Notes Social Policy
General..............................................................................................................................4
Tips...............................................................................................................................................4
What is social policy?....................................................................................................................4
Policy change................................................................................................................................5
Citizenship....................................................................................................................................5
Definitions....................................................................................................................................5
Welfare state development................................................................................................6
What are welfare states?..............................................................................................................6
Reasons for welfare states............................................................................................................7
Rights...............................................................................................................................................................8
Theories of welfare development.................................................................................................8
Systems vs Actors............................................................................................................................................8
Logic of industrialisation..................................................................................................................................8
International economic competition...............................................................................................................9
Need to placate the workers/maintain social stability.................................................................................10
Unemployment..............................................................................................................................................10
Left-wing and socialist parties.......................................................................................................................10
War................................................................................................................................................................11
Marxian theory of state development..........................................................................................................11
Was development inevitable?.....................................................................................................12
British Welfare state...................................................................................................................12
History of development.................................................................................................................................12
When was the initial development of the welfare state?.............................................................................17
Why did it develop.........................................................................................................................................19
The Welfare Mix...............................................................................................................23
Difficulties measuring change.....................................................................................................23
Titmuss’s division of welfare (1958)............................................................................................24
Social welfare.................................................................................................................................................24
Fiscal welfare.................................................................................................................................................24
Occupational welfare.....................................................................................................................................24
Pros and cons..............................................................................................................................25
State welfare..................................................................................................................................................25
Private/Market welfare.................................................................................................................................30
Voluntary welfare..........................................................................................................................................31
Informal welfare............................................................................................................................................32
The relationship between state welfare and other types............................................................33
State and private...........................................................................................................................................33
State and voluntary.......................................................................................................................................33
State and informal.........................................................................................................................................34
The Welfare Mix in Britain..........................................................................................................34
, Before welfare state......................................................................................................................................34
Post war Welfare State..................................................................................................................................35
The New Right...............................................................................................................................................35
New Labour 1997-2010.................................................................................................................................37
Coalition Government 2010-15.....................................................................................................................38
After 2015 conservatives...............................................................................................................................39
Emerging issues.............................................................................................................................................39
Welfare typologies...........................................................................................................40
Why compare welfare state?......................................................................................................40
Why create welfare typologies?....................................................................................................................40
Other typologies.........................................................................................................................40
Esping-Andersen three worlds of welfare...................................................................................40
The typology..................................................................................................................................................40
Is the UK a typically liberal welfare regime?.................................................................................................43
Problems with three worlds of welfare typology........................................................................43
Three worlds of welfare and gender...........................................................................................45
Inadequate.....................................................................................................................................................45
Adequate.......................................................................................................................................................48
Social Policy Analysis........................................................................................................51
Poverty............................................................................................................................51
Concepts.....................................................................................................................................51
Defining poverty............................................................................................................................................51
What makes a good definition of poverty?...................................................................................................52
Absolute vs relative poverty..........................................................................................................................53
Social exclusion..............................................................................................................................................55
The capabilities approach..............................................................................................................................56
Policy approaches.......................................................................................................................59
Earnings related welfare provision................................................................................................................59
Universal welfare provision...........................................................................................................................59
Means testing................................................................................................................................................60
Child Poverty..............................................................................................................................61
Definitions......................................................................................................................................................61
Particularly important as has effects on future.............................................................................................62
Causes............................................................................................................................................................62
Policy responses............................................................................................................................................62
Education.........................................................................................................................62
Definitions..................................................................................................................................62
Global education policy.................................................................................................................................63
Goals of education policy..............................................................................................................................63
Education as a social right...........................................................................................................64
What is a social right?....................................................................................................................................64
Possible..........................................................................................................................................................64
Desirable........................................................................................................................................................64
Affordable......................................................................................................................................................64
, Education inequality...................................................................................................................64
Causes of education inequality......................................................................................................................65
Can policy reduce inequality?........................................................................................................................65
Education Policy in the UK..........................................................................................................67
History of policy.............................................................................................................................................67
Goals of policy...............................................................................................................................................69
Challenges facing policy.................................................................................................................................69
Recent Policy.................................................................................................................................................70
Parental choice...........................................................................................................................70
How does parental choice create competition?...........................................................................................70
Why do countries introduce parental choice?..............................................................................................70
Positives.........................................................................................................................................................71
Negatives.......................................................................................................................................................73
Health..............................................................................................................................76
What is healthcare?....................................................................................................................76
Funding healthcare provision......................................................................................................76
In the UK........................................................................................................................................................76
Private............................................................................................................................................................76
State insurance..............................................................................................................................................77
Tax based.......................................................................................................................................................77
History of policy..........................................................................................................................78
Liberal reforms 1906-1914............................................................................................................................78
Post War 1945 onwards................................................................................................................................78
New Right 1979-1997....................................................................................................................................78
New Labour 1997-2010.................................................................................................................................79
