthy countries, in 2013 povery rose by 1.6% and fell by 8% in Poland
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New right criticism of coalition policy
Despite the coalition government being led by conservatives, new right criticised its eforts in dealing with family breakdowns. The CJS awarded the coalition 4/10 for dealing with the issue, wanted the government to do more to strengthen marriage etc
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Evaluating state policy- Feminist critics of new right
Leonard argues that familial patriarchal ideologies still shape most state policies. The nuclear family is still most likely to benifit from such policies
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Evaluating state policy- Allan (1985)
Over last 30 years, tax and welfare policies favour heterosexual married over others, he siggests these policies have discouraged cohabition which challenged Morgans assertion that family policies undermine marriage
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Evaluating state policy- Policy is still reflecting women formostly as mothers
Payment of child benifit to mothers, and no universal nursery funding reinforces the idea womens prime responsibility should be too look after the children, differences in maternity and paternity leave also show this
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Evaluating state policy- Care in the community
Introduced in 1980s, encouraged families to care for elderley and long term sick, usually females who carried this burden making them give up their job often and more likely to have to be economicaly dependent on a man.
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Evaluating state policy- Harding
The best council housing is allocated to married coupled with families, worst housing on problem estates is given to one parent families. Both private and counsel housing is designed with the nuclear family in mind
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Evaluating state policy- New right is correct about anny state
Intervention in family life has increased since 1997, but this occurred to ensure that the family unity didnt overwhelm rights of individuals within it. E.g. laws on domestic violence and marital **** undermined traditional male dominance
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Evaluating state policy- Barrett and McIntosh
Familial ideology is antisocial becuase it dismisses alternative family types as inferior and deviant, regards nuclear family as private unit which may hav
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Evaluating state policy- Donzelot
Policing of families notes familial ideology is part of the wider process of surveillence and social control by the state. Family social policy is focussed on keeping families intact, supporting parents, producing well children to prevent crime
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Set of dominant ideas promoting particular sets of family features, revolves around the nuclear heterosexual families.

Back

New right- Familial ideology

Card 3

Front

It is transmitted through the media, polliticians (conservatives and far right), religious leaders and pressure groups such as the the insititute of economic affairs

Back

Preview of the back of card 3

Card 4

Front

It is the main cause behind wider moral decay, which is experienced through crime, anti-social behaviour and welfare dependancy

Back

Preview of the back of card 4

Card 5

Front

It legalised abortion in the UK on the NHS, often argued that some young women use them as a form of contraception thus undermining the sanctity of family life and childbearing.

Back

Preview of the back of card 5
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