Family Sociology Family Sociology Families, the State & Social Policy Professor Connie Gager
Dec 31, 2015
Family SociologyFamily Sociology
Families, the State & Social Policy
Professor Connie Gager
We think of the family as a private place, but the family is also a public institution in terms of the contribution of families to the public good.
What are some of the ways that families contribute to the public good ?
◦socializing children to be the next generation
of workers or ◦caring for ill or aged members of the family.
Families, The State & Social Families, The State & Social PolicyPolicy
In other words families produce PUBLIC GOODS.
Much social policy is aimed at families
Social policy is a policy for dealing with social issues
Many of these social policies involve families◦Head Start◦Family Medical Leave Act
Families, The State & Social Families, The State & Social PolicyPolicy
Family PolicyFamily PolicyThe goal of family policy is to
promote family well-beingThese policies can be at the federal,
state or local levelFamily policies are agreed upon
courses of action aimed at producing an objective such as: Reducing teen pregnancy Reducing poverty Helping families balance work and family
Families, The State & Social Families, The State & Social PolicyPolicy
•When most people think about aid to families they think about welfare –i.e. assistance to the poor—
but government assistance for families is NOT just for the poor
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The government helps all families, not just poor ones:
Some specific examples:
Social Security is paid to all elderly who worked, regardless of financial need.
Each year, more than 25 million parents deducted part of their out-of-home child care costs from their income taxes.
In the same year, 30 million taxpayers deducted the interest they paid on their home mortgages.
The Family and the StateThe Family and the State
Much of the public policy aimed at families has long historical roots
Long history of debate over where we draw the line between public and private
As we have talked about – the line between public and private has shifted over time
The Family and the StateThe Family and the State
Families, The State & Public PolicyFamilies, The State & Public Policy
Until the Great Depression, the widely held view was that government should NOT intervene in family affairs
Since then - substantial legislation has been passed to protect workers and their families
These programs are collectively referred to as Social Welfare
Social WelfareSocial WelfareWe speak of the U.S. as a welfare
state: a capitalist government that has enacted numerous measures, or policies, to protect workers and families from the harshness of the Capitalist system
These include:1) Social Security2) Unemployment compensation3) Minimum wage
Social Security Act of 1935 Social Security, pensions for elderlyUnemployment compensationAid to mothers with dependent children (ADC)Later became AFDC (Aid to Families with Dependent Children)
The program we call “welfare” or TANF today
Government Assistance in the Government Assistance in the United StatesUnited States
WelfareWelfareWhat assistance does the U.S.
government currently provide to poor families? income assistance food stamps rent subsidies health insurance
Assistance is mainly to single parent families (and these are mainly female-headed)
What Caused Sweeping What Caused Sweeping Reform?Reform?Attitudes towards women’s roles
◦More acceptable for women with children to work
◦Since nonpoor mothers were working, those on welfare should be too
Characteristics of recipients◦Not widowed, but rather, single mothers
Divorced or never married◦Deserving vs. undeserving poor
Hand-up vs. hand-out Racial composition had changed
Families & PovertyFamilies & PovertyDespite many initiatives and billions of
dollars, the percentage of people living below poverty has changed little over the past 30 years
1969 13.71979 12.41989 13.11998 12.72001 11.72003 12.42004 12.72010 14.3
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census
Poverty in the U.S.Poverty in the U.S.
In 2010, nearly 44 million families were in poverty
Your likelihood of being poor and of receiving welfare is associated with your race and ethnicity
http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/poverty04/pov04hi.html
Race and Ethnicity of Parents Receiving Temporary Assistance to Needy Families 2002
Source: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofa/annualreport6/chapter10/10figbdata.htm
American Indian/Alask
an Native, 1.6
White, 31.6
Hispanic, 24.9
African American,
38.3
Families, Public Policy, & PovertyFamilies, Public Policy, & Poverty
•How do we define poverty?
How would you calculate the line that separates the poor from the nonpoor?Who are the deserving poor and why has the definition changed?Who is more likely to be in poverty today – children or the elderly?
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