Coalition 2010-2015......................................................................................................................................79
Conservatives 2015 onwards.........................................................................................................................80
Key drivers of change....................................................................................................................................80
Recent Healthcare Policy............................................................................................................80
England vs the rest of the UK........................................................................................................................80
Successes.......................................................................................................................................................81
Failures...........................................................................................................................................................81
Key drivers of change....................................................................................................................................81
Market mechanism........................................................................................................................................81
Challenges facing reformers........................................................................................................81
Privatisation...................................................................................................................................................81
Regional inequality in provision....................................................................................................................83
Lack of data....................................................................................................................................................83
Gap between resources and demand...........................................................................................................83
Opportunities for reformers.......................................................................................................89
Popularity of the NHS....................................................................................................................................89
Family Policy....................................................................................................................89
What is family policy?.................................................................................................................89
History of policy..........................................................................................................................90
New Right......................................................................................................................................................90
New Labour 1997-2010.................................................................................................................................90
, Coalition government 2010-15......................................................................................................................93
Conservatives since 2015..............................................................................................................................93
Factors affecting family policy.....................................................................................................94
Recent policy..............................................................................................................................94
Trends over last 20 years...............................................................................................................................94
Motivations....................................................................................................................................................95
Good..............................................................................................................................................................95
Bad.................................................................................................................................................................95
Response to social change.............................................................................................................................95
What should family policy aim to do?.........................................................................................97
Encourage employment................................................................................................................................97
Support families.............................................................................................................................................97
Respond to family change.............................................................................................................................97
Shape family change......................................................................................................................................97
The adult worker model..............................................................................................................97
Implications for policy...................................................................................................................................97
Followed in the UK.........................................................................................................................................98
Policy options.............................................................................................................................98
Ethics of care.................................................................................................................................................98
Increased public childcare provision.............................................................................................................99
Employment centred family policy................................................................................................................99
Is childcare moving away from the family?...............................................................................100
Why is policy moving childcare away from the family?..............................................................................100
Moving away due to other factors..............................................................................................................100
Moving away................................................................................................................................................100
Not moving away.........................................................................................................................................102
Impact on women.....................................................................................................................103
Good............................................................................................................................................................103
Bad...............................................................................................................................................................103
Not sure where this will go.............................................................................................103
General
Tips
State thesis in introduction and conclusion
Engage with scholarly literature
Demonstrate awareness of both theoretical and empirical issues
Makes sure know the empirical base of Esping Andersen’s typology
Mention author and year
Don’t try to be original unless can back up with evidence
When considering appropriate responses can start by looking at what is being done, assess it,
and use it to create an argument for what can be done
What is social policy?
Alcock et al 2016
o ‘the use of policy measure to promote the welfare of citizens and social well-being’
General..............................................................................................................................4
Tips...............................................................................................................................................4
What is social policy?....................................................................................................................4
Policy change................................................................................................................................5
Citizenship....................................................................................................................................5
Definitions....................................................................................................................................5
Welfare state development................................................................................................6
What are welfare states?..............................................................................................................6
Reasons for welfare states............................................................................................................7
Rights...............................................................................................................................................................8
Theories of welfare development.................................................................................................8
Systems vs Actors............................................................................................................................................8
Logic of industrialisation..................................................................................................................................8
International economic competition...............................................................................................................9
Need to placate the workers/maintain social stability.................................................................................10
Unemployment..............................................................................................................................................10
Left-wing and socialist parties.......................................................................................................................10
War................................................................................................................................................................11
Marxian theory of state development..........................................................................................................11
Was development inevitable?.....................................................................................................12
British Welfare state...................................................................................................................12
History of development.................................................................................................................................12
When was the initial development of the welfare state?.............................................................................17
Why did it develop.........................................................................................................................................19
The Welfare Mix...............................................................................................................23
Difficulties measuring change.....................................................................................................23
Titmuss’s division of welfare (1958)............................................................................................24
Social welfare.................................................................................................................................................24
Fiscal welfare.................................................................................................................................................24
Occupational welfare.....................................................................................................................................24
Pros and cons..............................................................................................................................25
State welfare..................................................................................................................................................25
Private/Market welfare.................................................................................................................................30
Voluntary welfare..........................................................................................................................................31
Informal welfare............................................................................................................................................32
The relationship between state welfare and other types............................................................33
State and private...........................................................................................................................................33
State and voluntary.......................................................................................................................................33
State and informal.........................................................................................................................................34
The Welfare Mix in Britain..........................................................................................................34
, Before welfare state......................................................................................................................................34
Post war Welfare State..................................................................................................................................35
The New Right...............................................................................................................................................35
New Labour 1997-2010.................................................................................................................................37
Coalition Government 2010-15.....................................................................................................................38
After 2015 conservatives...............................................................................................................................39
Emerging issues.............................................................................................................................................39
Welfare typologies...........................................................................................................40
Why compare welfare state?......................................................................................................40
Why create welfare typologies?....................................................................................................................40
Other typologies.........................................................................................................................40
Esping-Andersen three worlds of welfare...................................................................................40
The typology..................................................................................................................................................40
Is the UK a typically liberal welfare regime?.................................................................................................43
Problems with three worlds of welfare typology........................................................................43
Three worlds of welfare and gender...........................................................................................45
