Social Policy

• Social policy

  • plans and actions of state agencies, e.g welfare benefits, school
  • laws introduced by government providing a framework for agencies to operate, e.g laws specify who is entitled to benefits
• Functionalists

  Advocate reinforcing nuclear family through social policies (tax incentives for married couples)

  • suggest limited state involvement in family > not necessary if society functions correctly
  • traditional values favoured over progressive policies (same sex marriage)
  • Parson's warm bath theory - advocates nuclear family
  • Durkheim - institutions are interrelated, family maintain social stability through socialising children
• Marxist

  Critical of state creating social policies > suggests they're designed to serve needs of elites in society > childcare policies enable more people to work

  • policies based on ruling class ideologies, don't conform face sanctions
  • Donzelot = social policy can be used to control families
• Feminists

  Radical feminists = state reinforces patriarchal control through introducing policies aimed at women in role of primary career > child benefit paid to mothers initially

  • liberal feminists = state policy changed role of women in society > equal pay act, divorce reform > policies helped women when leaving violent partners, provided support through benefits