Over the last few decades the government’s main focus and concern has been about families within society. Government policies were introduced to encourage certain family types and discourage others.
Law and policies can have both a direct and indirect effect on the family
Direct: Social policies are aimed specifically at family life such as laws on marriage.
Indirect: Policies on other social or economic issues also effect the family. For instance, compulsory schooling provides childcare for working parents and keeps children financially dependent for longer.
The Welfare StateOne of the main social policies which affected the family greatly was the welfare state which was introduced in 1942. The welfare state is a system which ensures that the protection of citizens is prominent throughout society. The system makes it the government’s chief responsibility to provide economic security for its population as well as being responsible for the general welfare of their citizens in regards to health care, education as well as employment.
The New Right are extremely critical of government social policies, especially the ones which encourage family diversity since they undermine traditional family values. Charles Murray (a New Right sociologist) argues that the state has become over-generous which has formed an underclass within society. Additionally, he argues that the underclass encourages irresponsible and anti-social behaviour. For instance, when fathers abandon their family the state will provide for them; council housing promotes teenage pregnancy and undermines marriage as well as encourage lone-parent families who in turn promote deviance and a Welfare Dependant under-class.
New Right argue that families should be self-reliant and require minimum state help. This is why they argue that the Nuclear Family is the best family type since it is self-sufficient and doesn't rely on the welfare state.
Functionalists have influenced the New Right political thinking which is conservative, anti-feminist and stresses the importance of the Nuclear Family as well as expressing their views on family diversity. Even though, functionalists such as Ronald Fletcher (1966) "highlights how the family has been 'helped out' by the state so that it can perform its functions more effectively".
New Labour also favours the traditional nuclear family but it is more accepting of family diversity. A main difference between the New Right and and the New Labour is that the New Labour believe that the welfare state helps families out - particularly low income families - rather than encouraging dependency.
Likewise, Post-Modernists as well as Feminists would argue that the welfare state has allowed individuals to leave violent relationships and be supported without leading to strict poverty.
Legislation of Contraceptive Pill (1961 for Married women, 1967 for all)The contraceptive pill was first introduced in the UK in 1961 for married women only. This law was later relaxed in 1967 and allowed for all women to be able to use the contraceptive pill. Contraception gave women more independence and control over their own bodies therefore giving them more freedom and choice.
Postmodernists would approve of the the contraceptive pill since it supports family diversity as well as giving choice to women. Likewise, Feminists would also approve since they argue that it gives women greater independence and choice.Despite both postmodernists as well as feminists approving of the legislation of the contraceptive pill - others disapprove. For instance, functionalists argue that the contraceptive pill would lead to the breakdown of the nuclear family and that it encourages family diversity. Additionally, the New Right would also argue that it encourages family diversity since it gives them the opportunity to cohabit - which is against the the traditional nuclear family that the new right support.
The Divorce Reform Act (1969)The Divorce Reform act was first introduced in 1969 but did not go into effect until 1971. Its main purpose was to restate the three grounds for divorce that were defined as faults: adultery, cruelty and desertion. Functionalists and the New Right theorists would argue that the Divorce Reform Act caused a decrease in the traditional nuclear family and was the main cause for family diversity. Also, the New right would argue that result from divorce would allow lone-parent families to abuse the Welfare State. In contrast, Feminists would approve of the Divorce Reform Act since it allowed for women to have more rights within the relationship -it also allowed for women to end a marriage if any type of abuse occurred.
Child Support Agency (1993)The main role of the Child support agency was to make sure absent fathers were financially responsible for their children. Both the New Right and Functionalists would disapprove since it supports lone-parent families and not the nuclear family, even though, the New Right would also approve since it doesn't require the Welfare State to pay for someone else's children. In contract, Feminists would argue that since it supports lone-parent families it doesn't require the woman to depend financially on the man.
In 2002 Parliament ensured that an adoption application could be submitted by both a single parent as well as a couple which therefore dropping the original law that you are only allowed to adopt if you are married. Changing this means that it was also allowed for same-sex couples to apply for adoption as well as heterosexual.
Parliament argued that the decision wasn’t a ‘gay rights’ issue but an opportunity to place many children as possible into a stable environment rather than being kept in care.
National Minimum Wage Act 1998The national minimum wage act ensured that all employees across the UK were entitled to a minimum wage - no national minimum wage existed prior to this.
Family Tax CreditsThe labour party argues that the tax credit system would tackle child-poverty which proceeded to do so lifting 2 million children out of complete poverty as well as 1 million out of relative poverty by 2007.
New right policies Child Support Agency 1993The child support agency was introduced in 1993 by the conservative government to allow for single parents to receive money since they receive little or no maintenance form their former partners. The CSA was given the role of implementing the 1991 Child Support Act and subsequent legislation with the purpose of ensuring that parents who live apart, both fulfil their responsibility to maintain their children whenever they can afford to do so.
