...The Nuclear Family is a household consisting of two generations. It is the traditional ‘cereal packet family’ with a Husband and a Wife and children either adopted or biological. The New Right also believe that the Nuclear Family should also have traditional segregated roles within the family. This traditionally means that the women would be in charge of the household chores and looking after the children whilst the husband would be the main breadwinner and would go out to work. The New Right are a perspective who believes that government policies do not support the traditional Nuclear Family and the roles that should be upheld within that family. One of the main policies that are thought to undermine these traditional roles and values is that of the Divorce reform Law of 1969. This law made divorce, especially women, easier, less costly and less shameful for the women who were involved. It also introduced the concept of family courts which helped to protect the children who were almost, inevitably involved in the rare divorce of their parents. The reform of the law is something that the New Right doesn’t agree with. They feel that the law encourages divorce and in this way it does not support the Nuclear Family. They feel that because divorce is no easier for the majority of people then more people are going to get a divorce and become lone parents and because they believe that the Nuclear Family has to consist of two married parents and their children then this is a policy...
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...social policies affect family life A social policy is a law implemented by the government to benefit society. Most social policies will affect families in some way or another. There are 2 types of policies, direct and indirect. A direct policy has a direct and immediate affect on the family, and an indirect policy is other policies not directly aimed at families but may still have an affect on them. Social policies have attempted to promote the nuclear family, such as those introduced by New Labour and the Conservative government, although New Labour are more accepting of family diversity. The New Rights ideology has influenced government policies. They argue that policies have weakened the nuclear family leading to family diversity and more problems for family members. The New Right have the view that social policies should avoid doing anything that might undermine the 'natural' and self reliant nuclear family and will often criticise many government policies for undermining the family by providing over generous welfare benefits e.g. council housing for teenage mothers. The New Right argues that social policies like the legalization of abortion and the availability of the contraceptive pill is the beginning of family decline. They also state that equal opportunities and equal pay lows distract women from their 'natural' career as a mother. The New Right feel that policies like this is causing a decline in the traditional nuclear family, resulting in the family not fulfilling its...
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...Family diversity is the idea that there are a range of different family types, rather than a single dominant one like the nuclear family. It is associated with the post-modernists idea that in today’s society increasing choice about relationships is creating greater family diversity. The modernist view sees society as having a fairly fixed, predictable structure. The modernists see the nuclear family as being the best as it performs certain essential functions. Talcott Parsons saw that the nuclear family as uniquely suited to meet the needs of modern society for a geographical and socially mobile work force. Also Parsons saw that the family performed two ‘irreducible functions’- the primary socialisation of the young and the stabilisation of adult personalities. These functions contribute to the overall stability and effectiveness of society. The New Right has an anti-feminist and conservative view on the family; they are firmly opposed to diversity within family life. The New Right sociologists hold the view that there is only one normal family type; this is the traditional patriarchal nuclear family consisting of a married couple and their dependent children. The New Right sees this family type as being natural based upon the fundamental biological differences between men and women. These sociologists would argue that family diversity is the cause of many social problems, such as education failure and high crime rates. The New Right believes that lone-parent families...
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...laws on family life. There are many different views of how government policies and laws affect family life among different sociological theorists. Some view government policies as positive whereas some see the impact as positive. Feminists argue that many government policies promote the patriarchal family and reinforces the women’s economic dependence on a man. Policies such as tax benefits and maternity leave are seen as negative policies as they promote the ideology of women being the main childcares in a relationship. Women are entitled to 9 months maternity leave whereas men are only able to receive 2 weeks paid paternity. Consequently, this means women are forced to be the parent that stays at home to look after the child as a couple would not be able to have financial stability if the man stayed at home for 9 months without pay. The new right also do not support these policies however for different reasoning. Feminists have a negative view on policies that insinuate that they have to care for their elders, as they believe the role of a caregiver to the sick and elderly should be shared between men and women equally and should be a women’s obligation. Although feminists are against laws that enforce the inequality between men and women they support policies that allow women to be independent from a patriarchal relationship, for example the divorce reform act and working tax credits. The divorce reform act allows women to file for divorce and have the same rights as men...
