SociologyExchange.co.uk Shared Resource

SociologyExchange.co.uk Shared Resource

• 1.
  Learning objectives : • Know some of the ways in which policies may affect families • Understand the different sociological perspectives in families and social policy • Be able to analyse these perspectives and evaluate thier usefulness in understanding the relationship between families and social policy
• 2.
  Unit 1 ~Families & Households Unit 1 of your A/s course is the sociological study of families & households. It is worth 40% of the A/s level & 20% of the complete A level qualification. Candidates will choose one topic from three & answer one question. Each question consists of five parts. This is a written paper, has a total of sixty marks & will last for one hour. Past A level exam papers and mark schemes are available to download from http://web.aqa.org.uk/qual/gce/humanities/sociology_noticeboard.php?id=10&prev=10 We have been examining the following areas of the Sociology of Families & households ~ • The relationship of the family to the social structure & social change, with particular reference to the economy & to state policies. • We have looked at the relationship of the family to the social structure and social change – especially in reference to the six theories we have looked at FUNCTIONALISM, MARXISM,FEMINISM, NEW RIGHT,RADICAL PYSCHIATRY AND MODERNITY/POST MODERNITY . • For the next two weeks (7th and 14th of march 2011) we will look at social policies in reference to family • We will look at social policies around the world and specifically UK social policies that means looking at social policies set by the government • This means looking at the policies set by the different political groups in the UK, conservative , labour and liberal democrats • We will look at current policies as outlined by AQA this is policies post 1997 – meaning labour government policies and coalition government policies • We will also look at this policies from a theoretical point of view by observing how functionalist, new right , Marxists and feminist would evaluate this policies
• 3.
  A/s sociology Academictimetable & exam timetable Tuesdays class – remaining weeks – and topics still to do Week 1 – 01/03/11 – New right and post modernism- DONE Week 2- 08/03/11- Social policy - start Week 3- 14/05/11- social policy - finish Week 4 – 22/03/11- Demography - start Week 5 – 29/03/11- demography – finish Week 6 – 05/04/11- revision – AFTER this 2 weeks Easter holiday Week 7 – 26/04/11 revision Week 8 - 03/05/11- revision – Week 9 10/05/11 – revision
• 4.
  Unit 1 January 2011 – May 2011 Exam – 18th of May Sociology of 2011 Families & Wednesday Households Time : Unit 2 Retake Sociology of 20th of May 2011 Education with Friday Research Methods COMPARATIVE VIEW OF SOCIAL POLICY CHINA ONE CHILD POLICY NAZI GERMANY * * * OTHER * OTHER * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * * * *
• 5.
  Effects of China’sone-child policy Read the following account of demographic changes in China: Patterns of fertility in China have been significantly affected in the last thirty years by several factors. In 1979 China introduced a strict family planning policy that allows most couples to have only one child. Without this policy the Chinese government says that the country’s population would have continued to grow at an alarming rate. However, one of the results of this policy is the gradual emergence of a gender imbalance. In China as a whole, there are 120 males born for every 100 females. In some provinces, the number of males rises to160. The typical average ratio worldwide is about 105 boys for every 100 girls. There are now 18 million more men than there are women of marriageable age and the numbers are still growing.
• 6.
  The main reasonfor this imbalance lies in Chinese cultural traditions. When a woman married, she lived with, and worked for, her husband’s family. Therefore, male children were more valued, as they carried on the family line, earned money for the family and looked after their parents in old age. This is still particularly true for rural areas – baby girls are not a good investment! At first there were incidents of baby girls being abandoned, or sometimes even killed. Today many female foetuses are aborted. Modern ultrasound techniques can identify the sex of a foetus and this can then influence a decision about abortion. Although there are now laws to prevent doctors telling parents the sex of their unborn child, such sex-determined abortions are still occurring. The Chinese version of ‘Blind Date’ now attracts thousands of applicants from young men, who are willing to sing, dance and ridicule themselves for the chance of a date with a young woman. The status of older women as potential brides has improved and homosexuality has become more common. More worrying are the increase of kidnapping of women, sex trafficking from other Asian countries, and sexual crime by gangs of young men. In response, the government has introduced a propaganda campaign stressing the importance of girls. Now discuss each of the following questions: 1 Explain how a range of different social, cultural and political influences have brought about this situation . in China.
• 7.
  2 Look backto the section on fertility (page 49) and identify which factors identified there are relevant in . this case also. 3 What policies do you think the Chinese government could use to ease the growing problem of gender . imbalance? The family and Social policy This exercise will help you devise a revision diagram Divorce reform act (1969) Child support agency Council housing policy Explain the impact of this on family life Explain the impact of this on family Explain the impact of this on the models To what extent does the CSA attempt to life of family people live in engineer an ideal type of family? Has it been successful?
• 8.
