influence social policy

• YES- functionalists

  state serves society's interests as a whole creating social policies for the good of everyone. role of sociologists to provide state objective and scientific information on social problems causes used to inform social policy

  EG. durkheim need to be more meritocratic for fair education system - pupil premium

  AO3 - marxists critical of educational policies as they maintain class inequality and believe meritocracy is a myth
• YES - social democratic perspective

  townsend- research into social problems used to make policy suggestions to government - benefit payments were increased and more money was spent on NHS and education

  EG. the black report policy suggestions and how to tackle poverty eg. FSM however conservative at the time rejected it

  AO3 - marxists argue policies cant change society as theyre created by RC so reflect their interests - need a revolution to remove inequalities
• YES - liberal feminists

  believe the best way to improve womens position in society is state policy removing discrimination and establish equality of opportunity

  EG. equal pay act, sex discrimination act gender equality in education of GIST and WISE

  AO3 - radical argue creating new polciies doesnt do enough to remove patriachy
• NO - marxists

  state represents RC and policies serve capitalist interests eg. NHS maintains false class consciousness amount WC but reality make healthy workers to exploit - social policies prevent a WC revolution and role of sociologists should be to criticise capitalist social policies not suggest more

  AO3 - social democratic critical as fails to see positive impact policies have
• NO - radical feminists

  changes in social policy cant remove patriachy as women are still oppressed despite law changes eg. male gaze or unequal pay

  Geer argues the only way women will be free from patriachy is to separate themself from men - political lesbianism

  AO3 - too extreme and unrealistic to say political lesbianism is the only solution and doesnt recognise positive impact policies have for women becoming successful
• CONCLUSION - POSTMODERNISTS

  critical of attempts by sociologists to influence social policy as theres no single truth - truth is relative so sociological research cannot provide a satisfied basis for policy making

  argue sociologists should take interpreters role - offer one view of reality - sociologists cant be involved in policy making