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...affect family life From the 19th Century onwards the government have introduced different social policies in attempt to shape family life in Britain, to make it better for all family members, rather than only focusing on the traditional patriarchal Nuclear family. In 1963 the equal Pay Act was introduced, meaning that pay based on sex was abolished and men and women became more equal. This social policy created a higher standard of living as both partners would become wage earners, meaning the family was financially better off and could afford to meet all of the family’s basic needs and requirements. Women became more powerful and gained more authority due to this social policy, and therefore males were less dominant causing them to help out more within the home, which created more gender equality. A functionalist would agree with this social policy as they believe that it helps the family run more efficiently and makes family life better for all; however it does not follow Talcott Parsons (1955) as he argued that women should remain at home due to their biological differences, as they’re naturally suited to the housewife role. Feminists are also in favour, as they believe that men and women should be equals and receive the same rights as men. Especially radical feminists, who believe that women entering paid work is a great way for women to escape men, by women becoming wage earners they are no longer financially dependent on their husbans. However, the New Right are against...
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...the impact of Government policies and laws on family life in Britain (20 marks) Social policies are the measures taken by state, or Government, bodies such as schools and welfare agencies. They are usually based on laws introduced by Government. Laws and policies can have both direct and indirect effects on the family. There are many Government policies that can either benefit of have a negative impact on the family. These come from many different movements in Government, such as: New Right, New Labour and Coalition - these can be criticised by different types of sociologists such as Marxists and Feminists, which I will be expressing throughout this essay. The New Right have a Functionalist view on the family. They believe strongly in the advocation of the nuclear family and the other family criteria that they present, such as - as presented by the sociologist George Murdock - A heterosexual couple as part of a nuclear who engage in a socially acceptable sexual relationship, economic cooperation (or being self-sufficient) and provides basic functions such as socialisation, discipline and morality. The “Child Support Agency” was enforced in 1993, and forced natural fathers to provide for their own children financially in the event of a parental split. The Government fund this agency to ensure that the child is financially supplied to ensure good health and quality of life as they grow up. The impact that this had on the family is that the biological fathers are forced into...
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...important influence on family life, they hold different views about what kinds of effects it has and whether these are desirable. In this essay I will examine a range of different sociological views or perspectives on the impact of social policy on families. The actions and policies of governments can sometimes have profound effects on families and their members. Cross-cultural examples from different societies and historical periods can show us some of the more extreme ways in which the state’s policies can affect family life, this can help us to see the relationship between families and social policies in a new light. One particularly striking attempt by the state to shape family life was the policy set by China on controlling the population, and birth rate within the country. Chinas population control policy has discouraged couples from having more than one child. According to Adrian Wilson (1985) the policy is supervised by the workplace family planning committees; women must seek their permission to try and become pregnant, and there is often a waiting list and a quota for each factory. Couples who comply with the policy get extra benefits, such as free child healthcare and higher tax allowances. Functionalists see society as built on harmony and consensus, and free from major conflicts. They see the state as acting in the interests of society as a whole and its social policies as being for good for all. Functionalist’s see policies as helping families to perform their functions...
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...Modernism and the Nuclear family Modernist consist of new right and functionalist who see society as clear cut and one family fits all, as seen by parson who explains that one family type that being nuclear family is uniquely suited to that of modern society such as being geometrically being able to move to suit job the primary socialisation of children and the stabilisation of adult personalities. The New right The new right have an anti-feminist perspective on the family. They are firmly opposed to family diversity. They see the same values as functionalist parson who says that male and females have roles males have instrumentals roles where they’re designed to work and earn food labelled bread winner while females have expressive roles that are designed to look after children, The new right see the nuclear family as natural and based upon biological differences, family is the cornerstone which upheld society a place of refuge contentment and harmony The new right argue that the decline of the traditional nuclear family and growth of family diversity are a cause of social problems such as high crime rates and educational failures One way they see this occurring is because single mothers are unnatural and harmful as they cannot discipline their child propley which results in them become delinquency and become a burden on the welfare state by them become a strain on education which they will fail and therefore become dependent on welfare later in life and repeat the...
