Chapter 4: Gender Regimes and Social Policy

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What are the main changes highlighted by the New Right that they believe challenge the conventional nuclear family?

The main changes highlighted are the increase in divorce, cohabitation, same-sex partnerships, and lone parenthood.

According to the New Right, how do tax laws discriminate against conventional families with a sole breadwinner?

Tax laws discriminate against conventional families with a sole breadwinner by making them pay more tax than dual-earner couples.

What solution does the New Right propose to address the issues they perceive with the family structure?

The New Right proposes cutting welfare spending and tightening restrictions on eligibility for benefits.

Why does the New Right believe denying council housing to unmarried teenage mothers will be beneficial?

The New Right believes it will reduce the incentive for young girls to become pregnant. Signup and view all the answers

What is one major criticism of the New Right's views on family and household policies?

One major criticism is that the New Right's views justify a return to a patriarchal nuclear family that subordinates women to men. Signup and view all the answers

How do critics argue that the New Right wrongly views the patriarchal nuclear family?

Critics argue that the New Right wrongly assumes the patriarchal nuclear family is natural rather than socially constructed. Signup and view all the answers

What positive role of state welfare is ignored by the New Right, according to their critics?

The positive role of state welfare in supporting families is ignored by the New Right, according to their critics. Signup and view all the answers

What is the main perspective of functionalists on social policies?

Functionalists see social policies as beneficial and helping families perform their functions more effectively. Signup and view all the answers

According to Ronald Fletcher, how have health, education, and housing policies affected the family?

These policies have led to the development of a welfare state that supports the family in performing its functions more effectively. Signup and view all the answers

What are the main characteristics of familistic gender regimes?

Familistic gender regimes are based on a traditional gender division between a male breadwinner and a female housewife and carer. Signup and view all the answers

What is one criticism that Marxists have against the functionalist perspective on social policies?

Marxists argue that policies can reverse progress and benefit the capitalist class, not the entire society. Signup and view all the answers

How do individualistic gender regimes differ from familistic gender regimes in terms of gender equality?

Individualistic gender regimes treat husbands and wives as equals in both breadwinning and domestic tasks, promoting financial independence for women. Signup and view all the answers

What does Jacques Donzelot believe about the relationship between the family and state policies?

Donzelot believes that state policies are a form of power and control over families, rather than benefiting them. Signup and view all the answers

Explain Michel Foucault's concept of surveillance as applied by Donzelot to family policies.

Foucault sees surveillance as power diffused throughout society, allowing professionals to control and change families. Signup and view all the answers

Why do feminists criticize the impact of social policy on family structures?

Feminists argue that social policy reinforces the patriarchal family structure by legitimizing the heterosexual patriarchal nuclear family and making other family types seem less valid. Signup and view all the answers

What types of families does Donzelot argue are most targeted by state surveillance, and why?

Poor families are more targeted because they are seen as 'problem' families and the cause of crime and anti-social behavior. Signup and view all the answers

According to Drew, what trend are most European Union countries moving towards regarding gender regimes?

Most European Union countries are moving towards more individualistic gender regimes. Signup and view all the answers

What impact did the global recession beginning in 2008 have on gender regimes in Europe?

The global recession led to cutbacks in government spending, increasing pressure on women to take on more responsibility for family care as state welfare provision decreased. Signup and view all the answers

How do Marxists and feminists criticize Donzelot's theory on state policies and family surveillance?

Marxists argue that policies benefit the capitalist class, while feminists argue that men are the main beneficiaries. Signup and view all the answers

What are the key elements of social policy that affect whether women can work full-time?

Key elements include policies on taxation, childcare, welfare services, and equal opportunities. Signup and view all the answers

Explain Donzelot's argument regarding the role of state professionals in family life.

Donzelot argues that state professionals exercise control and surveillance by intervening to regulate family life. Signup and view all the answers

How do tax and benefits policies reinforce women's dependence on their husbands?

Tax and benefits policies may assume that husbands are the main wage-earners and restrict wives from claiming social security benefits on their own. Signup and view all the answers

What is the limitation of government policies on childcare for pre-school children that affects working parents?

The government funds some childcare, but it is insufficient to allow parents to work full-time without additional costs. Signup and view all the answers

Why do policies regarding care for the sick and elderly often reinforce the economic dependence of middle-aged women on their partners?

These policies assume families will provide care, usually expecting middle-aged women to fulfill this role, which often prevents them from working full-time. Signup and view all the answers

Can you name a policy that challenges the patriarchal family by supporting women's rights in the workplace?

Equal pay and sex discrimination laws challenge the patriarchal family by supporting women's rights in the workplace. Signup and view all the answers

What legislative change was made in 1991 to protect women in their marital relationships?

Rape within marriage was made a criminal offence in 1991. Signup and view all the answers

How do benefits for lone parents act to improve the position of women in society?

Benefits for lone parents provide financial support and independence for women raising children alone. Signup and view all the answers

What societal expectation is often placed on women that restricts their full-time work and reinforces economic dependence?

The expectation that women will provide care for the sick and elderly restricts their ability to work full-time and reinforces economic dependence. Signup and view all the answers

What does the New Right promote regarding family structure?

The New Right promotes the nuclear family ideal. Signup and view all the answers

How do policies introduced in 2015 and 2017 conflict with the New Right’s ideal of a male-breadwinner family?

Policies like shared parental leave and increased free childcare for working parents undermine the New Right’s ideal of a male-breadwinner family. Signup and view all the answers

How do feminists view society according to the text?

