How social changes over time affect policy development
Social change Effect on policy Why and how it changed
Homosexuality Legalised in 1967 under the sexual offences Social norms and values changed as people
act began to stop seeing homosexuality as taboo
so it got decriminalised
Same sex couples act 2013
Due to secularisation more people were
becoming open to the idea of homosexuality
Smoking October 2007 Children and Young persons Society became more aware of the dangers
act changed the legal smoking age to 18 of smoking as science and research
developed
Children and families act 2014 made it illegal
to smoke in cars with children
Women's rights Equal franchise act 1928 allowed women to Society began to stop seeing women as
vote inferior to men and began to believe in
equality, so suffragettes and suffragists
protested for women’s rights and the right to
voting and further education for women
Abortion The abortion act 1967 legalised abortion in Secularisation meant that people began to
the UK see abortion as acceptable, and as societies
values shifted to more pro choice beliefs the
law changed. Many people also protested for
this change in law
Social change Effect on policy Why and how it changed
Homosexuality Legalised in 1967 under the sexual offences Social norms and values changed as people
act began to stop seeing homosexuality as taboo
so it got decriminalised
Same sex couples act 2013
Due to secularisation more people were
becoming open to the idea of homosexuality
Smoking October 2007 Children and Young persons Society became more aware of the dangers
act changed the legal smoking age to 18 of smoking as science and research
developed
Children and families act 2014 made it illegal
to smoke in cars with children
Women's rights Equal franchise act 1928 allowed women to Society began to stop seeing women as
vote inferior to men and began to believe in
equality, so suffragettes and suffragists
protested for women’s rights and the right to
voting and further education for women
Abortion The abortion act 1967 legalised abortion in Secularisation meant that people began to
the UK see abortion as acceptable, and as societies
values shifted to more pro choice beliefs the
law changed. Many people also protested for
this change in law
