The actions of the government that have a direct impact on the lives of citizens by providing them with services such as education, health and social security
Any behaviour that calls for an explanation, it can include behaviour that the rest of society regards it as a problem, e.g. crime, but it can also include behaviour that is not normally regarded as a problem, e.g. why are some people law-abiding
The two (social problems and sociological problems) overlap, but a sociological problem can also include behaviour that society doesn't normally regard as a problem
Some sociologists are employed by government departments such as the Home Office or the Department of Education, often having a direct input into policy-making
Early positivists saw sociology as a science that would both discover the cause of social problems and provide their solutions. Science and reason could be used to improve society.
Functionalists see society as based on value consensus, so the state serves the interests of society as a whole, implementing rational social policies for the good of all.
Favours a major redistribution of wealth and income from the rich to the poor. Sociologists should be involved in researching social problems and making policy recommendations to eradicate them.
It is impossible to discover objective truth. All knowledge produced by research is uncertain, and so sociological findings cannot provide a satisfactory basis for policy-making. Sociologists can only take the role of 'interpreters', offering one view of reality among many, and not the role of 'legislators' (law-makers).
Social policies serve the interests of capitalism, not those of society as a whole. Social policies provide ideological legitimation for capitalism; maintain the labour force for further exploitation; and are a means of preventing revolution.
Some radical feminist ideas have also had an influence on social policy, e.g. the establishment of women's refuges for women escaping domestic violence
The New Right supports a strong 'law and order' policy and research by right realist criminologists, e.g. Broken Windows, has been influential in the introduction of zero tolerance policies