Disadvantages – can lead to financial hardship
Only one role model
The status of the family has changed when industrialisation moved out of the home. When children worked in the home they where seen as ‘little adults’ as parents passed on their skills to their children, parents educated their children in the way that they lived their lives and they expected that their children’s lives would be very similar to their own. Children were part of working life and they saw what went on in their parent’s lives. As technology developed faster parents were unable to pass down skills that their children needed. So when parents were unable to educate their children fully, as requirements for literate and numerate labour force increased, children needed to be educated by people who could teach them in this, and it 1880 the state made it compulsory for children to go to school, this is one of the ways that the welfare state has intervened in children’s lives, taking the choice away from parents how they want their children to be educated. This made children dependant on their parents, and this period is ever increasing as children stay in education longer.
In the 19th century the father ruled the house and was seen as the head, children had a low status, they were expected “to be seen and not heard”. Now the family is centred round the children, activities are now done for the child’s benefit and child welfare is seen as a priority. “Families have got smaller since the end of the 19th century, and this means more individual care and attention can be devoted to each child” (Ken Browne (2002) Introducing Sociology for AS Level), parents want to give their children the very best, and so devote a lot of time to their health, social and educational needs.
The idea of the welfare state “is that the government should provide for the welfare of all citizens from the cradle to the grave.” (C Townroe, G Yates, third edition 1995, P.285). The welfare state was their to provide for people when they needed it and to provide public services such as schools, libraries, free health care, social services, etc. “the British welfare state provides a national minimum to those in need but also funds and regulates services such as health, education and the social services.” (A Yeo, T lovell, 2002, P.14) we have a mixed economy of welfare, the government takes reasonability for some things but encourages the private and voluntary sectors to offer services as well. The introduction of the Children Act 1989 has created legal frame to ensure the rights of children to protection, it also changed how practises worked together, the police and social services now work closely together on alleged cases of child abuse. The child’s welfare is seen as the first priority, and the family home is seen as the best place for the child to be unless the child will suffer from harm in the family home. Also the act places a lot of emphasis on working in partnership with parents.
Marriages and divorce are changing, we can tell this by statistics that are produced. We know that in 1961 that there was 397,000 total marriages in Britain and in the same year 27,000 divorces, where in 1990 there was 375,000 marriages and 168,000 divorces in the same year. This suggest that their are less marriages even through their is a higher population meaning that there is more likely that in 1990 that more people cohabiting and not having to get married to live together. Even through that marriage rate has gone down by 22,000 since 1961, divorce rate has gone up by 141,000 since 1961, meaning that there is a serious rise in divorce.
Divorces did not come accessible to the average couple until the 1949 when the legal aid act was introduced. “in the 1960s the law still obstructed the easy termination of unhappy marriages “ (C Townroe, G Yates, 1995). This was because the partner applying for the divorce had to prove the other partner guilty conduct. The Divorce Reform Act 1969 simplified procedures so that divorce can now be obtained on the grounds of irretrievable breakdown of marriage. In 1984 the law was changed so that divorce could be permitted after on year of marriage rather than three. This has lead to people finding it easier to divorce due to financial help, and that you can have a divorce for other reason than the other partner having committed adultery.
The reform law in the divorce act reflects society’s changing attitudes. There is a believe that the “declining influence of the church means that some people attach less value to marriage” (C Townroe, G Yates, 1995), they believe that marriage has become a disposable item in our culture. Where others believe that the media’s emphasis on romance and personal happiness gives us all higher expectations than generations before us had, and with so much expectation on marriage it is inevitable the divorce rate is increasing. There the fact that women have more freedom to divorce firstly is because of financial independence that men are not the sole wage earner, and the extension of legal aid for divorce has increased the ease of divorce for women.
The explanation that I think is most valid to the increased rate in divorce is that people want romance and personal happiness and if by divorce they will get these things then they will, therefore the divorce rate will increase as more people want this.
The state intervenes in the family in a number of different ways; one way is providing benefits and services to family types, and secondly intervenes when there are problems within a family e.g. child abuse taking place.
One of the ways that the state supports the family by providing financial help:
Expectant mother get help by: - statuary maternity pay, maternity allowance, maternity leave, incapacity benefit, and sure start maternity grant.
Families with children: - child benefit, working family tax credit, home responsibilities protection, job seeker allowance, and income support.
Lone parents: - child support maintenance, child maintenance bonus, guardian allowance, widows mothers allowance.
The other benefits are the National Health Service, which provides children and families on low incomes who get free prescriptions, dental care and sight test and glasses. Education most local authorities provide free school meals. One and two parent families are given higher priority on housing waiting list. The sure start initiative is a government program to support parents in bringing up their children, especially in deprived areas.
When the family runs into problems the state intervenes, it does this when there is domestic violence and child abuse and neglect. The help of to women in domestic violence situations are that there are women refuges. These provide short term accommodation for women and their children who are at risk of violence. The police and judiciary take complaints of domestic violence seriously and even more if there a child at risk of violence and may even use The Family Homes and Domestic Violence Bill 1996 which gives power for violent parents to be exclude from the family home. Family centre are run to teach parenting and relationship skills.
the state intervenes when their is suspected or know child abuse, child abuse is put into four groups physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect. The state intervenes by monitoring each case by visiting the family home or to have the parents to come to the local social services department on a regular bias. Family centre are where parent can go to have their parenting skills assessed and given help to develop their skills and receive counselling. Referred to specialist agencies to help understand the extent and causes of any abuse. The child may be put on the child protection where social services feel there is need for close scrutiny of a family and a formal record for a child condition. Children at risk of child abuse can be taken in to care, by parents consent or by a care order and the child will be placed in a foster family or in a residential children’s home.