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4.2 - Explain how social changes affect policy making - Coggle Diagram
4.2 - Explain how social changes affect policy making
Values
- general principles, beliefs/guidance about how we should live our lives -> e.g. respect
Norms
- specific socially accepted standards about behaviour -> Informal: not queue jumping, Formal: not driving with over 0.08% blood alcohol content
Mores
- basic norms & values essential for standards of decency & civilised behaviour -> societies 'most important rules' -> e.g. prohibition of taking someone's life (other than under exceptional circumstances)
Laws change over time due to societies norms & values
These changes affect the publics perception of crime
Drink Driving
1925: drink driving made illegal under the Criminal Justice Act, but no clear definition of 'drunk' or legal limit of Blood Alcohol Level. Car ownership rise and a rise in car deaths
1966: all new cars must be fitted with a seatbelt
1967: due to public concern the Road Safety Act introduced a blood alcohol limit of 80mg per 100ml of blood. Made it an offence to be in control of a vehicle with a BAC over this limit
1968: road side breathalysers were introduced. Alongside the campaign, it reduced road deaths by 1100 and serious injury by 11000, reducing the proportion of drink related road accidents by 10%
1991: 'Death by driving whilst under the influence of drugs/alcohol' was introduced with a compulsory up to 5yr prison sentence
2014: increased to 14yrs. 1st time offenders have up to 6 month prison sentence, driving ban for 1 year and an unlimited fine. New laws & tougher sentences reflect the growing concern of the public, deaths by drink driving now make up only 5% of road casualties
Immigration & Racism
1965: Race Relations Act - banned racial discrimination in public places and made the promotion of hatred in the grounds if 'race, colour, ethnic or national origin' illegal
1968: further act made it illegal to discriminate housing, employment & public services
1976: new act combines both strengthening the law by covering both direct & indirect discrimination
2010: the Equality Act replaced the Race Relations Act, bringing together laws on race, sex, age & disability discrimination
1987: British attitudes survey found that 39& said they had experienced racist prejudices
2018: British future found that 68% of over 65's in ethnic minorities agreed prejudice has fallen since 1968, with wider society at ease with mixed race relationships
Homosexuality
1957 - The Wolfenden Committee publishes a report, recommending that ‘homosexual behaviour between consenting adults in private should no longer be a criminal offence’. Supporters of this recommendation include the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Geoffrey Fisher, and the British Medical Association. Despite this, the recommendations are rejected by the government.
1967 Sexual Offences Act - The prosecution of such high profile individuals, led to public outcry and a review of the law. John Wolfenden’s review lead to the decriminalisation of sexual activity in private, between men 21 and over, becoming law in 1967, due to huge lobbying by organisations such as Campaign for Homosexual Equality (CHE)
1971 - The Nullity of Marriage Act was passed, explicitly banning same-sex marriages between same-sex couples in England and Wales
1980 - Sex between two men over the age of 21 ‘in private’ is decriminalised in Scotland
2001- The age of consent is lowered to 16 (having been lowered from 21 to 18 in 1994), making it the same as the age of consent for straight people
2004 - Civil Partnership Act is passed, granting civil partnership in the United Kingdom. The Act gives same-sex couples the same rights and responsibilities as married straight couples in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales
2014 - The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 officially comes into force, with the first same-sex marriages in England and Wales taking place on 29 March 2014