What is a Social Policy? Indirect policies include:
- Education Policies - Employment Policies
A law, guideline, regulation, etc. which the
● Providing ‘child care’ during the day ● Factory Acts excluded women from
government will implement which effects our lives or
● Not promoting homosexuality in schools certain forms of employment
welfare in some way.
● Increasing leaving age ● Maternity leave
These policies can include: Education policies,
● Offering financial support for students to stay in ● No paid paternity leave
Housing policies, Health policies, employment
education post-16 ● Tax relief on childcare
policies, child protection policies etc
These policies can either be direct policies which
- Health Policies - Housing Policies
directly affect family life (marriage/divorce laws etc).
● Care in the community policy ● Families with children get
puts responsibility on priority
Or they can be indirect policies families to care for relatives
Direct which change something else e.g. ● Free contraception Different sociological
policies include: Education, health or employment, ● Legal abortions views on social policies
but still end up having an effect ● IVF programmes on NHS
on family life.
- Functionalists
- Marriage laws (Civil partnerships)
Social policies are good for individuals and
- Laws affecting families’ income through society. They help through welfare support, child
benefits and taxation (Child benefit payments). protection laws, support nuclear family
(functionalist preferred family), and have
- Laws can affect marital relationships through sexual behaviour, improved society overall. - Prevented collapse of
abortion, domestic violence, and protection from child abuse. Family - Social society by supporting different agents of
Policy socialisation.
Introduction of Child Protection Laws - New Right
Government should not be interfering with family life. However, with
growing underclass, increasing numbers of lone parents, same sex
-
Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act couples etc. various incentives and policies were introduced to
2006 encourage a return to traditional values and family structures.
DBS (criminal record checks) made compulsory for
anyone working with vulnerable people (on the back More indirect - Marxists
of the Soham murders). Further changes have policies Policies are used by the ruling class as a tool to control, exploit and
since been made to make it even tighter. oppress the working class. It is used to disguise inequality.
Various cuts to welfare benefits E.g. minimum wage gives the illusion of fairness and health and
- The Children’s Act 2004 safety laws give the illusion of protection etc.
were also made which ended up
Multi agency approach to safeguard children.
making life harder for families.
(Partly as a response to Victoria Climbie’s death
and inquiry in 2000).
- Feminists
Examples are:
- ‘Every Child Matters’ policy Policies are used to exploit and oppress women e.g.
- The introduction of prescription changes
Focus on healthy schools, keeping children safe reinforcing gender roles (maternity leave) etc.
- Charged for dental care and opticians
etc. - Reduced child benefit
- Scrapped free milk for children at school
- Banned the smacking of children
Self explanatory.
Housing policies were also changed so that nuclear
families were given priority for social housing.
- Education Policies - Employment Policies
A law, guideline, regulation, etc. which the
● Providing ‘child care’ during the day ● Factory Acts excluded women from
government will implement which effects our lives or
● Not promoting homosexuality in schools certain forms of employment
welfare in some way.
● Increasing leaving age ● Maternity leave
These policies can include: Education policies,
● Offering financial support for students to stay in ● No paid paternity leave
Housing policies, Health policies, employment
education post-16 ● Tax relief on childcare
policies, child protection policies etc
These policies can either be direct policies which
- Health Policies - Housing Policies
directly affect family life (marriage/divorce laws etc).
● Care in the community policy ● Families with children get
puts responsibility on priority
Or they can be indirect policies families to care for relatives
Direct which change something else e.g. ● Free contraception Different sociological
policies include: Education, health or employment, ● Legal abortions views on social policies
but still end up having an effect ● IVF programmes on NHS
on family life.
- Functionalists
- Marriage laws (Civil partnerships)
Social policies are good for individuals and
- Laws affecting families’ income through society. They help through welfare support, child
benefits and taxation (Child benefit payments). protection laws, support nuclear family
(functionalist preferred family), and have
- Laws can affect marital relationships through sexual behaviour, improved society overall. - Prevented collapse of
abortion, domestic violence, and protection from child abuse. Family - Social society by supporting different agents of
Policy socialisation.
Introduction of Child Protection Laws - New Right
Government should not be interfering with family life. However, with
growing underclass, increasing numbers of lone parents, same sex
-
Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act couples etc. various incentives and policies were introduced to
2006 encourage a return to traditional values and family structures.
DBS (criminal record checks) made compulsory for
anyone working with vulnerable people (on the back More indirect - Marxists
of the Soham murders). Further changes have policies Policies are used by the ruling class as a tool to control, exploit and
since been made to make it even tighter. oppress the working class. It is used to disguise inequality.
Various cuts to welfare benefits E.g. minimum wage gives the illusion of fairness and health and
- The Children’s Act 2004 safety laws give the illusion of protection etc.
were also made which ended up
Multi agency approach to safeguard children.
making life harder for families.
(Partly as a response to Victoria Climbie’s death
and inquiry in 2000).
- Feminists
Examples are:
- ‘Every Child Matters’ policy Policies are used to exploit and oppress women e.g.
- The introduction of prescription changes
Focus on healthy schools, keeping children safe reinforcing gender roles (maternity leave) etc.
- Charged for dental care and opticians
etc. - Reduced child benefit
- Scrapped free milk for children at school
- Banned the smacking of children
Self explanatory.
Housing policies were also changed so that nuclear
families were given priority for social housing.