Inadequate.....................................................................................................................................................45
Adequate.......................................................................................................................................................48
Social Policy Analysis........................................................................................................51
Poverty............................................................................................................................51
Concepts.....................................................................................................................................51
Defining poverty............................................................................................................................................51
What makes a good definition of poverty?...................................................................................................52
Absolute vs relative poverty..........................................................................................................................53
Social exclusion..............................................................................................................................................55
The capabilities approach..............................................................................................................................56
Policy approaches.......................................................................................................................59
Earnings related welfare provision................................................................................................................59
Universal welfare provision...........................................................................................................................59
Means testing................................................................................................................................................60
Child Poverty..............................................................................................................................61
Definitions......................................................................................................................................................61
Particularly important as has effects on future.............................................................................................62
Causes............................................................................................................................................................62
Policy responses............................................................................................................................................62
Education.........................................................................................................................62
Definitions..................................................................................................................................62
Global education policy.................................................................................................................................63
Goals of education policy..............................................................................................................................63
Education as a social right...........................................................................................................64
What is a social right?....................................................................................................................................64
Possible..........................................................................................................................................................64
Desirable........................................................................................................................................................64
Affordable......................................................................................................................................................64
, Education inequality...................................................................................................................64
Causes of education inequality......................................................................................................................65
Can policy reduce inequality?........................................................................................................................65
Education Policy in the UK..........................................................................................................67
History of policy.............................................................................................................................................67
Goals of policy...............................................................................................................................................69
Challenges facing policy.................................................................................................................................69
Recent Policy.................................................................................................................................................70
Parental choice...........................................................................................................................70
How does parental choice create competition?...........................................................................................70
Why do countries introduce parental choice?..............................................................................................70
Positives.........................................................................................................................................................71
Negatives.......................................................................................................................................................73
Health..............................................................................................................................76
What is healthcare?....................................................................................................................76
Funding healthcare provision......................................................................................................76
In the UK........................................................................................................................................................76
Private............................................................................................................................................................76
State insurance..............................................................................................................................................77
Tax based.......................................................................................................................................................77
History of policy..........................................................................................................................78
Liberal reforms 1906-1914............................................................................................................................78
Post War 1945 onwards................................................................................................................................78
New Right 1979-1997....................................................................................................................................78
New Labour 1997-2010.................................................................................................................................79
Coalition 2010-2015......................................................................................................................................79
Conservatives 2015 onwards.........................................................................................................................80
Key drivers of change....................................................................................................................................80
Recent Healthcare Policy............................................................................................................80
England vs the rest of the UK........................................................................................................................80
Successes.......................................................................................................................................................81
Failures...........................................................................................................................................................81
Key drivers of change....................................................................................................................................81
Market mechanism........................................................................................................................................81
Challenges facing reformers........................................................................................................81
Privatisation...................................................................................................................................................81
Regional inequality in provision....................................................................................................................83
Lack of data....................................................................................................................................................83
Gap between resources and demand...........................................................................................................83
Opportunities for reformers.......................................................................................................89
Popularity of the NHS....................................................................................................................................89
Family Policy....................................................................................................................89
What is family policy?.................................................................................................................89
History of policy..........................................................................................................................90
New Right......................................................................................................................................................90
New Labour 1997-2010.................................................................................................................................90
, Coalition government 2010-15......................................................................................................................93
Conservatives since 2015..............................................................................................................................93
Factors affecting family policy.....................................................................................................94
Recent policy..............................................................................................................................94
Trends over last 20 years...............................................................................................................................94
Motivations....................................................................................................................................................95
Good..............................................................................................................................................................95
Bad.................................................................................................................................................................95
Response to social change.............................................................................................................................95
What should family policy aim to do?.........................................................................................97
Encourage employment................................................................................................................................97
Support families.............................................................................................................................................97
Respond to family change.............................................................................................................................97
Shape family change......................................................................................................................................97
The adult worker model..............................................................................................................97
Implications for policy...................................................................................................................................97
Followed in the UK.........................................................................................................................................98
Policy options.............................................................................................................................98
Ethics of care.................................................................................................................................................98
Increased public childcare provision.............................................................................................................99
Employment centred family policy................................................................................................................99
Is childcare moving away from the family?...............................................................................100
Why is policy moving childcare away from the family?..............................................................................100
Moving away due to other factors..............................................................................................................100
Moving away................................................................................................................................................100
Not moving away.........................................................................................................................................102
Impact on women.....................................................................................................................103
Good............................................................................................................................................................103
Bad...............................................................................................................................................................103
Not sure where this will go.............................................................................................103
General
Tips
State thesis in introduction and conclusion
Engage with scholarly literature
Demonstrate awareness of both theoretical and empirical issues
Makes sure know the empirical base of Esping Andersen’s typology
Mention author and year
Don’t try to be original unless can back up with evidence
When considering appropriate responses can start by looking at what is being done, assess it,
and use it to create an argument for what can be done
What is social policy?
Alcock et al 2016
o ‘the use of policy measure to promote the welfare of citizens and social well-being’
