Sociology and Social Policy

• social policy

  a plan or action of government agencies that aim to improve or reform society

  used to apply to the policies which governments use for welfare and social protection
• social problem


  something that is seen as harmful to society in some way and needs something to be done about it

  defined from the perspective of the powerful e.g. poverty, educational underachievement, juvenile delinquency etc
• sociological problem


  a social issue or behaviour that calls for an explanation, can include behaviour that the rest of society regards 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
• Giddens (2006) ways sociology can contribute to social policy and 'improve our lives'

  1. providing an awareness of cultural differences and of others - seeing it from other perspectives and developing an 'informed awareness' + sensitivity to other ways of life, needs + problems, helps policy makers tailor policies more effectively e.g. religion, sexuality, marriage, divorce etc
• Giddens (2006) ways sociology can contribute to social policy and 'improve our lives'

  1. providing self-awareness + understanding of ourselves - reflexivity can improve lives as we reflect on why we behave as we do + our position in society, reflecting on experiences like racism, domestic violence or sex discrimination can help to empower people to change their lives, encourage them to create support groups which can help pressure governments and criticise existing social policy e.g. welfare benefits
• Giddens (2006) ways sociology can contribute to social policy and 'improve our lives'

  1. challenging assumptions - McNeill (1986) notes that when sociological research is absorbed into common sense it can influence social policy by making ideas seem reasonable and acceptable, or subjects of ridicule
  2. providing a theoretical framework for government policy, Murray (1984) influenced conservative gov. of 1980s with his views on poverty + cutting welfare benefits, combined with PM Thatcher who held a contempt for most sociology + sociological research, New Labour Tony Blair fan of Anthony Giddens
• Giddens (2006) ways sociology can contribute to social policy and 'improve our lives'

  1. providing practical, professional knowledge - sociologists work in a range of occupations; town planning, social work, journalism, human resource + civil service, they can provide valued input from a range of areas, also work for the government in the DWP (Department for Work + Pensions) + Home Office where they play a direct role in shaping government policy
• Giddens (2006) ways sociology can contribute to social policy and 'improve our lives'

  1. identifying social problems - sociologists who are free to explore many areas can peer into the future, ask questions + highlight wider societal issues that arise from open sociological thinking, they can help show how social problems have wider structural causes beyond behaviour of individuals - poverty many in the government are unlikely to have experienced or have empathy towards
  2. providing the evidence - sociological research provides evidence naturally + policy makers can drown on this evidence
• Giddens (2006) ways sociology can contribute to social policy and 'improve our lives'

  1. identifying the unintending consequences of policies - sociological research can evaluate policies, and like Merton's latent functions or dysfunctions
  2. addressing the results - research can assess whether social policies have worked
• Giddens 4 reasons for studying sociology

  1. understanding society
  2. awareness of cultural differences
  3. increase in self-knowledge
  4. assessment of government policies
• Giddens


  points out that sociology has a vital role to play in the evaluation of the effectiveness of government policies

  social research has a positive impact both empirically (by fact gathering) and theoretically (arriving at explanations for certain problems)
• Giddens evaluation

  Giddens is being blinkered as Governments do not simply respond to sociological research in this way, a lot more that goes into developing, reforming and improving social policy
• factors that will influence whether or not sociological research will succeed in influencing government policy

  1. electoral popularity - research findings might point to a policy that might be unpopular with voters - for those it affects they may not be able to vote (prisoners) so inaccurate, UKIP 2015 wanting to leave EU , conservative also did this to not lose votes
  2. ideological + policy preferences of gov. - if researcher's value-stance is similar to political ideology of gov. they have more chance of influencing its policies e.g. functionalists + new right
• factors that will influence whether or not sociological research will succeed in influencing government policy

  1. interest groups - pressure groups that seek to influence gov policies in their own interests - gov. may not listen/be affected by it
  2. globalisation - international organisations may influence social policies of individual governments
  3. critical sociology - sociologists who are critical of the state + powerful groups (marxists) may be regarded as too hostile + unlikely to influence policy
• factors that will influence whether or not sociological research will succeed in influencing government policy

  1. cost - gov. may not have funds to implement a policy, may have other priorities or commitments, cuts may not solve social problems e.g. cutting welfare benefits, Starmer wanting to cut Uni tuition fees but prioritising cutting waiting times for NHS
  2. funding sources - sociologists may tone down findings to fit paymasters wishes
  3. what becomes defined as a social problem depends on the individuals + groups in power recognising it as such
• positivism + functionalism view on social policy

  state as serving interests of society as a whole

  would produce social policies that were for the good for all

  policies help society run more smoothly + efficiently e.g. educational policies promoting equal opportunity

  functionalists take a cautious approach, tend to look at one issue at a time, called 'piecemeal social engineering'
• positivism + functionalism view on social policy criticisms

  cannot produce objective information, sociology isn't an objective subject

  no guarantee as to whether it will influence social policy

  marxists - educational policies aimed at equalising opportunity for children at different classes are often defeated by the influence of poverty in wider society
• social democratic perspective on social policy

  would change the basic structure of society so that policies implemented will bring about more equality in society

  Peter Townsend (1979) researched poverty + recommended the gov gave higher benefits to the poorest + spent more on welfare, education + health services

  Black Report (1980) looked at inequalities in health based on class, put forward 37 policy recommendations but there was a change in gov. before report was published so none of the recommendations were implemented due to cost
• social democratic perspective on social policy criticisms

  gov. may not respond to inequalities + conflict as much as the social democratic perspective may want

  marxists - agree that social problems in health are deep-rooted, reject idea that policies as far-reaching as those proposed by the Black Report are enough to solve the problem, capitalism is the problem

  Postmodernists - impossible to discover objective truth, all knowledge produced by research is uncertain, sociologists can only take the role of 'interpreters' not 'legislators'
• marxists perspective on social policy

  have had relatively little impact on social policy in the UK

  can be seen as too extreme to be supported by the electorate, or too extreme to be allowed to be put in place by the ruling class

  criticise capitalist social policy + reveal exploitation that underpins capitalism + the way the ruling class uses social policies to mask this exploitation and prevent a revolution through minor concessions
• marxists perspective on social policycriticisms


  too extreme

  impractical and unrealistic

  social democrats - rejecting the idea that research can help bring about progressive policies within the capitalist system e.g. poverty research have at times had some positive impact on policy
• feminist perspective on social policy

  see their research as having impact in education, seen changes in the images of the female in teaching material - now more positive

  teacher training now ensures they're sensitive to gender bias + encourages schools to be inclusive

  creation of women's refuges for women escaping domestic violence

  impact on policy on equality - Sex Discrimination Act and the Equal Pay Act 1975
• feminist perspective on social policy criticisms

  many feminists reject the view that reformists social policies can liberate women e.g. both marxist and radical feminists call for more far-reaching changes that the existing state cannot deliver
• new right perspective on social policy

  want sociologists to come up with alternative policies to the existing ones, want new policies to restore the responsibility that welfare state has taken away from individuals, want individuals to take responsibility for their own + their families welfare rather than leaving it to the state

  2008 Social Justice policy Group proposed range of social policies aimed at the family:

  marriage preparation - parenting classes - tax relief + benefits for mothers who stay at home

  social policy to enable people to help themselves
• new right perspective on social policy criticisms

  feminists - attempt to return to traditional nuclear family

  less benefits - increase poverty - more social problems

  research used by the new right has been questioned