Social policy

• Social policy: Central and local government initiatives that are directed towards meeting the welfare needs of the population.
• Examples of social policy:

  • Social security
  • Health
  • Housing
  • Education
  • Family
• Sure start centres are an example of a social policy that were set up in deprived areas as an attempt to help parents do better.
• Divorce reform act (1971):

  Allowed for irretrievable breakdown to be a reason for divorce, made it much easier.
• New right views (Murray): Dislike benefits due to them creating a dependency culture.
• Cross-cultural examples: China's one child policy & Germanys two fold policy
• Functionalist perspective on SP:

  • Helps families perform their function more effectively.
  • Examples NHS, sure start
• Functionalist criticism (SP):

  • Not all families benefit from the policies.
  • Assumes all policies lead to a march of progress.
• The new right views on social policy:

  • Critical of welfare state
  • Welfare state weakens family and increases the amount of SPF
  • Want policies to support the nuclear family.
  • Tax breaks for married couples.
• Feminist view on social policy:

  • They have a mixed view
  • Like- benefits, divorce laws & rape laws
  • Dislike- Maternity leave (Men should share it), Laws reinforcing stereotypical views.
• Marxist view on social policy:

  • One view- Free education, healthcare and it gives working class a better quality of life.
  • Alternate view- Smokescreen for inequality (Private healthcare and education).
• What's the dark side of the family?

  • Domestic abuse
  • Child abuse
  • Elderly abuse
• Trends with dark side of family:

  • DV accounts for 1/6 of all crime
  • Violence against women is more prominent
  • Marriage legitimates violence
• Social policies against DV:

  • Rape laws (1991)
  • Divorce laws (1971)
  • Women's aid
  • Government reports into child protection
• Moral panic: Widespread fear most often an irrational one, that someone or something is a threat to the values, safety, and interests of a community or society at large.
• Nazi Germany social policy:

  • Encouraged healthy and 'pure' to reproduce by restricting contraception.
  • Didn't allow disabled people to have children.
• Romania Social policy:

  • Wanted to increase birth rate by restricting contraception and abortion.
  • Made divorce difficult and lowered age of marriage.
• China's Social policy:

  • Discouraged couples from having more than one child by introducing fines.
• Marxist recommendations for social policy:

  • We need a revolution.
  • More policies to help families in the working class.
• Marxist evaluation on social policy:

  • Too negative but recognized working class are poor and are statistically more likely to be abused.
• Example of a failed policy: Troubled family policy-

  • Intended outcome = Wanted to correct the anti-social behavior of troubled families, wanted to tackle a culture of disruption and irresponsibility.
  • Unintended outcome= It had no significant impact, the underestimated the scale of the problem.