The welfare state

    OCR
    GCSE

    The study of the Welfare State in UK Sociology necessitates a critical analysis of the shift from the post-1945 Social Democratic consensus (Beveridgean universalism) to the New Right's emphasis on retrenchment, marketisation, and individual responsibility, and finally to the 'Third Way' and contemporary austerity measures. Candidates must evaluate the ideological drivers behind social policy, specifically the tension between the state's role in decommodification (protecting citizens from market forces) and the promotion of economic efficiency. Assessment focuses on the impact of these policies on stratification (class, gender, ethnicity) and the validity of theoretical critiques, particularly the debate between structural explanations of poverty and cultural explanations (dependency culture).

    5
    Objectives
    4
    Exam Tips
    4
    Pitfalls
    3
    Key Terms
    4
    Mark Points

    Learning Objectives

    What you need to know and understand

    • The Beveridge Report (1942) and the founding of the NHS (1948).
    • The Five Giants: Want, Disease, Ignorance, Squalor, Idleness.
    • Charles Murray's concept of the 'Underclass' and 'Dependency Culture'.
    • The distinction between Universalism (e.g., Winter Fuel Payment) and Means-testing.
    • Introduction of Universal Credit (2013) and its aim to simplify the benefits system.

    Marking Points

    Key points examiners look for in your answers

    • Award marks for explicit identification of the Five Giants (Want, Disease, Ignorance, Squalor, Idleness) and their corresponding solutions.
    • Credit the application of sociological perspectives: Functionalists viewing welfare as maintaining value consensus; Marxists viewing it as a tool of social control to prevent revolution.
    • Reward analysis that contrasts universal benefits (e.g., Child Benefit) with means-tested benefits (e.g., Universal Credit) and the implications for the poverty trap.
    • High-level responses must evaluate the effectiveness of the welfare state in reducing inequality, citing evidence of persistent relative poverty.

    Examiner Tips

    Expert advice for maximising your marks

    • 💡In 12-mark 'Discuss' questions, ensure you juxtapose two distinct theoretical viewpoints (e.g., Feminist vs New Right) rather than just listing facts.
    • 💡Use the 'PEEL' structure (Point, Evidence/Theory, Explain, Link) to ensure AO3 analysis is sustained throughout extended writing.
    • 💡When using source material, explicitly quote the data or text to support a sociological claim; do not just describe what the source says.
    • 💡Allocate approximately 1 minute per mark; do not over-write on 6-mark questions at the expense of the final 12-mark essay.

    Common Mistakes

    Pitfalls to avoid in your exam answers

    • Conflating the NHS with the entire Welfare State; failing to recognise the welfare state includes housing, education, and social security.
    • Presenting New Right theories (e.g., Charles Murray) as objective fact rather than a sociological perspective subject to criticism.
    • Describing the history of the welfare state narratively without linking it to concepts of power, stratification, or poverty.
    • Confusing 'absolute poverty' with 'relative poverty' when discussing the effectiveness of welfare payments.

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    Key Terminology

    Essential terms to know

    Likely Command Words

    How questions on this topic are typically asked

    Describe
    Explain
    Identify
    Discuss
    Evaluate
    Compare

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