Applying material from item A and your knowledge, evaluate the view that the main
function of laws and policies on families and households is to reproduce patriarchy.
Social policies are the plans and actions implemented by the government to shape the lives
of the people. The policy is frequently expressed in the form of laws, and it can have an
immediate or indirect impact on the family. Divorce laws, for example, such as the 1969
Divorce Reform Act, are examples of direct social policy because they concern family life.
Other social policies, such as the implementation of a national living wage in 2016, have an
indirect impact on the family because, while not specifically written about the family, its
implementation will improve family life by increasing parents' wage packets, allowing them
to more effectively provide the economic function. However, there is considerable
disagreement among sociological perspectives as to what the primary goal of social policy is.
As mentioned in item A, feminists see social policy's primary “function as the reproduction
and maintenance of patriarchy.” Tax breaks for married couples but not cohabiting couples
help to reinforce the notion that the nuclear family is best for society. However, feminists
such as Land argue that the policy is a "self-fulfilling prophecy" because it encourages
people to have nuclear families rather than other types of families. Because many feminists
(particularly radical feminists) regard the nuclear family as oppressive and patriarchal, they
argue that policies that promote the nuclear family at the expense of other family types are
responsible for perpetuating patriarchy by shaping social norms about family structure.
Some social policies, however, are viewed positively by liberal feminists such as Somerville
because they have helped to promote social change and female independence (e.g., the
equal pay act and the sex discrimination act), allowing women to support themselves away
from the traditional nuclear family, though Somerville herself argues that there is still more
that could be done policy-wise to promote social equality for women, such as increased
legislation around flexible working hours; which would enable women to widen their job
opportunities but not always having to fit in with school and child care hours.
New rights such as Murry and Almond disagree with feminist views on social policy for two
reasons: first, they do not see the promotion of women's caregiver roles as restrictive for
women because they see it as biologically natural and beneficial to society, and second, they
believe that many social policies undermine rather than promote the nuclear family. For
example, the New Labour 'new deal' policy, which assisted lone parents in returning to
work, could be interpreted as undermining the nuclear family by making alternatives more
financially feasible. Similarly, New Right oppose the conservative policy that legalised same-
sex marriage (followed by new labour civil partnerships), because it grants homosexual
couples the same rights as heterosexual couples. The existence of social policies that enrage
the New Right suggests that the feminist claim that the primary goal of social policy is to
reproduce patriarchy is not always correct, as the New Right supports the patriarchal society
that feminists oppose.
Whilst, other radical feminists do not view policy in such a positive light, Leonard argues
that even when the policy appears to be helping women it is actually reinforcing traditional
gender regimes. The policy of paying child benefit directly to mothers implies that child care
is the responsibility of women. Furthermore, the coalition government's introduction of 15
function of laws and policies on families and households is to reproduce patriarchy.
Social policies are the plans and actions implemented by the government to shape the lives
of the people. The policy is frequently expressed in the form of laws, and it can have an
immediate or indirect impact on the family. Divorce laws, for example, such as the 1969
Divorce Reform Act, are examples of direct social policy because they concern family life.
Other social policies, such as the implementation of a national living wage in 2016, have an
indirect impact on the family because, while not specifically written about the family, its
implementation will improve family life by increasing parents' wage packets, allowing them
to more effectively provide the economic function. However, there is considerable
disagreement among sociological perspectives as to what the primary goal of social policy is.
As mentioned in item A, feminists see social policy's primary “function as the reproduction
and maintenance of patriarchy.” Tax breaks for married couples but not cohabiting couples
help to reinforce the notion that the nuclear family is best for society. However, feminists
such as Land argue that the policy is a "self-fulfilling prophecy" because it encourages
people to have nuclear families rather than other types of families. Because many feminists
(particularly radical feminists) regard the nuclear family as oppressive and patriarchal, they
argue that policies that promote the nuclear family at the expense of other family types are
responsible for perpetuating patriarchy by shaping social norms about family structure.
Some social policies, however, are viewed positively by liberal feminists such as Somerville
because they have helped to promote social change and female independence (e.g., the
equal pay act and the sex discrimination act), allowing women to support themselves away
from the traditional nuclear family, though Somerville herself argues that there is still more
that could be done policy-wise to promote social equality for women, such as increased
legislation around flexible working hours; which would enable women to widen their job
opportunities but not always having to fit in with school and child care hours.
New rights such as Murry and Almond disagree with feminist views on social policy for two
reasons: first, they do not see the promotion of women's caregiver roles as restrictive for
women because they see it as biologically natural and beneficial to society, and second, they
believe that many social policies undermine rather than promote the nuclear family. For
example, the New Labour 'new deal' policy, which assisted lone parents in returning to
work, could be interpreted as undermining the nuclear family by making alternatives more
financially feasible. Similarly, New Right oppose the conservative policy that legalised same-
sex marriage (followed by new labour civil partnerships), because it grants homosexual
couples the same rights as heterosexual couples. The existence of social policies that enrage
the New Right suggests that the feminist claim that the primary goal of social policy is to
reproduce patriarchy is not always correct, as the New Right supports the patriarchal society
that feminists oppose.
Whilst, other radical feminists do not view policy in such a positive light, Leonard argues
that even when the policy appears to be helping women it is actually reinforcing traditional
gender regimes. The policy of paying child benefit directly to mothers implies that child care
is the responsibility of women. Furthermore, the coalition government's introduction of 15