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...support the traditional nuclear family. (24 Marks) Social policies are the measures taken by the state bodies and based on laws introduced by the government that aim to deal with a problem or achieve a goal. They can have both direct (aimed specifically at family life) and indirect effects (aimed on other social or economic issues but also affects the family). The traditional nuclear family is the ‘cereal packet’ family comprised of two adults of opposing sex with segregated roles of male breadwinner and female nurturer, and two children. There are many examples of government policies which support the traditional family norm and therefore social policy may be seen as an aspect of family ideology. Ideology is a set of beliefs that serve the interests of a dominant social group, and so we are encouraged to view the traditional family as normal and desirable. Functionalists believe that the state acts in the interests of the whole society and that its policies help the family to perform its functions. There is a March of Progress view as they believe policies are gradually improving family life. Functionalists believe that the welfare state enables families to look after their members better through access to the NHS, child benefit etc. However Feminists argue that social policies only benefit men whereas New Right believes that the interference of the state creates a “perverse incentive”, encouraging irrational behaviour. The New Right is a conservative perspective that...
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...extent of family diversity these Sociological views on family diversity divided into two groups; the modernists and the post-modernists. The modernists include the functionalists, the new right, the neo-conventional family and the Rapoports: five types of family diversity. The functionalists and new right only see the conventional nuclear family as normal and all other family types as deviant, and Chester believes there has been one major change which is the neo-conventional family and finally the rapoports have identified five different types of diversity. The post-modernist include life course analyse, family practices and include sociologists such as Giddens, Beck, Stacey and Weeks. Postmodernism rejects the structural views of society and believe individuals have more choice in their relationships and family practices. The functionalist view on society as fixed and predictable structure. They see the nuclear family as the best family type and helping to maintain structure by preforming vital functions. Talcott Parsons believes there is a ‘functional fit’ with the nuclear family and society, and Parsons sees the nuclear family as suited to meeting modern societies needs for a geographically and socially mobile workforce. He also believes the nuclear family as preforming two ‘irreducible functions’ which are the primary socialisation of children and the stabilisation of adult personalities. As a result of this in the functional view, because of the nuclear families ability to...
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...Family Diversity New Right- views * Like functionalists the New Right hols the view that there is only one correct normal family type. Is the traditional or conventional patriarchal nuclear family. * They see lone-parent families, as both unnatural and harmful, especially to children. They argue that lone mothers cannot discipline their children properly, they are a burden on the welfare state and they leave boys without an adult male role model, resulting in higher rates threatening social stability. * They disappear of mother going out to work because they believe women should make caring for their family their first priority. * New Right oppose many of the recent trends in family life on economic and political grounds. As conservatives, they are strongly opposed to high levels of taxation and government spending. Increase in numbers of lone-parent families had led to more spending on welfare benefits. As this has to be paid for out of public funds, places a bigger tax burden on working population. Feminist Ann Oakley (1997) argues that the New Right wrongly assumes that husbands and wives’ roles are fixed by biology. Oakley believes that the New Right view of the family is a negative reaction against the feminist campaign for women’s equality. * Feminist argues that traditional nuclear family favoured by the New Right is based on the patriarchal oppression of women and is a fundamental cause of gender, inequality. Financially. dependent on men, and...
