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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