Theory and Methods - Debates - Sociology and social policy - flashcards done
Feminists x
Marxists x
Positivism and Functionalism x
New Right x
Social Democratic x
Postmodernism x
Sociology, social policy and social problem x
Worsley x
a social policy is a plan or action of national and local government agencies which aims to improve or reform society.
government provides services to reduce social problems, there often include the implementation of social policies.
sociology has made contributions to the formation of social policies adopted by national and local government agencies.
the government does not always pay attention yo sociological research
Denis - prostitution x
the extent of abuse, sexual exploitation and trafficking is nowhere near at the level originally quoted by former Foreign Office minister, Denis MacShane, of 25,000 sex slaves in the UK
only 22 people (4%) were finally prosecuted for trafficking, seven if which were eventually acquitted
this is evidence of a moral panic, as after all these efforts a total of only 15 men and were were prosecuted of trafficking offence.
factors that will influence whether or not sociological research will succeed in influencing policy x
electoral popularity - must influential factor
ideological and policy preferences of gov
interest groups
globalisation
critical sociology
cost
funding sources
Durkheim and Comte x
early positivists - argued that sociology was a science: which would discover both the cause of social problems and scientific solutions to solve them
therefore their approach was part of the Enlightenment project to use science 7 reason to improve society
functionalists see society as based on Value consensus and free from fundamental conflicts x
similar to positivists, they see society as serving the interests of society as a whole - producing and implementing policies for the good of all.
these policies help society to run more smoothly and efficiently. For example, educational policies are seen as promoting equal opportunities - health and housing policies assist the family in performing its functions more effectively.
functionalists take a 'piecemeal approach' by tackling one specific issue at a time.
evaluation x
'the piecemeal approach; has been criticised. Marxists argue that educational policies aimed at equal opportunities for children of different classes are often defeated by wider social influences such as poverty
share the view that we need to change the basic structure of society in order to solve specific problems - main proposal to do this is through redistributing wealth
Townsend x
sociologists should be involved in researching social problems and making policy recommendations to eradicate them
For example, on the basis of his research findings he made recommendations for policies such as fairer, higher benefit levels and more public spending on health, education and welfare services
Evaluation x
Marxists criticise the SDP, they do agree that social inequalities are deep-rooted, however they reject the idea that policies are enough to solve the problem
For Marxists, capitalism is ultimately responsible for these inequalities and so the problem cannot be solved without abolishing capitalism.
according to Marxists, the state represents the RC, and its social policies serve the interests of capitalism not those of society as a whole.
social policies serve the interest of capitalism in 3 ways
SP provide ideological legitimisation - SP mask capitalist exploitation (e.g. the welfare state makes it appear that the system cares about the poor)
SP maintain the labour force for further exploitation: NHS serves the needs of capitalism by keeping workers fit to go back to work.
SP are a means of preventing a revolution: SP can be used when class conflict intensifies as a way of settling the masses.
therefore according to Marxists, the sociologists main role is to criticise capitalist social policy and reveal the exploitation that underpins capitalism.
Evaluation x
Social democrats, criticise Marx, arguing that sociological research can help bring about progressive policies within the existing capitalism system.
Similar to Marxists, feminists see society as based on conflict between genders. Society is patriarchal benefiting man and state policies perpetuate women's oppression
For example, family policies may be based on the assumption of the conventional heterosexual nuclear family, offering this family type more benefits for married couples and not to cohabitation ones.
Feminists research has influences social policies through:
learning material that promote positive images of females
teacher training to promote inclusiveness for both sexes
Radical feminist
favour separatism - one area of social policy tat reflects this view is the establishment of women's refuges for women escaping domestic violence
overall, it is clear that feminist sociological research has had some impact on social policies, due to the feminists movement of the 1970s.
However
many feminists reject the view that reformist social policies can liberate women, radical feminists call for more ext ream changes that the state cannot deliver.
according to the NR, state intervention/policies on areas such as: family life, income support, education and health care take away people's freedom to make their own choices and undermines their sense of responsibility
Murray x
generous welfare benefits and council housing offers lone parents perverse incentives that weaken the family's self-reliance (ability to support themselves)
SP encourages a dependency culture, an underclass of lone mothers, undisciplined children, and irresponsible fathers
Evaluation x
the NR are critical of many SP, the role of the sociologist is to propose alternative policies, where the aim is to restore individual's responsibility for their own families
aren't really interest in social policy, however they do support policies that represent diversity and choices.
late modernists - believe that social policies need to adapt constantly to globalisation
The Black Report x
identified a range of cultural and structural causes of inequalities in health. The Black Report strongly argued for structural/material solutions to reduce the health divide. They believed that the top priority of governments should be to tackle poverty and low income
Left Realism x
Lea and Young x
have used the results of local victim surveys to put forward a range of piratical solutions to reduce crime. They claim that state intervention and community involvement are essential to halt the spread in crime
For example, they have encouraged closer partnerships between the police and local communities. They also make a strong case for fewer custodial sentences and more community service orders.
Liberal feminists
Betty Friedan
sociologists should try to influence social policy. She points to legislation as evidence of Liberal feminism influencing social policy in Britain
Westergaard and Resler x
against making social policy recommendations on welfare. They believe that if sociologists such as Townsend encourage more benefits this will only serve to reduce class solidarity
welfare 'buys off' the W/C and prevents them from realising their true class interests.
social problems faced by the W/C can only be overcome through proletarian revolution, not social policy, whose end aim would be to create a communist society,
sociologists are in no position to make social policy recommendations
it is not possible to objectively identify the truth and therefore all sociological knowledge is 'uncertain'. Therefore, there is no valid basis for sociological policy intervention
Bauman x
in 'postmodern times' sociologists should merely take the role of 'interpreters' and cannot, and should not, be seen as 'legislator', as they did in 'modernists times'
postmodernists - criticise attempts by sociologists to influence policy due to their belief that all knowledge produced by research is only a version of the truth and therefore is not a satisfactory basis for policy.