Grade 'A*' 20 mark essay on the effects of law and policies on families and households. With evidence and evaluation for each point, the essay is well structured and well developed. Explores the viewpoint of functionalist, femimists, the new right and more with introduction and conclusion
Evaluate sociological explanations of the effects of laws and policies on families and households [20
marks]
Laws and policies affect the whole of society including the families and households. Different
sociologists have different views about how these laws and policies affect families. Functionalists see
them as benefiting each individual member of the family and useful in ensuring that the family can carry
out its functions in society. However, Feminists would argue that the law and policies are simply another
method for reinforcing patriarchy and suppressing women.
Functionalists would argue that the law and policies have a positive effect on families and households in
society. Specifically it improves life for its members by allowing them to perform their functions more
effectively. Fletcher argues introducing policies such as health and housing policies policies has created a
welfare state. This welfare state supports families and households and helps them to perform their
specific functions in society effectively and successfully. For example the NHS helps families to improve
the life of its members by enabling the family to care for the members successfully. This shows the
positive impact that the laws and policies can have on families. However not everyone would agree that
the policies benefit the family. Some would argue that the aim of the policies put in place are not to
improve the lives of members of the family but to control their lives. Donzelot argues that policies are a
form of state power and a method used by the Government to control and change families. He calls this
the policing of families - where professionals carry out surveillance of families and target specific
families to change them. This shows how the policies can also have a negative impact on families and
households in society as it is simply a way for the Government to justify the control and power that they
have over families. The argument that the Functionalists put forward is not useful, as they don't take
into consideration the effects on certain types of families but just see society as a whole and every type
of family as being affected and treated the same.
Feminists would take a contrasting view to Functionalists on the effects that law and policies have on
families and households. Feminists would argue that the social policies reinforce patriarchy by
reinforcing the traditional nuclear family. This is done as policies assume the traditional nuclear family is
most common so policies are introduced to benefit that type of family. Feminists would argue that this
is forcing women into submissive roles within the family and not allowing them to challenge this. For
example, childcare policies have been instrumental in maintaining the patriarchal nuclear family in
society. The Government only pays for some pre school children to have childcare, this means most
parents will either have to pay for it themselves or the Mother will have to stay at home and care for the
child. This therefore prevents the Mother from having a full time job which limits the amount of money
she can earn. This makes the women financially dependant on her husband which reinforces the
patriarchal nuclear family. This demonstrates how policies are negatively impacting women in the
family. However, there are some examples of policies which appear to do directly the opposite of what
Feminists claim - they actually chalenge the patriarchal nuclear family and provide support and help for
lone parents. An example of a policy which does this is by allowing equal rights to divorce. Instead of
encouraging the nuclear family this policy supports the disintegration of the nuclear family, therefore
improving the lives of women by allowing them to access a divorce. Marxists would agree with
Feminists, that laws and policies do have a negative impact on families and households, they would
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