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Sociological theories and social policy - Coggle Diagram
Sociological theories and social policy
New Right
Views on social policy
Social policies maintain nuclear family - Marriage Tax Allowance (2015)
Creates a dependency culture and different family types, leading to laziness and inadequate socialisation, which leads to breakdown in the traditional family
Traditional nuclear family is under threat due to policies that are advocating for family diversity, which creates social problems (crime, teen pregnancies)
Growth of feminism is seen as an attack on the family
Social policies should avoid doing anything that might undermine this 'natural', self reliant family
Almond
Divorce laws undermine importance of nuclear family, breaking down traditional family (male breadwinner and female housewife)
Civil partnerships undermine necessity of nuclear family
Tax laws, such as Marriage Tax Allowance (2015), encourages both parents to work, stopping male breadwinner and discouraging female housewife
Social policies examples
Abortion Act (1967)
Contraception available under NHS
Positive as it stops welfare dependency
Stops teenage pregnancy
Divorce Reform Act (1969)
Easier to get a divorce, as no need for blame
Negative as it discourages nuclear family
Sexual Offences Act (1967)
Legalisation of homosexuality
Negative as it discourages nuclear family
Equal Pay Act (1970)
Equal pay between men and women
Negative as men should be the breadwinners, and females should be housewives (not working), which are their biological roles
Same Sex Marriage Act (2013)
Homosexual couples have the same legal right for marriage as heterosexual couples
Negative as it discourages nuclear family
Morgan
Gay families are 'unnatural'
Against policies that encourage same sex families
Adoption and Children Act (2002)
Homosexual couples have the same legal right to adopt as heterosexual couples
Negative as it discourages nuclear families
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act (2009)
Lesbian couples had full legal rights to their children when born through IVF
Negative as it encourages same sex couples to have children
Solutions
Cuts to welfare spending and restricting who is eligible for benefits
Deny council housing to unmarried teenage mothers to discourage dependency culture and focus on education
Make absent fathers pay for their children
Tax breaks for married couples
Evaluation (AO3)
Not many unmarried mothers are teenagers and most of them live at home with their parents
Benefit cuts may push families into greater poverty
Feminists argue that the New Right view is oppressive and subordinates women, and that it is an attempt to return to patriarchal nuclear families
They ignore how many policies have supported the nuclear family (Marriage Tax Allowance)
Marxism
Views on social policy
Social policy upholds capitalism
Maintain people who are too old to work, at the lowest amount possible - raising pension age
Functionalism
Views on social policy
Social policy maintains the nuclear family - Marriage Tax Allowance (2015)
Helps society function more smoothly as the needs of the family are being taken care of by the government, so they can perform functions smoothly
Fletcher
NHS / healthcare / education being free / welfare support all support all families
Development of welfare state allows society to function smoothly, meaning that institutions perform functions adequately, preventing anomie
AO2
NHS / free education / working tax credit which encourage people to work
So people don't have the burden of these costs
Evaluation (AO3)
Marxists say that they assume that everyone is equally benefiting policies, when only private has benefits
Marriage policies make it more difficult to leave abusive relationships
Policies encourage women to take on the nurturing role
£20/week cut to universal credit, disadvantages W/C and women, so is not actually helping
Analysis: Donzelot - policing the family (AO3)
Sees policy as a form of state power and control over families
Surveillance of families by social workers, health visitors, and doctors to control and change families
Not targeted equally on all social classes - poor families are more likely to be seen as a 'problem' and the cause of crime and anti-social behaviour
These are the families that professionals target for 'improvement'
Seen through parenting orders
Evaluation (AO3)
Marxists / Feminists argue that Donzelot fails to see which groups benefit in society
Middle class, men
Condry
M/C, white, nuclear families are the best ways to police families
State power disguised as 'caring'
Government decides what is the best way to police individuals
Attend parenting lessons to support individuals with delinquent children
Feminism
Views on social policy
Helps families with DV - Domestic Abuse Act
Helps women gain independence - Divorce, Dissolution, and Separation Act (2022)
Some promote nuclear families - maternity leave is based on traditional gender roles, so women are encouraged to stay at home
Some maintain women's subordinate position and the unequal gender division of labour in the family
Land
Social policy is framed to maintain traditional subordination of women
Based on traditional norms and values (female housewife and male breadwinner)
Reinforces nuclear family (Marriage Tax Allowance)
Leonard
Even when policies appear to help women in society, they reinforce traditional patriarchal norms and values as a form of social control
For example, maternity leave encourages women to stay at home
AO3
Not all policies are purely patriarchal
For example, Marital Rape Act and Equality Act
Drew
Social policies in different countries can either encourage or discourage gender equality in the family and work
Individualistic gender regimes
Equality between male and female, both in the family and at work
All individuals get state benefits, so not necessary to reply on family for support
AO2
Sweden has a wide range of policies to support with childcare
Gives mothers more freedom to work, leading to more equality in the workplace
Familistic gender regimes
Policies that put emphasis on the role of the family for providing support to their family members
Based on traditional gender roles
AO2
In Greece, mothers reply on extended kin for support
Due to a lack of publicly funded childcare
Evaluation (AO3)
In USA, a rich country, there are familistic gender regimes
No paid Maternity Leave after 6 weeks
Against idea that wealthy countries are more individulalistic
Individualistic countries are becoming more familistic
Taxes cost more to each individual, so people feel the burden of taxes more, questioning paying funding for this like Maternity Leave