HMS 18 Introduction to Social Work

Week 1Adjunct Instructor: Ms. Thu Tran, MSW

Thursday 6pm-910pm

Agenda

● Attendance

● Add Codes

● Review Syllabus

● Lecture

Goal of Social Welfare

● Is to fulfill the social, financial, health and recreational requirements of all individuals in a society.

● It seeks to enhance the social functioning of all age groups, both rich and poor.

Goal of Social Welfare● It is the business of social welfare to:

● Find homes for parentless children● Rehabilitate people who are addicted to alcohol or drugs● Treat those with emotional difficulties● Make life more meaningful for older adults● Provide vocational rehabilitation services to persons with a

physical or mental disability● Meet the financial needs of the poor● Rehabilitate juveniles and adults who have committed criminal

offenses● End all types of discrimination and oppression● Provide child care services for parents who work outside the

home● Counteract violence in families, including child abuse and

spouse abuse

Goal of Social Welfare● It is the business of social welfare:

● Counsel individuals and groups experiencing a wide variety of personal and social difficulties

● Provide services to people with AIDS and to their families and friends

● Provide recreational and leisure time services to all age groups● Educate and provide socialization experiences to children who have

a cognitive disability or an emotional disorder● Serve families struck by such physical disaster as fires and

tornadoes● Provide adequate housing for the homeless● Provide programs that support and enhance the normal growth and

development of all children and adults● Provide vocational training and employment opportunities to the

unskilled and unemployed● Meet the special needs of people of color, migrant workers and

other minority groups● Empower individuals, groups, families, organizations, and

communities to improve their circumstances

Social Welfare as an Institution and as a Discipline

● Social Welfare has different meanings for both institution and an academic discipline.

● NASW defines social welfare as an institution as:

● “A nation’s systems of programs, benefits, and services that helps people meet those social, economic, educational, and health needs that are fundamental to the maintenance of society”

● Its purpose is to prevent, alleviate, or contribute to the solution of recognized social problems in order to directly improve the well-being of individuals, groups, families, organizations and communities.

Examples of social welfare programs and services are:● Foster care● Adoption● Day Care● Head Start● Probation and Parole● Financial Assistance Programs● Homeless● Public Health Nursing● Sex Therapy● Suicide Counseling● Recreational Services: Boys and Girls Club

•Services to Minority Groups•Services to Veterans•School Social Services•Medical•Legal Services to the Poor•Family Planning Services•Nursing Home•Shelters for Battered Spouses•Protective Services for Child Abuse and Neglect•Public Housing•Alcoholic Anonymous•Rehabilitation

Social Welfare’s Relationship to Sociology and to Other Academic Disciplines

•Sociology: is the study of human social behavior

•Psychology: is the study of the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mental illness

•Psychiatry: is the study of the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental illness

•Political Science: is the study of processes, principles and structure of government and of political institutions

•Economics: is the study of the production, distribution, and consumption of commodities

•Cultural Anthropology: is the study of human culture based on archeological, ethnographic, linguistic, social and psychological data and methods of analysis

Social Welfare’s Relationship to Social

Work● Social Work has been defined as:

● “Social work is the professional activity of helping individuals, groups or communities to enhance or restore their capacity for social functioning and to create societal conditions favorable to their goals.”

● Social work practice consists of professional application of social work values, principles and techniques to one or more of the following ends:● Helping people obtain tangible services;

provide counseling and psychotherapy for individuals, families and groups; helping communities or groups provide or improve social and health services; and participating in relevant legislative processes.

● The practice of social work requires knowledge of human development and behavior; of social, economic, and cultural institutions; and of the interaction of all these factors.

Social Welfare’s Relationship to Social

Work● What does it mean to be a Social Worker in the

Social Work Field?

● NASW defines “social worker” as:● “Graduates of schools of social work, who use their

knowledge and skills to provide social services for clients (who may be individuals, families, groups, communities, organizations or society). Social workers help people increase their capacities for problems solving and coping and help them obtain needed resources, facilitate interactions between individuals and between people and their environments, make organizations responsible to people, and influence social policies”.

Social Welfare’s Relationship to Human Services

● Human Services may be defined as those systems of services and allied occupations and professions that concentrate on improving or maintaining the physical and mental health and general well-being of individuals, groups, or communities in our society.

