Sociology & social policy

• Social problems


  Worseley: “A social problem is some piece of social behaviour that causes public friction and / or private misery and calls for collective action to solve it.”

  Eg: poverty, juvenile delinquency…
• Sociological problems 


  Worseley: “Any pattern of relationship that calls for explanation.”
• Simmel 


  Sociology should study all aspects of society, including normal behaviour.
• Sociologists employed by government departments

  Eg the home office or department for children, schools and families.

  These sociologists often have direct input into making policies and evaluating their effectiveness.
• Factors that may affect whether or not sociological research succeeds in influencing policies

  Electoral popularity

  Critical sociology

  Ideological and policy preferences of governments

  Interest groups

  Cost

  Globalisation

  Funding sources
• Electoral popularity 


  Research findings and recommendations might point to a policy that would be unpopular with voters and therefore it may not be put into place.
• Critical sociology


  Sociologists who are critical of the state & powerful groups (eg Marxists / Feminists) may be regarded as too extreme, hostile or impractical and therefore they are unlikely to influence policy.
• Ideological and policy preferences of governments

  If the researchers’ value-stance or perspective is similar to the political ideology of the government, they may stand more chance of influencing its policies.
• Interest groups


  These are pressure groups that seek to influence government policies in their own interests.
• Cost


  Even if the government is sympathetic to the sociologist’s findings, it may not have sufficient funds to implement an appropriate policy based on them, or it may have other spending priorities and commitments.
• Globalisation 


  Social policy isn’t just made by nation states in isolation. International organisations may influence the social policies or individual governments.
• Funding sources 


  In some cases, sociologists may tone down their findings and policy recommendations so as to fit in with their paymaster’s wishes. Similarly, policy-makers may recruit sociologists who share their assumptions and political values so research findings can be used to justify what policy makers intended to do in the first place.
• Burden


  Social policies cannot be very well understood if they are simply treated as neutral attempts to deal with problems.

  What is to count as a problem is itself generally a matter of political debate.
• Comte & Durkheim 


  Early positivists.

  Viewed sociology as a science and would discover both the causes and scientifically based solutions to social problems.As such, their approach was part of the Enlightenment Project to use science and reason to improve society.
• Positivism & Functionalism - The state serves…


  The interests of society a a whole, producing and implementing rational social policies for the good of all. These policies help society run more smoothly and effectively.
• Positivism & Functionalism - Role of the sociologist 


  The sociologist‘s role is to provide the state with objective, scientific information.

  Medical researcher analogy - as the medical researcher discovers the cause of disease to find a cure, sociologists investigate social problems to find a solution.
• Functional perspective on policies


  Functionalists favour social policies that are sometimes referred to as ‘piecemeal social engineering’, meaning they favour a cautious approach, tackling one specific issue at a time.
• Criticisms of the functionalist perspective on policies

  Marxist - social problems such as underachievement are simply aspects of a wider structure of class inequality, so we need to change the basic structure of society in order to solve these specific problems.

  Feminist - Policies need to be radical.
• Townsend


  Social democratic perspective on policy.

  Sociologists should be more involved in researching social problems and making policy recommendations to eradicate them.

  Recommendations for policy - conducted extensive research on poverty. On the basis of his findings he made recommendations for policies such as fairer, higher benefit, and more public spending on health, education and welfare services.
• The black report 


  Published 1980, commissioned by Labour Government in 1977.

  The black report on class inequalities in health made no fewer than 37 far-reaching policy recommendations for reducing these deep-rooted inequalities.

  The conservative government were voted in and dismissed these recommendations.
• Marxist criticism of social democratic perspective on social policy 


  The state won’t bring proposed changes. Capitalism is ultimately responsible for these inequalities, so the problem cannot be solved without abolishing capitalism.
• Postmodern criticism of the social democratic perspective on social policy

  It is impossible to discover the objective truths about society. All knowledge produced by research is uncertain, and so sociological findings cannot provide a satisfactory basis for policy making.
• Marxism - the state serves the interests of capitalism, not society 


  They provide ideological legitimation to mask capitalism exploitation. Eg welfare state presents the false idea that the system cares about the poor, sick and old.

  They maintain the labour force for further exploitation. Eg NHS serves capitalism by keeping workers fit enough to work.

  They are a means of preventing revolution.
• Marxists recognise that some policies benefit the working class

  However, such gains are constantly threatened with reversal by capitaLiam’s tendency to go into periodic crisis of profitability, leading to cuts in spending on welfare.
• Marxist perspective on the role of the sociologist

  Their role should be to criticise capitalist social policy, not to serve the capitalist state.
• Criticisms of the Marxist perspective

  Social democrats criticise their rejection of the idea that sociological research can help to bring about progressive policies within the existing capitalist system.
• Feminism - the state perpetuates…


  Women’s subordination through its social policies.
• Feminist research has had impact on some social policies, such as…

  Learning materials that promote more positive images of females.

  Teacher training to sensitise teachers to the need to avoid gender bias and promote inclusivity for both sexes.
• Liberal feminists


  Anti-discrimination reforms will ultimately bring about gender equality.
• Radical feminists 


  Favour separatism— the idea that women need to separate themselves from men to be free from patriarchy.
• Disagreements within feminism on the power of social policies to liberate women

  Many feminists reject the view that reformist social policies can liberate women. Eg both marxists and radical feminists call for more far-reaching changes that the existing state cannot deliver.

  Liberal - celebrate progress made

  Radical - policies don’t support women
• New Right - minimal state involvement

  State involvement leads to greater social problems.

  Eg opposed to using state provision of welfare to deal with social problems. Believe that state intervention robs people of their freedom to make their own choices and undermines their sense of responsibility. This leads to greater social problems.
• Murray


  Generous welfare benefits and council housing for lone parents act as ‘perverse incentives’ that weaken the family’s self reliance and encourages people to choose these lifestyles.
• New Right propose new policies

  Policies should aim to restore individuals responsibility, rather than them leaving responsibility for aspects such as their family’s welfare to the state.

  Eg marriage preparation and parenting classes, support from the tax and benefit system for mothers who stay at home.
• Criticisms of the New Right

  Qualify and objectivity of the social research used by them has been questioned.