Social Policy

• What are social policies?

  Initiatives to improve society by the government
• What is the intention behind the educational policy of keeping children in education until 18?

  To improve educational standards
• What side effect does the educational policy of keeping children in education until 18 have on families?

  It extends childhood dependency on families
• What is the Equal Pay Act (1970)?


  • Ensures fair pay regardless of gender
  • Affects financial independence of women
  • Leads to more equality in relationships
  • Increases family diversity through single-parent families
  • supported by feminism
• What does the Sex Discrimination Act (1975) ensure?


  • Fair hiring practices
  • No discrimination based on sex or gender
  • Promotes financial independence for women
  • Increases family diversity through single-parent families
  • supported by feminism
• What change did the Divorce Law Reform Act (1969) introduce?

  • Removed need for marital crime for divorce
  • Required only proof of irretrievable breakdown
  • Increased family diversity through single-parent families
  • Allowed individuals to seek fulfilling relationships
  • Led to new family types like divorce extended families
• What does the Marriage Tax Allowance (2015) encourage?


  • Cohabiting couples to marry
  • Reinforces traditional nuclear family
  • Supports segregated conjugal roles
  • Provides tax benefits for married couples
  • If only one person works, they can borrow the others tax free allowance so they can pay less taxes.
• What is the purpose of the Child Support Agency Act (1993)?


  • Holds absent parents financially responsible
  • Supports children until they finish education
  • Emphasizes individual responsibility
  • Aims to protect the traditional nuclear family
  • supported by the new right
• What does the Gay Marriage Act (2013) allow?


  • Homosexuals to get married
  • Increases family diversity
  • Reflects changing societal norms
  • Supports same-sex couples legally
  • supported by post modernists
• What change did the Adoption and Children Act (2002) bring?


  • Expanded adoption eligibility
  • Included single people and same-sex couples
  • Increased family diversity
  • Allowed unmarried couples to adopt
  • supported by post modernists and feminists
• What is the impact of the increased pension age on families?

  • Addresses financial burden of aging population
  • Adds to women's workload at home
  • Leads to sandwich generation issues
  • Affects family dynamics and equality
• What is Donzelot's view on social policy?


  • Sees it as a means to police families
  • Believes it targets working-class families
  • Argues it controls rather than supports families
  • causes poor socialisation and anti social behaviour
• What do Marxists and Feminists criticize about Donzelot's perspective?


  • Fails to identify who benefits from policing
  • Marxists argue it protects capitalist interests
  • Feminists argue it supports patriarchal structures
  • Overlooks broader implications of social policies
• What do postmodernists believe about social policy?

  • Reflects increased choice in family life
  • Indicates a shift from modernity to post-modernity
  • Supports diverse family structures
  • Acknowledges changing societal norms
• How do Feminists view recent social policies?

  • Allow women to work towards equality
  • Help free women from oppression
  • Support financial independence for women
  • Promote equality in family relationships
• What is the New Right's perspective on social policy?

  • Promotes the traditional nuclear family
  • Encourages marriage and cohabitation
  • Emphasizes individual responsibility
  • Supports policies that reinforce family structures
• What financial burden does the aging population place on families?

  Increases costs and responsibilities for families
• What was the purpose of the Welfare Reform and Work Act (2016)?

  • To reduce benefits like universal credit and child tax credit
  • Reduce dependency culture
  • Encourage people to work
  • Single parent families effected
  • supported by New Right
• What did Privatisation of Care homes do?

  • Increased how much care is for the elderly
  • Reduces burden from welfare state
  • Deals with the financial burden of an ageing population
  • Adds to women’s workload leading to sandwich generation
  • Less equality in the home
  • Supported by New Right