social policy

• Social policies are plans the government have made to help reform society.
• Social policies - examples:

  • one child policy: decrease growth of Chinas population
  • nazi family policy: women with nazi ideals had more children
• Functionalism on social policy:

  • the family & society functions as it should
  • need social policy to help families function
• Functionalism - AO3:

  • thinks all people benefit the same from social policy but this is not true
  • thinks we have a march of progress
  • marxism: social policies decrease progress made
• Policies that help the family:

  • free school meals
  • free education
  • child benefits
• Donzelot (1977):

  • influenced by Foucault's theory
  • policy is state power used to control families
  • policies police the family
• Donzelot - AO3:

  • marxists & feminists: Donzelot did not say who benefits from the policies. Ignore how the bourgeoisie use policies to control proletariat; ignore how men use policies to control women
• Foucault (1975):

  • state controls the family in psychological ways e.g., surveying the family
  • compared surveillance of the family to a panopticon prison which makes people conform
• New right:

  • social policy leads to a dependency culture
  • social policy is a perverse incentive
  • if social policies are reduced, the nuclear family will increase
• Social policies that undermine the nuclear family:

  • abortion act
  • divorce act
  • welfare state
  • equality act
• Murray:

  • dislikes welfare policy
  • the welfare state gives lone-parent families money/housing which prevents families from becoming nuclear. Disadvantages society
  • dependency culture is created by the welfare state
• New Right - AO3:

  • dependency culture is seen in society. Valid.
  • feminist: new right view reinforces the patriarchy.
  • new right ignores how policies can be beneficial to the family & society.
• Liberal feminists:

  • like/approve of social policy
• Radical feminists:

  • social policy oppresses women
  • AO3: women benefit from some policies
• Familistic gender regimes:

  • policies are built on the traditional roles of men and women
  • decrease the chance of equality
• Individualistic gender regimes:

  • policies are built on the idea that men and women work
  • all people are entitled to state benefits
  • genders are treated as equals through these policies