Impact of social policy on family structure

Impact of social policy on family structure

1. Impact of policy on family structures

2. Learning Outcomes Define policy. Describe direct policies. Describe indirect policies. Discuss the impact of policy on family structures

3. Starter Activity Single mother with 3 children unable to work because of health problems. What financial support would the single mother be able to receive from the state.

4. Definition for Policy A set ideas or a plan of what to do in particular situations that has been agreed to officially by a government.

5. Types of Policies Direct policies – Policies that promote or reject certain household structure –e.g. Tax allowance for married couples. Indirect policies – Policies that may not have intended to impact on household structures but once implemented had an impact, e.g. Equal Pay Act. Making links between policies and their impacts is application and analysis – useful for 10 mark ‘outline and explain’ questions.

6. Impact on Family Structures Increased cohabitation and delayed marriage Increased divorce. Same sex families More lone parent families

7. Increased Cohabitation and delayed marriage Career aspirations of women mean that marriage is delayed and focused upon their careers. Avaliability of contaceptionand and legalization of abortion means couples can delay having children. Greater geographical movement means people often work apart and decide to travel before settling down.

8. Increased Divorce Divirce reform has led to increase in breakdown of family unit leading to more lone-parent families, lone person households, and more reconstituted families. Creation of welfare state meant resident parents could get greater financial support from the state looking after children – single parent benefits, child tax credits.

9. Same Sex Families Decriminalisation of homosexuality, introduction of civil partnerships and same sex have changed family structure. Changes to legislation to adoption and IVF treatments have led to an increase in same-sex families.

10. Lone-Parent families Welfare state rovides protectionfor lone-parent families-this has led to accusations ‘welfare dependency’. Availabilty of IVF treatment and lone parent adoption can choose to parent alone. Creation of Child Support Agency to chase down non-resident parents.