The Reconstruction of Family Policy

by Anderson, Elaine A.; Hula, Richard C.

• ISBN13: 9780313278990
• ISBN10: 0313278997
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1991-07-01
• Publisher: Praeger Pub Text

Summary

During the past decade, the appropriate role of government in society has been subjected to a sweeping reevaluation throughout the world. An important element in this ongoing debate has been a reappraisal of the form and magnitude of public social welfare policy. The essays that make up this volume examine a variety of aspects of this topic as it applies to family policy in the United States, including both the political debate over who should be served and how programs should be funded, and the intellectual questions surrounding the nature of social organization and its role within the state. Divided into three major subject areas, the work reexamines basic elements of current policy debate surrounding family life. The first section explores fundamental features of family policy, considering whether there is a conflict of interest between adults and children in fashioning social policy, and outlining the parameters of a feminist family policy. The second section examines the linkage between ideology and action. Among the topics covered are the link between state political culture and family policy, latchkey children, treatment of the nation's elderly and its link to a mythical past, abortion, and family policy in the People's Republic of China. The final section analyzes a number of specific policies, including AFDC program cutbacks, the decline in family planning resources, nonfamily-based care, and joint custody arrangements, and attempts to trace their impact. A concluding chapter examines the future of family policy. This work will be a valuable resource for both students and professionals in the fields of public policy studies and sociology, as well as an important addition to public and academic libraries.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Thinking about Family Policy by Richard C. Hula<BR>

The Normative Context of Family Policy<BR>

Balancing the Policy Interests of Children and Adults by John Scanzoni<BR>

A Feminist Approach to National Family Policy by Patricia Spakes<BR>

Linking Ideology to Action<BR>

The Policy Functions of Family Policies in Three States: A Comparative Analysis by Shirley L. Zimmerman<BR>

State Initiatives in Family Policy by Steven R. Wisensale<BR>

Latchkey Children and After-School Care: A Feminist Dilemma? by Clifton P. Flynn and Hyman Rodman<BR>

Translating the Problems of the Elderly into Effective Policies: Filial Responsibility by Doris E. Dinkins Ford<BR>

Abortion and Family Policy: A Mental Health Perspective by Gregory A. Wilmoth, Danielle Bussell, and Brian L. Wilcox<BR>

Women Under the Collective: The Exigencies of Family Policies in China by Jean Robinson<BR>

Exploring Impacts<BR>

Post-Mortem on the Deterioration of the Welfare Grant by Theresa Funiciello and Sanford F. Schram<BR>

Reagan's Federalism and Family Planning Services: Implications for Family Policy by Deborah R. McFarlane<BR>

Child Support and the Feminization of Poverty by Andrea H. Beller and Seung Sin Chung<BR>

Child Care in America: Retrospect and Prospect by Sally Lubeck and Patricia Garrett<BR>

Rethinking Joint Custody Policy: Option or Presumption? by Clifton P. Flynn<BR>

Policy Implications of Involving Parents in Head Start by Robert K. Leik, Mary Anne Chalkley, and Nancy J. Peterson<BR>

The Future of Family Policy: A Postscript by Elaine A. Anderson<BR>

References<BR>

Index