Perspectives On Social Policy
Functionalists view society as built on harmony and shared values. They believe the government acts in everyone's interest, creating policies that help families perform their functions better and improve life for all members. According to Fletcher (1966), policies like the NHS have developed a welfare state that supports families.
The New Right takes a dramatically different position, strongly favoring traditional nuclear families. They believe many modern policies harm families by creating a dependency culture that undermines proper child socialization and male work ethic. They oppose easier divorce laws, civil partnerships, gay marriage, and rights for unmarried couples.
Instead, the New Right advocates for cutting welfare spending, restricting benefits, denying council housing to unmarried teenage mothers, introducing tax policies favoring married couples, and making absent fathers financially responsible for children.
Important contrast: While functionalists see policies as helpful, Jacques Donzelot offers a critical view, suggesting social policy actually functions as a form of state control over families.