Social Policy

Question 1

What is social policy?

Answer 1

The packages of plans, and actions by national or local government to solve social problems

Question 2

What is a social problem?

Answer 2

Refers to something which is seen as being harmful to society in some way

Question 3

How does sociology provide an awareness of cultural differences?

Answer 3

• see’s society from different perspectives
• develops an ‘informed awareness’ of different ways of life
  = sociology helps policy-makers to tailor policies more effectively
  E.G: Swell’s study on black students

Question 4

How does sociology provide self-awareness and understanding?

Answer 4

• develops understanding of ourselves e.g. why we behave as we do
• individuals can understand their position in society
  = creation of new social movements which demand new policies
  E.G Dobash and Dobash

Question 5

How does sociology change assumptions?

Answer 5

• social research can indirectly influence social policy by being absorbed into the taken-for-granted common-sense assumptions involved in society’s dominant culture

Question 6

How does sociology provide a theoretical framework?

Answer 6

• provides a theoretical framework for policies adopted by governments
  E.G conservative party in the 1980s were strongly influenced by the New Right e.g. Charles Murray

Question 7

How does sociology provide practical professional knowledge?

Answer 7

• sociologist work in a wide range of professions:

- including as civil servants where they play a direct role in shaping and evaluating policy

Question 8

How does sociology identify social problems?

Answer 8

• sociological ideas can help shape policy by showing that social problems have wider causes than simply individual behaviour

Question 9

How can sociology provide evidence?

Answer 9

• sociologists are normally those who collect the data

- policy makers can draw on this data to form evidence based policies

Question 10

How can sociology identify the unintended consequences of policies?

Answer 10

• can evaluate existing policies

Question 11

How can sociology assess the results?

Answer 11

• can help to establish whether policies have worked

Question 12

What did Giddens argue the relationship between sociology and social policy enables us to do?

Answer 12

• understand social situations
• have an awareness of cultural differences
• assess the effects of policies
• increase our self-knowledge

Question 13

How did the New Right influence the governments of Mrs Thatcher?

Answer 13

• used to justify cutting benefits and welfare
• gov. should have minimal involvement with society
• social policies should encourage individual responsibility

Question 14

How did New Labour influence Tony Blair’s government?

Answer 14

• wanted to use social policies to re-establish a sense of social cohesion and unity

Question 15

How might sociologists not always influence social policy?

Answer 15

• e.g. a labour government would not look at right wing sociologists studies
• other groups may also have a bigger affect on social policy such as pressure groups and the media

Question 16

How do Marxists view social policy?

Answer 16

• See policies such as the ‘minimum wage’ as ideological devices which help perpetrate capitalism and maintain false consciousness
• argue sociology should be critical of capitalism

Question 17

What might Marxists argue in the purpose of compulsory education, child benefit and unemployment benefits?

Answer 17

CE: Trains into capitalist norms and values
CB: tries to educe the effects of exploration and repression
UB: keeps workers looking for jobs as only pays the bare minimum

Question 18

How do Liberal feminists view social policy?

Answer 18

See social policies as having had some success in bringing about greater gender equality
- early feminist researched showed how stereotyping can lead to particular subject choices and varied achievement = been effort to change this

Question 19

How do Radical feminists view social policy?

Answer 19

• suggests there is still a ‘glass ceiling’
• family policies work on the assumption that the traditional family is best
• policies such as paternity leave do little to challenge the expectation that child care is a woman’s responsibility

Question 20

What do Postmodernists argue?

Answer 20

That the use of categories such as gender, class etc for creating social policy can no longer be used as society is no longer structured, ordered or managed