  Social policy and the family Maternity/paternity leave Working families tax credit Children act Who introduced these and why Explain the impact of this on family life What are people’s rights regarding Does the social policy undermine To what extent does the children act this do this rights reinforce traditional traditional gender roles and family attempt to engineer an ideal type of gender roles structures? family Has it been successful? FUNCTIONALISM NEW RIGHT * * THEORITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON FAMILY & SOCIAL POLICY * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
• 9.
  MARXISM FEMINISM 878( * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The Family and Social Policy NEW RIGHT 1942: Beveridge lays welfare foundations The coalition British Government has unveiled plans for a welfare state offering care to all from the cradle to the grave. The Beveridge report proposes a far-reaching series of changes designed to provide a financial safety net to ensure a "freedom from want" after the war is over. Everyone of working age would be expected to pay a weekly national insurance contribution.
• 10.
  In return benefitswould be paid to the sick, widowed, retired, and unemployed and there would also be an allowance for families. Serious discrepancies The architect of the report, economist Sir William Beveridge, drew on advice from various government departments including the Home Office, Ministry of Labour and National Service, the Ministry of Pensions, the Ministry of Health and the Treasury. His report was based on research carried out between the two world wars, which looked at issues like poverty, as well as old age and birth rates. He found provision for old age represented one of the most pressing problems. But there were other failings too. Medical provision was not universally available to all and Britain's achievement, in his words, "fell seriously short" compared with other countries of the world. There were also serious discrepancies in the social security system which meant an unemployed person was paid a different rate of benefit to someone who was unable to work through sickness. At a time when the war was destroying landmarks of every kind, he said, it was a "revolutionary moment in the world's history, a time for revolutions, not for patching". But the attack on want was only part of the way to reconstruction. Other things which needed tackling, he said, included disease, ignorance, squalor and idleness. The way to improvement in social security lay in co-operation between the state and the individual. In return for offering financial security, the state should not "stifle individual incentive to provide for his or her family". The amount of benefit paid should be sufficient to live on but no more. His key recommendations include a basic unemployment benefit for a man and his wife to be paid at 40s a week and 24s for a single person. There are also plans to extend social expenditure to pay a family allowance of 8s per child and to pay a working mother to take off up to 13 weeks after a new baby. A national health service would be provided offering free medical treatment and post-medical rehabilitation for all. The report estimates the cost of his social security scheme would amount to £697m in 1945, compared to £432m for the existing system. Of this increase £86m would be borne by the exchequer - the rest through individual contributions. Much of the new right perspective arose as a criticism of the welfare state that had been introduced following the 1942 Beveridge report. Using this information about the beverage report above answer the following questions
• 11.
  In Context The BeveridgeReport aimed to provide a universal social insurance scheme covering everything from unemployment to sickness and family allowances. SOCIAL POLICY It was greeted with great enthusiasm Functionalism – page 82 was Beveridge? 1.Who and sold over half a million copies - but the wartime coalition under 1. Identify two functions that the families perform for their Conservative Prime Minister members apart from healthcare Winston Churchill agreed to postpone planning for its implementation until after the war. During a Commons debate on the report in February 1943, Labour came out strongly in favour of all the recommendations made in the report. 2.What were the main parts of the welfare set up at It was probably this which cost Churchill victory in the 1945 2. Suggest the end of the welfare policiesWar and what ‘giant ways in which Second World may help families to carry out thesewere functions morecombat? election and led to Clement Attlee evils’ two these meant to effectively leading the first majority Labour New Labour – page 83 government. 1. Identify two other means tested benefits that are only 3. What is meant by the phrase ‘welfare from the cradle available to families on a low income to the grave’? What principles underlie this phrase? Under his leadership, the National Insurance Act was introduced in 1946, offering a state contributory pension for all, and the National Health Service founded in 1948, offering free medical care for all. Feminism –page 83-84 1. Find out about maternity and paternity leave provision. How do the two differ? What effects might it have on family life if they were the same?
• 12.
  Evaluation of theMarxist perspective – page 85-86 Read the section on the Marxist approach to family policies on pages 85 to 86 of the book and use that information to help you complete the following passage. The missing words are listed at the end. Strengths 1 Marxism offers a more ______________perspective on the family than consensus theories like . functionalism. 2 It shows how ________________ may often favour the better off and serve __________________. . 3 It shows how ______________ for ordinary workers are often too low to make a real difference . 4 Marxists believe it is in the interests of capitalism to encourage nuclear families to . ________________ workers and prevent________________ . Weaknesses 1 It tends to be ‘gender-blind’ in failing to recognise the importance of ___________ in social policy . 2 It is very ______________ , in that it assumes all aspects of family life are determined by . ______________ forces. 3 The approach focuses on one particular type of family and does not deal adequately with ______________ . forms. Missing words: Policies Support Deterministic Alternative Capitalism Patriarchy Resistance Economic Critical Benefits
• 13.
  The family underJohn Major’s government Carol Smart and Bren Neale childcare and divorce Conclusion