Sociology A2: Unit 4

1. Sociology A2: Unit 4 Theory and Methods: Sociology and Social Policy

2. Essay Questions • Assess the relationship between Sociology and Social Policy. (33m) • Sociology is not very useful in informing social policy. Assess the sociological arguments and evidence supporting this claim. (33m)

3. Where have we come across Social Policy in AS and A2? Post-it note challenge?

4. Key Terms

5. What is the difference between a social policy and a social problem? An area of concern in society that causes politicians, the media or the general public to think that something need to be done. A government initiative, central or local, that aims to meet the welfare needs of the population.

6. Starter 1. • Which of the following would you categorise as social problems/issues and which as sociological problems/issues? • Are there any on the list that might belong in both categories?

8. Key Words • Social Policy: a government initiative, central or local, that aims to meet the welfare needs of the population. • Social Problem: an area of concern in society that causes politicians, the media or the general public to think something needs to be done. • Sociological Problem: “Any pattern of relationships that calls for an explanation” Behaviour we want to explain. Does not have to be problematic.

9. Mills (1970) • Mills argued that sociology should not be simply the accumulation of facts. Sociology should explain social problems and suggest policy solutions.

10. Making Links with Social Policy, C. Wright Mills ‘private troubles and private issues’ Mills’ famous dictum holds that personal troubles are public problems. What seem to be the private troubles of a single person are the result, at the individual level, of the working out of the problems of the society that person lives in. Being without a job is a terrible personal trouble, but it is neither the result nor the fault of anything the unemployed have done. Rather, it is the working out, for them, of society's inability or unwillingness to provide full employment. Identify a private trouble, it does not necessarily have to affect you. Can you think of any solutions to any problems that you have listed both at a personal, public or (social policy) level. How does the bedroom tax work? What is currently happening with sure start centres?

11. The role of sociology Welcome back Giddens….. Identifies ways sociology related to social policy; Can inform policy makers of viewpoints other than their own (cultural difference) Helps assess the results of policy initiatives Generates greater self-understanding (lead to questioning government policy and creation of protest groups.

12. http://napierpress.com/drugtakers-police-amplification-spiralhttp://napierpress.com/drugtakers-police-amplification-spiral

13. Giddens (1998, 2007) • Giddens has been influential in policy making. • His work on the third way politics was seen as the manifesto for New Labour. • His recent book, Over to You, Mr Brown, outlines the current issues that need to be addressed after Tony Blair. • Giddens; theoretical ideas can therefore be seen as setting the political agenda for policy making.

14. Middleton et al (2005) • Looked at pilot schemes to test policies which could be introduced to increase participation in education post 16. • Initial research showed that EMA increased participation by 6%. The EMA policy was therefore set up as a National Policy in 2004.

15. Unintended consequences of social policy ESRC ( Economic and Social Research Council) funded research into schemes that tested which policy could be introduced in order to increase participation rates in post 16 education. Initial research showed that EMA’s increased participation rates by 6%. Concluding that if you pay students rather than their parents they were more likely to stay in school post 16. The EMA was set up as a national policy in 2004

16. But…… Young people from first pilot were tracked over several years. The national impact of EMA were estimated as 3.8% increase in participation Quantitative analysis did not detect significant impact on EMA post 16 attainment but… EMA had stronger impact on participation rates for young men than for women.

17. The results The study indicates the EMA fulfilled the policy objective of increasing participation rates in post 16 education. The unintended consequence was a greater impact on males than females

18. Gregg et al (2007) at the Centre for Social Exclusion • They used a group of 6,000 children born in and around Bristol in 1991 and 1992. The research considered various categories of development such as school performance, self esteem and IQ. • These areas were analysed in relation to parental income and behaviours. Behaviours included depression, the food eaten, reading to children and their physical environment.

19. Gregg et al (2007) at the Centre for Social Exclusion • They found that by 7, children in w/c families were doing worse in education, had low self esteem and were at a greater risk of obesity. • They also found that car ownership of m/c families discouraged the participation of physical activity. • Long hours in childcare for children aged 3 or 4 generated greater behavioural problems for affluent families.

20. Gregg et al (2007) at the Centre for Social Exclusion • The research proposed that policy interventions must recognise that the impact of income operates in different ways. • A multifaceted approach is needed in policymaking.