● According to Alfred Kahn, Human Services is composed of:● Personal Services● Protection Services● Information/Advising Services● Maintenance Services

● Human Services is a broader terms as it includes: library services, law enforcement, housing code enforcement, consumer protection, and fire prevention and firefighting ● These services are usually not considered social welfare services.● Human Services and Social Welfare meets at a program level, where

social welfare focuses on conceptualizing and resolving social problems and human services focuses social welfare programs.

Residual View vs. Institutional View of Social Welfare

•The social welfare system helps support people preventively-before there is a problem and responsively when a problem is already present.

•2 approaches in providing services:•Residual

•This view holds that social welfare services should be provided when an individual’s needs are

not properly met through other societal institutions, primarily the family and the market economy.

•Social services and financial aid should NOT be provided until ALL other measures or efforts have been exhausted including the individual's and his or her family’s resources.

•Funds and services should be provided on a short-term basis and should be withdrawn when

the individual or the family again becomes capable of being self-sufficient. •Institutional

•Institutional social welfare services are in place to prevent problems. They are proactive an provide benefits or services to people before problems arise.

•This views holds that social welfare programs are to be accepted as a proper, legitimate function of modern industrial society in helping individuals achieve self-fulfillment.

•Associated with this view is the belief that an individual's difficulties are due to causes largely

beyond his or her control. When difficulties arise, causes are sought in the environment and efforts are focused on improving the social institutions within which the individual functions.

Liberalism vs. Conservatism

● There are two prominent political philosophies in the U.S.:● Conservatism and Liberalism

● Conservatives emphasize tradition and believe that rapid change usually results in more negative than positive consequences. ● They generally view individuals as autonomous and that

regardless of what a person’s situation is, or what his or her problems are, each person is thought to be responsible for his or her own behavior.

● They advocate a residual approach to social welfare programs.

● Liberals believe that change is generally good, as it usually brings progress. ● They advocate government action to remedy social deficiencies

and to improve human welfare. They feel that government regulation and intervention are often required to safeguard human rights, to control the excesses of capitalism, and to provide equal chances for success.

● They adhere to an institutional view of social welfare.

Developmental View of Social Welfare

● An alternative to liberalism and conservatism views, Developmental View emerged to appeal to liberals, conservatives and general public.

● This approach consist of: “process of planned social change designed to promote the well-being of the population as a whole in conjunction with a dynamic process of economic development”.

● Why does it appeal to:● Liberals: supports the development and expansion of needed social welfare programs.● Conservatisms: assets that the development of certain social welfare programs will have a

positive impact on the economy.● General Public: since most voters oppose to welfarism because they believe it causes

economic problems but by asserting and documenting, certain proposed social welfare programs will directly benefit the economy.

● Characteristics of Developmental View:● Advocates social interventions● The approach towards economic progress is vital component of social progress● Promotes the active role of the government in economic and social planning● Direct opposition to the residual approach, which advocates that the government should seek

to minimize its role in the provision of programs● Integrating economic and social development for the benefit of all members of society.

History of Social Welfare

• Today’s social welfare system reflects four centuries of responses to social needs.

• Several major historical events and trends have influenced the development of social welfare policy and systems since the earliest European colonists arrived in this country.

Colonial Period• First social welfare policy to be widely implemented in this country was an

English system based on the Elizabethan Poor Laws.

• What are the Elizabethan Poor Law and its primary principles?• The able-bodied poor• The impotent poor• Dependent Children

• The poor were categorized as either worthy or unworthy to receive aid.• The worthy poor included widows, orphans, the elderly, and the people

with disabilities.• The unworthy poor included able-bodied single adults and unmarried

women with children born out of wedlock.• Aid for the poor first came from families, and only when the family

absolutely could not provide economic support, did public authorities step in.

• Legal residency in the community was necessary to be eligible for assistance.

• Assistance was temporary and only for emergencies. The ultimate goal was for each recipient to gain employment or marry someone who was employed.

Industrial Revolution● In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, Industrial Revolution flourished and

brought up two views that has important effects on social welfare.

● Protestant Ethics: emphasized individualism, where “one is master of one’s own fate”. It focused on hard work and self ambition to acquire material goods. People were largely judged not on the basis of their personality and other attributes but on how much wealth they had acquired. “To be poor was thought to be one’s own moral fault”.

