T&M: policies in education

• electoral popularity

  -findings may point to a policy that is unpopular with people.
• ideological & policy preferences of governments

  -better chance of influencing a policy if the researcher has a similar perspective to the political ideology the government have.
• interest groups

  -groups that influence the government so they can follow their own interests.
• globalisation

  -policies are influenced by international organisations.
• critical sociology

  -these are sociologists that are critical of the state, they are unlikely to influence the government.
• cost

  -the government may be unable to create a policy even if they agree with the sociologist because of costs.
• funding sources

  -the people who funded the research are likely to influence the findings, researchers may keep some findings to themselves in order to get funding. Government bodies will fund research that agrees with their ideology.
• positivism & functionalism

  Background:

  -sociology = science (Comte & Durkheim) that can discover the causes of social problems and solutions.

  
  

  Role of the sociologist:

  -must provide objective information

  -should investigate the causes of social problems and suggest policies

  -functionalists favour social policies

  
  

  Criticisms:

  -ignore the importance of other factors, focus on one thing at a time
• social democratic

  Background:

  -research should be scientific

  -favour redistribution of wealth from the rich to the poor

  
  

  Role of the sociologist:

  -should research problems and make policy recommendations to stop the problems

  
  

  Criticisms:

  -marxists criticise this as they think policies do not solve the problem

  -postmodernists say object truths cannot be discovered
• feminist

  Background:

  -patriarchy is encouraged through social policy

  
  

  Role of the sociologist:

  -important role, have helped introduce policies around girls/women. Most are based on liberal feminism but radical feminists have influenced policy too

  
  

  Criticisms:

  -some suggest far-reaching changes that cannot happen

  -women's role in society has improved
• marxist

  Background:

  -do not think policies benefit all

  -policies have three main aims: provide ideological legitimation, maintain the labour force & prevent resolution

  -see some policies have helped

  
  

  Role of the sociologist:

  -should reveal the exploitation of the working class

  -criticise capitalist social policy

  
  

  Criticisms:

  -view is unrealistic

  -reject that research can help
• new right

  Background:

  -state has minimal involvement in society

  -state involvement takes away people's choices

  -critical of current policies

  
  

  Role of the sociologist:

  -propose alternative policies to let people help themselves

  
  

  Criticisms:

  -uses the findings of (politically sympathetic) think tanks