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Sociology & Social Policy - Coggle Diagram
Sociology & Social Policy
SOCIAL & SOCIOLOGICAL PROBLEMS
SOCIAL - behaviour that causes misery and calls for collective action to solve it. eg poverty / crime
SOCIOLOGICAL - pattern of relationship that calls for explanation.
they overlap, but a sociological problems also include behaviour that is an issue. eg why people law abide
sociologist focus on how to fix social problems.
Some sociologist as hired directly by government departments eg home office / department of education. which has a direct input into policy making.
THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIOLOGY ON POLICY
when sociologists research social problems there's no gurantee their findings will change anything.
Factors affect whether or not policy makers use their findings to shape policies; electoral popularity, how far the researcher value-stance matches the governments political ideology, the cost of implementation, reaction of interest group and the possibility that critical sociology is seen as extreme.
PERSPECTIVES ON SOC & SOCIAL POLICY
POSITIVISM & FUNCTIONALISM
Early Positivists - saw sociology as science that would both discover the cause of social problems and provide solutions. Science can improve society.
Functionalists - see society based on Value Consensus, state serves society as a whole, implements rational social policies for the good of all.
for both, the sociologists role is to provide the state with objective, scientific information on which it can base policies
Functionalists favour policies - 'social engineering' -> cautious, bit-by-bit change instead of radical.
SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC PERSPECTIVE
Favours major redistribution of wealth from rich to poor
research social problems & make policy recomendations to eradicate them
POSTMODERNISM
impossible to discover full truth so findings cant provide satisfactory basis for policy making.
Sociologists can only take the role of 'interpreters' and offer one view of reality among many and not the role of 'legislators' (law makers)
MARXISM
Social polcies sever the interests of capitalism, not whole
SP provide ideological legitimation for capitalism. eg welfare state gives it a 'human face.'
They maintain labour force for expliotation, eg NHS keeps workers fit enough to work.
Prevent revolution
sociologists role is to reveal the exploitation that underpins capitalism & the way in which the RC use social policies to mask it.
FEMINISM
see society as patriarchal, benefits men and subordinates women
Liberal feminists research impacted the number of policies eg equal pay
Radical feminists influences policies. eg womens refuge escaping DA.
BUT marxist and radical feminists reject the view that reformists policies can liberate women & call for more changes that existing state cant deliver.
THE NEW RIGHT
State should have a limited involvement in society.
state intervention undermines sense of responsibility, leading to greater social problems
MURRAY argues that policies like universal welfare benefits & council housing for lone parents act as incentives that encourage dependency culture.
They see sociologists as proposers of policies that promote responsibility and choice
Support strong 'law & order' policy and research by RR criminologists eg Broken Windows -> Zero Tolerence