Feminists view society as patriarchal, benefitting men at the expense of women. Signup and view all the answers

What role do feminists argue social institutions play in gender inequality?

Feminists argue that social institutions perpetuate women's subordinate position and the unequal gender division of labor in the family. Signup and view all the answers

According to Hilary Land, what assumptions do many social policies make about the ideal family?

Many social policies assume that the ideal family is the patriarchal nuclear family with a male provider and female homemaker plus dependent children. Signup and view all the answers

What is the concept of policy as a self-fulfilling prophecy?

It is the idea that policies are based on assumptions about what a 'normal' family is like, which then perpetuates those assumptions in real life. Signup and view all the answers

What is the conflict view of feminism related to family policies?

Feminism views family policies as tools that help maintain women's subordinate position in a patriarchal society. Signup and view all the answers

How do tax and benefits policies contribute to women's economic dependence on their husbands?

They assume husbands are the main wage-earners and make it impossible for wives to claim social security benefits independently. Signup and view all the answers

Why is government-funded childcare insufficient for parents to work full-time?

The government funding for pre-school children is not enough to cover full-time childcare costs, making it necessary for parents to meet additional expenses. Signup and view all the answers

What impact do policies governing school timetables and holidays have on working mothers?

These policies make it difficult for mothers to work full-time unless they can afford additional childcare, leading to economic dependence on their partners. Signup and view all the answers

How do government policies on care for the sick and elderly reinforce women's economic dependence?

They assume families will provide care, often expecting middle-aged women to take on these roles, which prevents them from working full-time. Signup and view all the answers

According to Diana Leonard, how can seemingly supportive policies still reinforce the patriarchal family structure?

Policies like maternity leave can reinforce patriarchy by promoting the idea that childcare is primarily a mother's responsibility and offering lower benefits. Signup and view all the answers

What criticism does Leonard make about maternity leave policies?

Maternity leave entitlements are more generous than paternity leave, promoting the idea that infant care is the mother's responsibility, and maternity benefits are lower, increasing dependence. Signup and view all the answers

How do equal pay and sex discrimination laws challenge patriarchy?

They aim to provide women with equal opportunities and pay, reducing economic dependence on men. Signup and view all the answers

Why is the right of lesbians to marry considered a challenge to patriarchal family policies?

It recognizes diverse family structures and relationships, not just the traditional patriarchal nuclear family. Signup and view all the answers

In what way do benefits for lone parents and women escaping domestic violence improve women's positions in society?

They provide financial support and safety, reducing economic dependence and promoting independence. Signup and view all the answers

How did criminalizing rape within marriage in 1991 contribute to challenging patriarchy?

It recognized and addressed the crime of marital rape, challenging the notion that a husband has sexual rights over his wife. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Gender Regimes

Feminist concept of gender regimes, which refers to how social policies in different countries can either encourage or discourage gender equality in the family and at work
Eileen Drew's (1995) concept of gender regimes, which includes two types: Familistic and Individualistic

Types of Gender Regimes

Familistic Gender Regimes: based on traditional gender division between male breadwinner and female housewife and carer
- Examples: Greece, where there is little state welfare or publicly funded childcare, and women have to rely heavily on support from their extended kin
Individualistic Gender Regimes: based on the belief that husbands and wives should be treated the same
- Examples: Sweden, where policies treat husbands and wives as equally responsible for breadwinning and domestic tasks, with equal opportunities policies, state provision of childcare, parental leave, and good quality welfare services

State Versus Market

Social policies can either promote or prevent gender equality in the family and at work
Most European Union countries are moving towards more individualistic gender regimes, which may lead to greater gender equality in family roles and relationships
However, this move is not inevitable, and cutbacks in government spending and neoliberal welfare policies can undermine gender equality

Policies Supporting the Patriarchal Family

Tax and benefits policies that assume husbands are main wage-earners and wives are their financial dependents
Childcare policies that are insufficient to permit parents to work full-time, making women reliant on their partners for economic support
Care for the sick and elderly policies that assume the family will provide this care, often placing the burden on middle-aged women and preventing them from working full-time

Functionalism

Functionalists see society as built on harmony and consensus, and social policies as benefiting the family and society as a whole
They see the state as acting in the interests of society, and policies as helping families to perform their functions more effectively

Criticisms of Functionalism

Functionalism assumes that all members of the family benefit equally from social policies, which feminist critics argue is not the case
It assumes that there is a "march of progress" with social policies steadily making family life better and better, which Marxist critics argue is not the case

Donzelot: Policing the Family

Donzelot's concept of surveillance, which refers to the state's control and regulation of families through professionals such as doctors and social workers
Donzelot argues that social policies are a form of state control over families, and that professionals use their knowledge to control and change families

The New Right

The New Right believes that changes such as the increase in divorce, cohabitation, same-sex partnerships, and lone parenthood are challenging the conventional nuclear family and causing social problems
They advocate for policies that favor the traditional nuclear family, such as cutting welfare spending and tightening restrictions on who is eligible for benefits

Criticisms of the New Right

Critics argue that the New Right is attempting to justify a return to a patriarchal nuclear family that subordinates women to men
The New Right ignores the positive role that state welfare can play in supporting families

Feminism

Feminism takes a conflict view, arguing that society is patriarchal and benefits men at the expense of women
Feminists argue that social institutions, such as the state, help perpetuate women's subordinate position and the unequal gender division of labor in the family

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Explore how social policies affect family relationships and gender roles. Discover how taxation, childcare, and welfare services impact women's ability to work and care for others.