21. Where does research take place? • Politically aligned research institutes • Think tanks and universities • ESRC – researches into globalisation, climate change, demographic change, religion and identity and determinates of human welfare. To develop understanding of the problems society faces.

22. The influence of Sociology on Policy depends on … • Electoral popularity • Ideological Preference of the Government • Pressure groups • Globalisation – EU / IMF • Critical Sociology – too extreme? • Cost of Policy Recommendation • Think-Tanks

23. 1. Sociology influences policy 2. Sociology is not concerned with policy Giddens third way new labour policy Government EMA’s Middleton et al. Durkheim and theoretical sociology- religion Some sociologists are not concerned with policy. How does sociology influence policy? 3. Policy influences sociology 4. Policy disregards sociology Austerity measures Prison works, penal populism Despite significant research why do policies disregard sociology. How does policy influence sociology?

24. Questions for discussion • Should the purpose of sociology be to solve social problems? • Are sociologists and policy makers likely to agree on what constitutes a social problem? (Think of examples where particular sociologists and members of the government might disagree). • Is there a risk that sociologists researching for government organisations might lose their objectivity? • How much notice do policy makers take of sociological findings? What constraints might there be on implementing suggestions from sociologists?

25. Answers Number 1 • Many sociologists, particularly radical, conflict ones such as Marxists and feminists, believe that a major purpose of their work is to bring about social change through arousing awareness of inequalities. Anthony Giddens, who is a government advisor on social policy, suggests that sociology can help to solve social problems in a variety of ways. Sociologists collect facts and derive theories about social situations such as poverty. They help us to understand and empathise with the problems of marginalised groups by describing their cultures and revealing stereotypes. Published work by sociologists may encourage people such as women, gays and ethnic minorities to consider their experiences, roles and self-images (reflexivity) so that they can take action to improve their lives. Finally some sociologists are directly employed by government agencies to find out data to help decide on new policies and to monitor their effects. • On the other hand some sociology is motivated by the desire to expand human knowledge and understanding or to challenge widespread beliefs rather than to influence the organisation of social life. Phenomenologists are interested in the social construction of phenomena such as suicide and religion and postmodernists point out the impossibility of defining concepts such as crime. Neither of these approaches is pragmatic enough to contribute significantly to social policy.

26. Answers Number 2 • Sociologists taking a conflict view of society are unlikely to agree with governments about how society needs to be changed. Radical feminists, Marxists, and labelling theorists all view the status quo as a source of major inequalities and the power of dominant groups as a social problem. None of the major political parties would be willing to make the major structural changes urged by supporters of these perspectives, though they may consider suggestions for more limited change, such as the left realist recommendation for more consensus style policing. • Liberal feminist recommendations about equal pay and anti-discrimination laws have been accepted because they are more moderate, improving the lot of women without drastically undermining the rights of men. New Right research into aspects of crime such as situational crime prevention has been welcomed as this reflects the establishment view that crime is a problem for society, rather than the more radical view that it results from inequalities.

27. Answers Number 3 • There is an argument that sociologists should try to stay independent of government organisations, since by working for them as paid researchers they could become ‘colonised’, losing sight of their own values and perhaps selecting data in line with what they know the government hopes they will find (the imposition factor). Marxists and radical feminists view cooperation with establishment policy makers as a betrayal of principles and other researchers simply prefer to follow their own interests. • A contrary view is that sociologists should contribute to social policy making as otherwise the discipline loses much of its relevance to real life, appearing to be simply a rarefied intellectual pursuit. Sociologists have an ethical duty to try to improve society and if they fail to inform policies, then poorer judgments will be made or other social scientists, such as economists and psychologists, will step into the breach with their own particular biases. Moreover sociologists should be able to undertake research while maintaining objectivity in their methods.

28. Answer Number 4 • Governments may be unwilling to accept and implement the findings of sociologists for several reasons besides disagreeing about what constitutes a problem. Radical solutions, such as substituting community service for prison sentences for many offences, are unpopular with the public even in the unlikely event of politicians themselves accepting the need for drastic change. The views of voters need to be taken into account if the government hopes to be returned to office. Cost, time and available workforce are all practical factors which needed to be considered. Also there could be other priorities which can more easily be achieved, resulting in delay in the implementation of a challenging policy, which might be dropped anyway if there is a change of government. In addition there could be conflicting findings from different researchers making it difficult to be sure that the policy proposed by one is likely to work.