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...ways in which social policies and laws may influence families and households. Some sociologists have suggested that social policy has caused families to become more diverse while others disagree. Social policies are the laws and practices put in place by the government that effect social issues, in this case the family. For example, in the 1930’s the Nazi government in Germany wanted to encourage Aryan families and put in place policies that involved sterilising certain groups to prevent them from having children. More recently in China they have a one child policy, if individuals have more than one child the government have put in place a series of penalties try and control their population. In the UK sociologists are interested in if social policy has caused families to become more diverse or different. One way in which families have become more diverse is an increase in same sex families. This is lesbian and gay couples living with children. Social policies that can be linked to this type of family diversity are laws to do with homosexuality in the UK. For example, in 1967 male homosexuality was legalised in the UK this has made homosexuality more socially accepted; this would allow gay couples to start a recognised family. However, other social policies have made same sex families even more accepted. For example, in 2002 the UK adoption laws were changed to allow gay couples to adopt children and create a family unit. Furthermore, in 2004 the Civil Partnership Act...
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...'neo-conventional family' (2 marks) Chester describes the neo-conventional family as a dual-earner family, in which both souses go to work. It is similar to Young and Willmott's idea of the symmetrical family. b) Explain the difference between 'expressive' and 'instrumental' roles. (4 marks) Expressive - 'homemaker', usually the female's role as it is more caring and nurturing and stating that they should stay at home and be a housewife and not go to work. Instrumental – 'breadwinner', usually the male's role as it is more physical and states that men should go to work and earn money for their family in order to provide for them. c) Identify three of the types of family diversity described by the Rapoports. (6 marks)Organisational – difference in how roles within the family are organised and shared between husbands' and wives'. (e.g. joint or segregated conjugal roles)Cultural - differences in family structures between different cultures, religions and ethnic groups. (e.g. female headed households in African-Caribbean). Generational – different generations have different attitudes and experiences that reflect the historical periods in which they have lived. (e.g. morality of cohabitation or divorce) Using material from Item A and elsewhere, assess sociological explanations of the nature and extent of family diversity today. Family diversity refers to any family type that is not nuclear, such as single parent families and gay couples. Family diversity is...
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...Legislating the Family: Heterosexist Bias in Social Welfare Policy Frameworks Amy Lind University of Virginia Studies in Women and Gender Program This article addresses the effects of heterosexist bias in social welfare policy frameworks on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals and families in the United States. It discusses the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), federal definitions of family and household, and stereotypes about LGBT individuals. It argues that poor LGBT individuals and families lack full citizen rights and access to needed social services as a result of these explicit and implicit biases. Key words: Welfare reform; family policy; civil rights; gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT); heterosexism Welfare reform is fundamentally about family policy—about promoting and privileging particular kinds of families, and about penalizing and stigmatizing others. (Cahill and Jones 2002: 1). Two pieces of legislation were passed in 1996 that set an important tone for family policy in the United States: The 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), an act that expanded welfare-to-work programs throughout the country, restricted people’s access to public assistance, and crystallized the broader restructuring of public-private boundaries; and the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defines marriage as a legal union between a man...
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...policies affect family life. (24 marks, 14 AO1, 10 AO2) A social policy is a law implemented by the government to benefit society. These social policies have attempted to promote the nuclear family, such as those introduced by New Labour (although they are more accepting of family diversity than conservatives) and the Conservative government. The Child Support Act supports the conventional family by making the father provide for his children, even when he is absent - thus reinforcing the natural role of the breadwinner. Changes to taxes in 1988 also tried to reinforce the conventional families by not allowing cohabiting couples to claim more tax than married couples, and prevented them from claiming mortgage relief as two people, meaning married people are better off with their taxes. Maternity and paternity leave also reinforce the conventional nuclear family type, as maternity leave is far longer than paternity leave; this assumes that the mother is the primary caretaker of the child (this is not the case in Sweden, where both parents are treated as equal caretakers and income earners). Both New Right and New Labour are in favour of the nuclear family because they view it as the best way for a child to be adequately socialised. The New Right view the division of labour as natural and based on biology; when these roles are fulfilled the family will become self-reliant and not have to rely on the state for support. New Labour also support the nuclear family as the best place...
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