Family Policy Quick on the Draw
1. What is 'Social Policy'?
Plans and actions of government agencies, eg health & social services, welfare, eduction
2. Give two examples of government policy that directly affects the family.
Laws on marriage, divorce, abortion, contraception, child protection, adoption
3. Give two examples of government policy that indirectly affects the family.
Provision of compulsory education, 'care in the community', Taxation
4. Give one example of where the state has tried to limit family size, and one where the
state has tried to increase the birth rate
a) China b) Romania (1980's), Nazi Germany
5. Do Functionalists see Social Policy as a positive or negative force?
Positive
6. Do the New Right see current UK Social Policy as a positive or negative force?
Negative
7. Give the name of one Functionalist and one New Right sociologist who has written
about Social Policy and the family
Ronald Fletcher / Charles Murray
8. How does Social Policy lead to a 'dependency culture' according to New Right
thinkers?
Rewards people for depending on the state, rather than being self reliant
9. What kind of family is the 'cereal packet norm' according to Edmund Leach?
Patriarchal, nuclear family with a male provider, a female homemaker & dependent children
10. Why would a feminist argue against an assumption in the courts that women should
usually have custody of children in a divorce case?
It reinforces the idea that women are the 'natural' carers.
11. What are the two types of 'Gender Regimes' identified by Eileen Drew in 1995?
Traditional 'familistic' and more equal 'individualistic'
12. What is the basic assumption at the heart of: a) Familistic Gender Regimes and b)
Indivdualist Genger Regimes?
a) Husband works to support family while woman is main careprovider b) Husbands and
wives should be treated the same
13. According to Marxists, who does social policy actually benefit?
The ruling / captialist class / Capitalism
14. According to Donzelot, which groups have power over the family as well as the
government?
Professionals, such as Doctors, Social Workers etc
Family Policy Quick on the Draw
1. What is 'Social Policy'?
2. Give two examples of government policy that directly affects the family.
3. Give two examples of government policy that indirectly affects the family.
4. Give one example of where the state has tried to limit family size, and one where the
state has tried to increase the birth rate
5. Do Functionalists see Social Policy as a positive or negative force?
6. Do the New Right see current UK Social Policy as a positive or negative force?
7. Give the name of one Functionalist and one New Right sociologist who has written
about Social Policy and the family
8. How does Social Policy lead to a 'dependency culture' according to New Right
thinkers?
9. What kind of family is the 'cereal packet norm' according to Edmund Leach?
10. Why would a feminist argue against an assumption in the courts that women should
usually have custody of children in a divorce case?
11. What are the two types of 'Gender Regimes' identified by Eileen Drew in 1995?
12. What is the basic assumption at the heart of: a) Familistic Gender Regimes and b)
Indivdualist Genger Regimes?
13. According to Marxists, who does social policy actually benefit?
14. According to Donzelot, which groups have power over the family as well as the
government?