Influence of theories and explanations on social policy

Influence of Theories and Explanations on Social Policy

Introduction to Theories and Social Policy

  • Social policy can be defined as the set of guidelines and interventions developed by governments or institutions to regulate and shape society.
  • The development and shaping of social policy are influenced by various sociological theories and explanations related to crime and deviance.

Consensus Theories

  • Consensus theories, including functionalist perspectives, emphasise the significance of value consensuses in maintaining societal order.
  • From this standpoint, social policies often aim to reinforce this consensus and discourage behaviours that break societal norms.
  • For instance, policies that focus on retribution or deterrence, such as imprisonment or fines, demonstrate the influence of consensus theories.

Conflict Theories

  • Conflict theories, such as the Marxist and feminist perspectives, focus on the social inequalities that drive crime and deviance.
  • According to these theories, social policy should aim to alleviate these inequalities, which may involve reforms in areas like education, housing, or employment.
  • Examples of social policies influenced by conflict theories include initiatives to address income inequality, or legislations to prevent gender discrimination.

Interactionist Theories

  • Interactionist theories emphasise the role of societal reactions in the definition of crime and deviance.
  • Interactionism suggests that policies need to reduce the negative labelling and stigmatisation of certain groups which tend to contribute to cycles of crime.
  • Policies such as restorative justice programmes, that propose an alternative to punitive measures, reflect an interactionist influence.

Realist Theories

  • Realist theories, including left and right realism, advocate for practical solutions to lower crime rates.
  • Left realist perspectives push for social reforms to battle deprivation while right realist perspectives champion for stronger control measures and punitive actions.
  • Policies shaped by realist theories include comprehensive community programmes aimed at reducing crime (left realism) and harsher policing or sentencing policies (right realism).

Evaluting Policy Influences

  • It’s crucial to recognise that social policies are often a mix of influences from various theories, moulded also by political climate, public sentiment and resource availability.
  • Understanding the theory behind a policy not only illuminates the rationale behind it, but it can also highlight potential strengths and weaknesses.
  • While the policy’s influence may stem from a specific theory, its actual effectiveness may differ drastically and hence continuous evaluation is needed.