Actions and policies of government can have profound effects on the family
- Abolishing the family - after Russia Revolution (1917) government wanted to destroy pre-revolutionary family so they changed the laws to make divorce and abortion more accessibility. Caused civil war, famine and threat of war so they had to change the policy.
- China's one child policy - couples who did this got extra benefits and education priority and couples who didn't had to pay a fine. Caused infanticide and abortion of girls.
- Nazi Family Policy - In 1930s Germany state restricted abortion and contraception to make racially pure breed - sterilised over 300000 disabled people
- Divorce only by wealthy - since 1857 marriages was viewed as sacred, so divorce was only made available by rich causing empty shell marriages
- Civil partnership - made legal in UK in 2005 extending equality
- PATERNITY LEAVE - 2002 dads allowed 2 weeks off, involved more with children
- CHILD BENEFIT ONLY FOR LOW EARNING - 2013 to help economy, may drive mothers back to work as families with one earner are penalised
- NHS FREE FOR ALL - 1947 to improve national health, longer life span, reduced birth rate as child mortality decreases
- ABSENT PARENTS PAY FOR CHILD - 1993 to make men more responsible for children and to help single parents
- STATE BENEFITS CAPPED - planned for 2013 - encourage people back to work and discourage those who lack money to have lots of kids
- TAX INCENTIVES FOR MARRIED COUPLES - to encourage marriage to create more stable families
- SAME SEX COUPLES ALLOWED TO ADOPT - implemented in 2002 to promote equal rights and solve problem of lack of parents.
- 1943 BEVERIDGE REPORT led to set up of Welfare State in 1948, including the NHS benefits system paid for through National Insurance
- 1989 CHILDREN'S ACT - prioritised the needs of children and the rights of children to feel safe and secure
- 2003 PATERNITY LEAVE - a father can have 2 weeks paid leave work when his child is born
- 2005 ADOPTION AND CHILDREN ACT - allows unmarried cohabiting couples, both heterosexual and homosexual, to adopt
- 1961 CONTRACEPTIVE PILL -available in UK to married woman (unmarried women in 1964)
- 1967 ABORTION - legal in UK
- 1974 CONTRACEPTION AVAILABLE FREE OF CHARGE
- 1984 MATRIMONIAL AND FAMILY PROCEEDINGS ACT - allowed divorce after one year of marriage.
- 1988 CLAUSE 28 LAW - bans promotion of homosexuality in schools as normal family relationship
- 1998 'SUPPORTING FAMILIES' - Labour stated that government saw marriage as the best basis for family life and to raise children
- 2001 - age of sexual consent for homosexual relationships is dropped from 18 to 16
- 2003 CLAUSE 28 LAW - banned promotion of homosexuality in schools as a normal family was dropped
- 2005 INTRODUCTION OF CIVIL PARTNERSHIPS
- 2013 SAME SEX MARRIAGE - politicians vote in favour of same sex marriage but no law has been passed on this yet
- 1998 'SUPPORTING FAMILIES' - Labour stated that government saw marriage as the best basis for family life and to raise children
- 2003 CHILD TAX CREDIT - policy which provides families where both partners are in paid employment but on low pay, with tax relief on money paid for childcare
- 2005 INTRODUCTION OF CIVIL PARTNERSHIPS
- 1964 CONTRACEPTIVE PILL MADE AVAILABLE FOR UNMARRIED WOMAN - encourages sex before marriage
- 1967 ABORTION LEGALISED
- 1984 MATRIMONIAL AND FAMILY PROCEEDINGS ACT - allowed divorce after one year of marriage
- 1996 FAMILY LAW ACT - allowed divorce if marriage has broken down after much thought
- 2005 ADOPTION ACT
- 1975 SEX DISCRIMINATION ACT - Job could not be given to someone purely on the grounds of their sex
- 1975 EQUAL PAY ACT - if man and woman were doing the same job they had to be paid the same wage
- 1961 CONTRACEPTIVE PILL
- 1967 ABORTION LEGALISED
- 1974 CONTRACEPTION MADE FREE OF CHARGE
- 1975 DISCRIMINATION ACT
- 1975 EQUAL PAY ACT
- 2010 FATHERS PATERNITY LEAVE
- 1943 BEVERIDGE REPORT - led to set up of Welfare State in 1948, including the NHS benefits system paid for through National Insurance
- 1989 CHILDREN'S ACT - prioritised the needs of children and the rights of children to feel safe and secure
- 2003 PATERNITY LEAVE - a father can have 2 weeks paid leave work when his child is born
- 2005 ADOPTION AND CHILDREN ACT - allows unmarried cohabiting couples, both heterosexual and homosexual, to adopt
- 1961 CONTRACEPTIVE PILL - available in UK to married woman (unmarried women in 1964)
- 1967 ABORTION - legal in UK
- 1974 CONTRACEPTION AVAILABLE FREE OF CHARGE
- 1984 MATRIMONIAL AND FAMILY PROCEEDINGS ACT - allowed divorce after one year of marriage.
- 1988 CLAUSE 28 LAW - bans promotion of homosexuality in schools as normal family relationship
- 1998 'SUPPORTING FAMILIES' - Labour stated that government saw marriage as the best basis for family life and to raise children
- 2001 - age of sexual consent for homosexual relationships is dropped from 18 to 16
- 2003 CLAUSE 28 LAW - banned promotion of homosexuality in schools as a normal family was dropped
- 2005 INTRODUCTION OF CIVIL PARTNERSHIPS
- 2013 SAME SEX MARRIAGE - politicians vote in favour of same sex marriage but no law has been passed on this yet