A structural social justice approach to family policy: A critique of the draft South African family policy

Abstract

This paper argues that the draft January 2005 National Family Policy is rooted in a csonservative and residual framework and that it is uninformed by an analysis of how factors such as race, class and gender intersect to influence access to power, privilege, status and resources in contemporary South Africa. Neither does the Policy pay attention to how neoliberal capitalism and market-induced inequality is impacting family living. The assertion is that policy for family living must be rooted in a structural, social justice approach. The paper presents a situational analysis of South Africa post 1994, with a specific focus on the impact of neo-liberal capitalism. Against this contemporary socio-economic background, the paper critiques the draft National Family Policy and concludes with advocacy for universal social security provision in the form of a basic income grant for all South Africans.