family policy

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Cards (27)

about the coalition gov 
- more liberal attitudes towards social pol
-some NR nuc fam ideologies remained
- in power during economic recession
-> a lot of pol influenced by austerity measures
what was the shared parental leave pol?
-both parties in the coalition were keen for parental leave to be able to be shared between men and women rather than it be assumed that women would take time off work while men would only be granted two weeks

-> undermines NR ideology
equal marriage act date and meaning
2014
-> allowed ss couples to marry
-> was a lot of opposition from traditionalists on the conservative backbenches and also in religious orgs
-> church of england established a special exception that gay marriages could not be held in a church of eng church
->was also written in that religious orgs could choose not to without it breaching the equality act
the troubled families program
reaction to 2011 london riots
-> intervention for families costing the state too much (120,000 ppl who had been identified as costing too much through benefits etc.)
-> offered support to ensure children were attending school and adults were seeking employment
-> targeted absent fathers and blamed them (NR ideology)
eval of troubled families program
- 3/4 of troubled families who were 'turned around' are still committing crime, unemployed & being excluded from school

-LEVITAS: lang. used by NR is vindictive; blames poor families & fails to consider that poverty is not family's fault
what was the troubled family program renamed to? what are its current aims
- renamed to the 'supporting families program' in 2021
> claims that between 2015-2025, 534,000 families will be helped
-> in 2021 they announced a £700m investment over 3 years

their 10 aims are that all identified families will have/ be:

- a good education

- Good early years development

-improved mental and physical health

- Promoting recovery and reducing harm from substance use

- Improved family relationships

-children safe from abuse and exploitation

- Crime prevention and tackling crime

- Safe from domestic abuse

- Secure housing

- Financial stability
eval of coalition pol
-promoted fam diversity to some extent
-move away from traditional marital roles
-suggests soc is run on a micro level (policies reflect needs of soc not other way round)
BRADSHAW & REED on coalition gov
-B: claims by 2015, cuts to public spending will have had a large impact on poorest fans w children-> rise in child poverty
-R:predicted by 2015, austerity measures would result in 120,000 more workless fams
THE NEW RIGHT general aims for policy
Transmitting and reinforcing nuclear fam ideology (believe it is crucial in maintaining Order
Post div reform act proposals
Following the 1969 divorce reform act, the NR proposed changes to the divorce system; wished to make divorce more difficult

-however, they were never act implemented bc of opposition, just shows the aims of the NR
What act provided abortion guidelines?
1967 ABORTION ACT

-provided guidelines to 'acceptable abortions' eg harming the mother
-NR view: women's role to birth children, sex before marriage disallowed so abortion shouldn't be necessary; threatens NF
What act was implemented in 1975
1975 SEX DISCRIMINATION ACT
-protected men and women from discrimination based on the grounds of sex or marital status
-act concerned employment (good for women) , edu, training etc
When was the sexual offences act implemented and what does it mean?
-1967
-legalised homosexual acts on the condition that they were private, consensual and between two MEN who were 21 and over

Eval:
Doesn't mention women, feminists would have issues w this (women not even considered etc)
When was the children act introduced and what did it mean?
- 1989
-placed duty on local auth to promote and safeguard the welfare of children
-ensuring the needs of children are met
Child support agency year and meaning
1993
-supporting the needs of children by collecting funds from non-resident parent and paying to parents with care.
What was the married man's tax allowance
Provided incentives to stay/get married
Section 28 info (date and what it meant) 
-was in effect from 1988-2003
-prohibited the promotion of homosexuality
-> caused a lot of lgbtq support groups to close
Eval of NR policies
Clearly aimed to protect NR families and prevent fam diversity

-would be criticised by radfems who claim that NF ideology is inherently patriarchal

-would be crit by PM/ Marxists

-functionalists would be in favour as they subscribe to the belief that the NF is superior
when were the NL gov in power?
1997-2010
what was introduced in the first year of blair's gov?
and eval
blair introduced cuts to lone parent benefits
-> the rationale was that it would prompt lone parents to find work whilst the gov would ensure that there was cheap childcare

eval?
viewed as a contradiction against labour's expected socialist attitudes

HOWEVER, it was implemented to get more women in the workforce (challenges NR nuc fam)
what replaced the married mans tax allowance? 
working family tax credits
-> removed NR incentive to marry and stay married
-> undermines NR view of the nuc fam being superior
when was paid paternity leave introduced and what did this mean?
introduced in 2003
-> men were able to get two weeks of paid parental leave
-> subverts the expressive female role the NR promoted and offers an egalitarian notion of childcare and familial roles
when was the civil partnership act introduced and what did it mean ?
2005
-> allowed same-sex couples to be legally recognised on the same terms of marriage (was effectively marriage in everything but name)
what is the adoptions and children act and when was it introduced?
2002
->allowed same sex couples to adopt
-> allowed unmarried het couples to adopt also
what did LEWIS claim about the NL and their policies?
argued that they invested in children more than other govs by appointing a children's commissioner
summary of eval for NL?
some pols were viewed as contradictory to their beliefs however the majority promoted a move away from the nuc fam ideology (undermines NR)
what was introduced in 2021 under boris' gov 
- the domestic abuse act which recognises that a child is a victim of domestic abuse in their own right if they see, hear or experience the effects of domestic abuse