Social Policy

• In a nutshell


  Functionalists see sociology as providing objective knowledge to guide social policy to help society function. Marxists remain critical of social policy in arguing it maintains capitalism. Feminists see policy as a reflection of patriarchy, however, they use research to influence policy in favour of women. The new right outright reject social policy in suggesting it provides a culture of dependency. Postmodernists also reject policy saying it aims to fix issues that do not exist.
• FUNCTIONALISM


  Sociological research should help the government create policies that help society to function. They tackle one issue at a time with ‘piecemeal sociological engineering’ (e.g. creating a policy on improving equal opportunity in education.)​
• Durkheim


  believed that through scientific research they could discover both the problems and solutions to society’s problems through social facts. Therefore, sociology’s role is to provide the state with objective scientific information that they can use to base their policies on. (e.g. Durkheim’s research led to him proposing an education system based on merit & the abolition of inherited wealth, he argued that this would lead to a more cohesive society.)
• THE NEW RIGHT


  The New Right believe the state should have a minimal involvement in society.  They are opposed to the states involvement in the family, income support, education & health.​ Murray argues that the welfare state gives ‘perverse incentives’, which weakens self-reliance and encourages a dependency culture.
• THE NEW RIGHT 2 


  In an ideal world, welfare benefits would not exist. However, due to how this is now possible, they believe the state should make welfare benefits that will reduce the need for them in the future.​They want sociologists to come up with alternative policies to the existing ones, they want these new policies to restore the responsibility that the welfare state has taken away from individuals and for individuals to take responsibility for their own and their families welfare rather than relying on the state.
• MARXISM - Social policy:

  Legitimises the ideological - by providing the welfare state, this helps to mask capitalism by making it appear that they care about the poor, sick & old.

  Maintains the labour force for further exploitation - e.g. the NHS keeps workers fit enough to work.

  Is a means of preventing revolution when class conflict threatens capitalism - E.g. the creation of the welfare state after the war was a way of making sure the WC did not rise up & oppose capitalism.

  The provision of benefits & services are constantly threatened by welfare cuts
• FEMINISM


  Feminists in general see the state perpetuating women’s subordination through their social policies.  This is because the state bases its policies on the nuclear family so offers benefits to married couples and not cohabiting ones, thus creating a self-fulfilling policy by encouraging the nuclear family and making it difficult for other kinds of family.
• FEMINISM - liberal


  However, liberal feminists see their research as having an impact in education, they have seen changes in the images of females in teaching material – it is now more positive. Also, teacher training now ensures they are sensitive to gender bias & encourages them to be inclusive.

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  The creation of women’s refuges for women escaping domestic violence.

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  The feminist movement has also had an impact on policy on equality (e.g. Sex Discrimination Act & the Equal Pay Act).
• Social Democrats


  Social democrats adopt a similar view to Marxists in terms of the existence of inequality and wanting to adopt a more equal society, but unlike Marxists, they believe sociological research can help the government to create policies that reduce inequality
• POSTMODERNISM


  Postmodernists believe sociological research does not provide the ‘truth’ because there is no such thing as the ‘truth’, just many different forms of it. Therefore, sociological research only provides the possible truth.

  Creating social policies would be pointless due to how it aims to fix an issue that does not exist in the first place