Sociology Factsheet

www.curriculum-press.co.uk

Number 48

Social Policy and the Family

What is social policy?

The Beveridge Report (1942)

Social policy considers the actions that the government take to

make changes in society. Social policies are developed to help
tackle social issues. Social policy informs public bodies such as
local authorities and the National Health Service, what changes are
needed to improve services. The overall aim of this is to improve
standards of living in Britain.

This report had a major impact upon how British society changed
following World War II. The country had been badly affected by
the war and five evil giants were identified as major obstacles in
the development of the country. These five evil giants were
squalor, disease, ignorance, idleness and want. In other words,
major improvements were required in housing, health, education,
and employment opportunities, whilst poverty needed to be
reduced. Many policies therefore focussed on these issues. The
fact that the welfare state has remained in place shows one of two
things for sociologists that either the welfare state has not been
successful in making the necessary changes, or that it has gone too
far and has led to society being dependent on the state. Some
argue that the welfare state has led to a dependency culture existing
in Britain.

How does this affect families today?

When new social policies are implemented they can
often have an impact on families. Policies are not
necessarily aimed specifically at families, but will have
an effect on families. Such policies would include
those on childcare, education, housing, health and
crime. Furthermore, many policies that impact upon
families are those that make changes to the legislation on taxation
and benefits, such as child tax credits.

Activity
In what ways has the welfare state been successful in making
the necessary changes to improve family life? In what ways has
the welfare state led to a dependency culture in Britain? Draw
up a table with these headings and add your views and then
discuss these with others and add their views to your list

Just recently, the Department for Education and Skills has been
given a new name and expanded role. The creation of the
Department for Children, Schools and Families suggests that the
current government believe that to make a better society for the
children of today, family life and education should not be treated
as two separate areas of life.

Key studies
Gittens (1993) argues that families and individuals have been
more and more affected by legislation as society has developed
and the role of the state increased throughout modern industrial
society.

Activity
Access the Department for Children, Schools and Families
website to find out more about their role.

Family life, social policy and sociology

Abbott and Wallace (1992) argue that although the Conservative

Party were influenced by the New Right, many policies that they
introduced did not lead to the ideal family being promoted and
benefiting most from policies. They suggest that this is because
the main aim of the Conservatives throughout the 1980s and
early 1990s was to reduce public spending, and that the emphasis
on maintaining the traditional family was sometimes a beneficial
means of justifying this. They conclude that Conservative
policies led to a wider gap between the rich and poor, and that
many poorer families actually became more dependent on the
state.

The policies of the state are considered in the study of the family to
a great extent. The main point that comes up time and time again
from the work of sociologists researching family life is that the
family is considered to be in the private sphere of society, yet it is
influenced immensely by public policy. There is concern therefore
over whether the family is as it would be naturally, or whether it is
socially constructed, that is created by society and the rules by
which we are told to live by. The provision of the welfare state is
one that can be seen by sociologists as either supporting the family
and individuals, or as a mechanism to control families and
individuals.
Activity
In what ways does the welfare state support families and in
what ways does it control families? Draw up a table with the
following headings and add your views and then discuss these
with others and add their views to your list

What are the main ways in which the government influences family
life?
1. Key legislation on marriage, divorce and sexuality.
2. Benefits - Child benefit (universal); Working Tax
and Child tax credit (means- tested); maternity
and paternity pay; carers allowance; income
support; New Deal for lone parents.

Supports families in the following ways:

Controls families in the following ways:

Sociology Factsheet

48. Social Policy and the Family

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Activity
Find out more about how these benefits help families at
www.direct.gov.uk. Do you think that any of these benefits
create a dependency culture?

