L042: How far can policy change family life?

Evaluate policy effects across families and distinguish design, access, take-up and outcomes using a UK and Sweden comparison.

Source note: Source notes: GOV.UK states eligible parents can share up to 50 weeks of Shared Parental Leave and up to 37 weeks of pay; Försäkringskassan states Swedish parental benefit is paid for 480 days for one child, including 390 income-based days and 90 minimum-level days.

Connect and Check

A policy creates options; it does not automatically change family relationships.
Design, access, take-up and outcomes are four separate stages in the policy effect chain.
A comparison between countries can reveal possibilities, but it cannot prove that policy alone caused a social outcome.

Choose your route

Access

Access: identify the policy design, intended group and claimed outcome.

Core

Core: explain two mechanisms and show how each could affect family equality.

Stretch

Stretch: evaluate design, access, take-up and outcomes before reaching a qualified judgement.

Perspective comparison

FunctionalismNew RightFeminismMarxism

Exam practice

Drawing on Item B and sociological knowledge, evaluate the view that social policies make family relationships more equal. [20 marks]