How Personal Lives Are Constructed by Social Policy - Essay Example

How personal lives are constructed by social policy and work Word count= 1220 words Introduction Childhood is a protected stage of life from the troubles of adult world and social policies must enable children the opportunity to enjoy a healthy and happy personal live while upholding the respect and rights of the children (Fink 2004). However, childhood is experienced across race, gender, sexuality and disability and children opportunities are different along the social-structural lines and some may experience disadvantaged childhood (Mooney 2004). In my childhood, I had to take my brother and sister to school and prepare dinner for my father thus losing much of the study time (Campbell 2014). About 3million vulnerable children are hampered in their daily activities by chronic mental and physical problems such as disability and illness (Mooney 2004). The growth in paid employment for women has necessitated a social policy on care of children since women have to provide care to their babies, attend to the elderly and pay for other sites such as after-school clubs with their low wages (Fink 2004). From my experience, my dad did not like my mum going to paid employment since it interfered with his expectations (Campbell 2014). Since primary school, I looked after my sister and brother as well as ensuring dinner was on the table when my dad came from work (Campbell 2014). Although local authorities are expected to assess the need of young people, there is no obligation to provide such care services and the physical, emotional and material support can only be attained by relying on the existing state benefits (Lewis 2004). Carers National Association (CAN) has lobbied for policy and legislation that includes unpaid care work and opportunities for break. A clear example is the Carers (Recognition and Services Act 1995), that recognises the contribution of informal carers on behalf of the state. My previous experience at work demonstrates these laws are not applicable in practice since the employers insisted they could not grant me grant me time off (Campbell 2014). According to psychoanalytic approaches, care must reflect on the emotional needs of the children and young people since the mental health is important as the physical health and hygiene. The social policy should avoid the maternal deprivation and loss of attachment since mothers provide the psychological and emotional needs of children that cannot be offered by children’s homes thus helping the children and young people develop a personal identity and sustained emotional attachment that cannot be offered in children’ homes (Mooney, 2004b). According to the feminist approaches to care, the male breadwinner model is no longer relevant since many couples are engaged in paid employment and thus adult-worker model is more relevant to care of children and young people. Feminists understanding of care does not fit in the demands of work space and time, but are valuable activities that are guided by values such as trust, responsibility and tolerance to human limitations. In this regard, my previous employment at the luxury hotel chain was stressful since my employer was unwilling to grant me a day off every two weeks to attend to my sick mother (Campbell 2014). UK social policy on care can be traced back to the Poor law Act of 1601 that provided that family had a moral obligation of extending care to its members and such care has expanded to include either financial or practical support for the children, sick or elderly in the family. Beveridge report (1942) proposed creation of health and rehabilitation services as statutory entitlements in the communities. The National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 involved central government in design care programs and paved way for the formal care that is supplied by the professional health, welfare and childcare workers. Working mothers are capable of getting subsidies for child care as part of working families tax credit. In this case, care of children by family members will not attract any financial reward In 1997, the New Labour’s new Deal made some entitlements conditional to employment thus making welfare available only to those earning lowest wages. In 2001, Labour party stressed the need for paid work as the anti-crime and pro-family policy thus creating behaviours that foster moral value of paid work among the personal lives of children. However, new legislations enable males and females with children under six years and disable children up to 18 years to request for flexible working hours including part-time work. The UK workfarist regime has shifted to work-related benefits such as tax credit and subsidies for lone mothers thus replacing the out-of-work benefits thus affecting the personal lives of the marginalised groups like older people and young unemployed people (Mooney 2004). However, the work-life balance has gained prominence due to changes in work organisation and flexible working patterns. The 24/7 economy of supermarkets and call centres has extended the working hours thus leading to less holiday time. Although I worked hard and had a sense job security, the working hours could not allow me meet my personal obligations. At the same time, I feared encountering financial instability and losing social connections with my friends and colleagues due to the transition from work to unemployment (Campbell 2014). The inflexible working hours continue to expose children to poor upbringing. The social policy on children personal lives stems from realisation that abilities of children are limited during the 19th century (Fink 2004). For instance, 1857 Industrial Schools Act provided for industrial schools to children found begging or suffering on the streets from parental neglect (Fink 2004). However, the institutional fix concept had to change to fixed institutions that could offer rehabilitative services rather than confinement of the children. Several policy legislation like the Criminal Justice Act of 1948 that established detention centers and Children and Young Persons Act of 1969 that ensured secure accommodation expanded the child welfare services. The youth custody centres were introduced in 1980s and children were provided with private jails that acted as secure training centres (Fink 2004). The modern law provides two methods of dealing with children since those who run childrens’ homes and have self-harming tendencies or those who are exploited and abused in streets are put in secure accommodation units that are managed by local authorities and department of health under the Children Act 1989. Those perceived as threats (charged for an offence) are placed in remand under young offender institutions under Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and are supervised by the Home Office or Prison Service (Fink 2004). Conclusion From the module, I have realised that most working citizens in UK are enslaved by their work and social policies have not created flexible working hours that can enable the workers to meet their personal lives. In this case, work and personal lives is intertwined and many people make the challenging decision of leaving their employment in order to take care of the vulnerable loved ones such as children and elderly people. Although social policy aims at ensuring work-life balance, some policies are unrealistic in the current private economy that aims at maximising profits and increasing the working hours. Children under secure accommodation face numerous vulnerabilities since some facilities have inhumane and brutalizing conditions that force the children to harm themselves. Young people continue to face multiple deprivation, unproductive school careers, poor health, poverty, stunted opportunities and unfilled aspirations that put them at the risk of drug abuse and other unhealthy behaviours. References: Campbell, L. (2014). Unpubished TMA06, submitted in partial completion of DD305 Personal lives and social policy, The Open University. Fink, J. 2004. Care: personal lives and social policy. Bristol: Policy Press. Lewis, G. 2004. Citizenship: personal lives and social policy. Bristol: Policy Press. Mooney, G. 2004. Work: personal lives and social policy. Bristol: Policy Press. Read More