Flashcards on Families and Social Policy (4.7)

What are 'social policies'?

Some social policies affect families 'directly'. Give an example of a policy that would have a direct impact:

Other policies are not aimed directly at families, but still impact them indirectly. Give an example of this:

The policies of government can have profound effects on families. Cross-cultural examples show some extreme ways in which policies impact family life. Which Chinese social policy significantly affected family life?

While China's policy was focused on decreasing the population, which country created a policy with the opposite intention?

In Britain, it is widely believed that the family is a predominantly private sphere in which the government rarely interfere. How do sociologists respond to this view?

What do functionalists think about the state's interference with families?

According to Ronald Fletcher, the introduction of health, education and housing policies in the years following the industrial revolution resulted in what?

The functionalist view faces two main criticisms. What are they?

Unlike functionalists, Jacques Donzelot takes a conflict view of society. What does he think of social policy?

What concept does Donzleot use?

Foucault believes that power isn't held solely by the government, but is instead spread throughout society and found in all relationships. Which profession was he particularly weary of?

Donzelot applies the concept to the family, and is particularly interested in seeing how professionals carry out surveillance of families. What does he refer to this as?

However, this surveillance is not equal for all classes. Which class is more likely to be seen as a problem and the cause of antisocial behaviour?

By focusing on the micro level of how the 'caring professions' act as agents of social control through their surveillance, what does Donzelot show?

What does Donzelot arguably fail to do, according to conflict sociologists?

How do the new right respond to the conventional nuclear family?

What do the new right think of family diversity?

What three examples of social changes does Brenda Almond give?

What changes have made marriage and cohabitation more similar, according to the new right?

Which new right sociologist was particularly critical of welfare policy?

Murray stated that the 'generous' welfare benefits not only undermine the conventional nuclear family but also encourages deviant and dysfunctional family type. What do these generous benefits offer, according to Murray?

Give an example of a perverse incentive:

The new right argue that current policies are encouraging a 'dependency culture'. What do they mean by this?

The new right argue that the growing dependency culture threatens two essential functions that the family fulfils for society. Which two functions?

The new right propose a simple solution to these problems. What is it?

What advantages would such cuts have?

Which policies do the new right advocate for?

Unlike functionalists, who believe that state welfare policies can benefit the family, what do the new right argue?

What do feminists believe the new right are attempting to return to?

Feminists also argue that the new right assume the patriarchal nuclear family to be natural. What alternative explanation do feminists provide?

What do Pam Abbott and Claire Wallace say would be the result of benefit cuts?

The new right can also be criticised for ignore which policies?

The new right is a conservative view of the family. When did it first develop?

Reflecting a new right view, Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government banned what?

What view held by the new right did the Conservatives also reinforce?

The Conservative party emphasised the responsibility of parents for their children even after divorce. Which agency did they create to enforce maintenance payments by absent parents?

However, the Conservative party did introduce measures that were opposed by the new right. Give an example:

Conservatives fall into one of two groups, first mentioned by Richard Hayton. Name and define these groups:

What impact does this division have on the Conservative party's policies on the family?

There are some similarities between new right views and the views of which other party?

Like the new right, the new labour regarded the nuclear family as what?

Also like the new right, new labour emphasised the need for parents to be responsible for their children. Which order did they introduce to encourage responsibility?

However, Elizabeth Silva and Carol Smart note that new labour rejected which new right view?

New labour policies favour the kind of dual-earner, neo-conventional family described by which sociologist?

Give examples of new labour policies that favour these neo-conventional families:

Such policies reflect a further difference between the new right and new labour. What is it?

Another area of difference from the new right was in new labour's support for what?

According to critics, the Coalition government's financial austerity policy reflected which new right desire?

However, the coalition government also failed to introduce policies that specifically promote the new right ideal of a conventional nuclear family. Which policies actually put two-parent families at a disadvantage?

Feminists see society as patriarchal. What do they think of social institutions?

What are family-related policies often based on?

What do social policies present as the 'normal' family type, according to Hilary Land?

The assumption that most families are in keeping with this 'normal' nuclear structure affects the types of policies governing family life. In turn, what effect do the policies have?

Give an example of a policy that could create a self-fulfilling prophecy:

Feminists identify many examples of policies that maintain the conventional nuclear family and reinforce women's economic dependence. How do tax and benefit policies do this?

How do childcare policies reinforce the conventional nuclear family and women's subordination?

How do health- and pensioner care policies support the nuclear family?

There are some policies that support women. However, which feminists argue that, in reality, these policies actually reinforce the nuclear family and act as a form of social control over women?

Give an example of a policy that seemingly supports women, but actually reinforces stereotypes about what a woman's role is:

Maternity benefits are low, thus increasing mothers' economic dependency on their partners. Although mothers do gain some income in the form of child benefit, what does this mean?

These examples show the importance of social policies in the construction of what?

However, this perspective has faced criticism, as not all policies are directed at maintaining patriarchy. Give examples:

By examining policies from a comparative perspective across different societies, we can do what?

A country's policies on taxation, childcare, welfare services and equal opportunities will all affect whether women can work full-time. What concept does Eileen Drew use to describe how social policies can either encourage or discourage gender equality in the family and at work?

Drew identifies two types of gender regime. What are they?

According to Drew, which type of gender regime are most EU countries now moving towards?

The increase in individualistic gender regimes will likely cause what?

However, policies such as publicly funded childcare are expensive and involve major conflict regarding what?

This conflict means that it would be naive to assume that there is an inevitable march of progress towards gender equality. According to feminists, what impact did the global recession beginning in 2008 have?

Following the 2008 recession, there has also been a trend towards what?