Examine the way in which laws and social policies affect family life
From the 19th Century onwards the government have introduced different social policies in attempt to shape family life in Britain, to make it better for all family members, rather than only focusing on the traditional patriarchal Nuclear family.
In 1963 the equal Pay Act was introduced, meaning that pay based on sex was abolished and men and women became more equal. This social policy created a higher standard of living as both partners would become wage earners, meaning the family was financially better off and could afford to meet all of the family’s basic needs and requirements. Women became more powerful and gained more authority due to this social policy, and therefore males were less dominant causing them to help out more within the home, which created more gender equality. A functionalist would agree with this social policy as they believe that it helps the family run more efficiently and makes family life better for all; however it does not follow Talcott Parsons (1955) as he argued that women should remain at home due to their biological differences, as they’re naturally suited to the housewife role. Feminists are also in favour, as they believe that men and women should be equals and receive the same rights as men. Especially radical feminists, who believe that women entering paid work is a great way for women to escape men, by women becoming wage earners they are no longer financially dependent on their husbans. However, the New Right are against women working and receiving the same pay because they argue that women should stay at home where she plays the expressive role of the housewife, which follows the nuclear family pattern. The New Right quote “If the good Lord had intended us to have equal rights to go out and work, he would not have created men and women”, women were born to