How are the above to be achieved? The government are to implement

changes including:
- Up to 15 hours of free early education and childcare per week
for 20, 000 two-year-olds in disadvantaged communities
- More attention on gifted and talented learners
- More time in primary school for reading, writing, maths and
modern foreign languages

3. Maintenance payable to single parents - The Child Support

Agency (CSA) was created to help parents who were left to
bring up children on their own following desertion from the
childs other parent (usually the father). The role of the CSA
was to pursue absent parents for payments of maintenance for
the children. This was to encourage taking responsibility for
children, even if parents were not living together. The CSA is
currently undergoing an overhaul because it has been heavily
criticised for failing to secure maintenance payments for single
parents that have been deserted.

Exam Hint:- Remember to link answers on social policy

wherever possible with other areas of social policy such as
health, leisure, employment and education. There is little
family-specific policy but many policies relate in some way
back to families and households.

Social policy and perspectives on the family

NEW RIGHT

Activity

New Right thinkers argued that government policy was

undermining the family so policy changes were needed. Their
thinking dominated policy development from 1979 to 1997.
Margaret Thatcher and John Major, leaders of the Conservative
Party consecutively between 1979 and 1997, believed much of
the New Right thinking to be accurate and therefore many policies
reflected this school of thought.

Investigate more about the CSA. What are their prime aims and
why is the focus changing?
The policies of New Labour tend to focus on money and
employment as being fundamental. This connects to New Labours
target of eliminating child poverty by 2020.

The New Right believe that it is important for children to have a

stable home, with married mother and father, and that ideally the
wife should be able to stay at home to look after the children.

How does family life link with education in terms of social policy?

Sure Start
These centres were set up initially in the most disadvantaged areas
but have more recently been expanded to other areas. They aim to
deliver early education, health education and family services.
Services include nursery places, parenting skills classes, ante-natal
classes, nutrition sessions and toddler groups.

The New Right believe that the introduction of the welfare state
led to a culture where people depend on handouts from the state
and that these encourage single parency, which in turn, they
argue leads to deviancy and a decline in morality.

These benefits can be claimed by parents of dependent children. A

child is dependent until aged 16, or until 19 if they go on to further
education and certain types of training.

The Back to Basics campaign was launched by Conservatives in

1993 to encourage a return to traditional family values. This was
criticised for being unsuccessful, and hypocritical due some
Conservative MPs being found to be having affairs or being
divorced.

What impact might this have upon families when children reach
age 16?

NEW LABOUR

Benefits child benefit and tax credits

Traditionally Labour and Conservatives had very different

opinions. Since New Labour gained power in 1997, the political
views of the two main parties are arguably more similar than ever,
although some differences persist. Tony Blair believed that family
life provided stability for society but Silva and Smart (1999)
suggest that New Labour have recognised that family life has
changed and that New Labours policies are less narrow-minded,
focussing on a wider range of family types compared to the
Conservatives. This wider range of family types includes lone
parents and gay couples. The focus also moved away from the
male being the breadwinner and the female staying at home with
the children. There has also been a shift towards encouraging
the care of the elderly by family members.

The Childrens Plan

This plan by the Department of Children, School and Families
identifies the needs of families, children and young people as
fundamental. It aims include:
-

to ensure each child gets the best education

the elimination of poverty
more effective links between schools, the NHS and other services

for children
- to engage parents
- to tackle barriers to learning
- a focus on early years

Exam Hint:- In the exam, you may be asked to explain policies or changes in the law that had an impact on family life. Remember,
when writing about family and social policy, remember that all types of households should be considered the types of household
that are often omitted in answers are single person households and the elderly. When providing definitions of a key concept, give
an example that backs up your definition. This shows that you can apply your understanding to society, rather than just remembering
a definition.

Sociology Factsheet

48. Social Policy and the Family

www.curriculum-press.co.uk

Check your understanding

1. Identify ways that social policy influences family
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2. How successful have social policies been in supporting families?
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3. How does family life link with education in terms of social policy?
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4. Explain the key points of New Labours policies on the family
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Acknowledgements: This Sociology Factsheet was researched and written by Rachel Jamieson.
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