● Laissez-faire economic theory: asserted that the economy and society in general would best prosper if business and industries were permitted to do whatever they desired to make a profit. Any government regulation of business practices was discouraged.

● Together: this caused exploitation of the working class through low pay, long hours, and child labor.

The Great Depression and the Social Security Act

• The Great Depression was the most significant economic downturn in the U.S. history. During the Great Depression, the imbalance between supply and demand was so great that it destroyed social well-being on an immense scale. The scope of problems and social needs overwhelmed existing state, local and private agencies and programs.

• In 1931, some states began providing unemployment relief to prevent starvation among the jobless and their families. President Herbet Hoover, believed that only private charity should meet the needs of the unemployed. He though public relief would demoralize people and make them permanently dependent on the state and federal governments.

• In 1933, President Franklin Roosevelt took office an proposed temporary emergency programs to provide paid work for some unemployed workers. It became clear that situations and events beyond individual control can cause deprivation, misery and poverty and that the federal government must play a role in providing financial assistance and social services.

• The Great Depression demonstrated the need for more permanent federal efforts in dealing with some of the critical problems of unemployment, aging, disability, illness and dependent children. This resulted in the passing of the 1935 Social Security Act.

Social Security Act of 1935

● It is the basis for most of our current public social welfare programs and federal legislation for the following three major categories:● Social Insurance:

● Unemployment Compensation, Old Age Survivor disability and Health Insurance

● Public Assistance:● Aid to the Blind ● Aid to the Disabled● Old Age Assistance● Aid to Families with Dependent Children (replaced by Temporary

Assistance to Needy Families in 1996)● Public Health and Welfare Services

The Great Society and War on Poverty

● There was a major push for expansion of social welfare programs in the 1960s.

● President Lyndon Johnson declared “a War on Poverty” and sought to create what he called a “Great Society”.

● Funding for existing social welfare programs was sharply increased and many new programs were created such as Head Start, Medicare and Medicaid.

● A renewed interest in changing the environment or “the system” to better meet the needs of clients rather than enabling clients to better adapt and adjust to their life situations.

Conservatism in the 1970s and 1980s

● No new large scale social welfare programs were initiated due to the Vietnam War, Watergate, Inflation, Recession, Israeli-Arab conflict, energy crises, political turmoil in Iran, the Iran-Contra affair, 1991 war against Iraq, political turmoil in Haiti and the large federal budget deficit.

● These social problems included: dismal living conditions in the inner cities, the AIDS crisis, homelessness, racial discrimination, crime, prison conditions, family violence, high divorce rate, overpopulation and the increasing number of people living in poverty.

● 1980, Ronald Reagan was elected president implemented:● Taxes were sharply cut for both individuals and corporations● Military expenditures were sharply increased ● Expenditures for social programs were sharply cut-first massive cutback for

federal reduction in social welfare expenditures.

● 1988, George Bush was elected and believed that federal government is not a solution to social problems but in fact is part of the problem. During his term, he focused on a period of prosperity that would “trickle down” to the lowest stratum so that everyone would benefit but it resulted in the gap between the rich and the poor widen, with the poor failing to benefit from the improved financial circumstances of the rich.

A Move toward Liberalism and Back-1990s

● Bill Clinton was elected in 1992, his views on resolving social problems were consistent with a moderate liberal orientation. It included a universal health insurance programs for all Americans. However, this move was short lived and resulted in the Republicans passing legislation shifting its spending from crime prevention to prison construction and abolishing AFDC.● Although AFDC ended, 1996 welfare reform legislation created Temporary

Assistance to Needy Families.● Each state sets its own eligibility rules and amounts for financial assistance.

The federal government provides block grants to states to assist in financing the programs that are developed.

● Recipients of financial benefits receive no more than 2 years of assistance without working and there is a 5 years lifetime limit of benefits for adults.

● As a result, The Devolution Revolution emerged. ● Devolution Revolution refers to the fact that decisions about the provision

of key social welfare programs are being transferred from the federal government to the state level.

Compassionate Conservatism

● George W. Bush was elected in 2000. His slogan was “compassionate conservatism”● He was a loyal opponent of women’s right to choose

abortion.● He opposed to passing legislation to legalize gay

marriages.● He supported increased Federal spending for education

programs for low income school districts and children with disabilities.

● Pell grants to help poor students attend college and private-school voucher programs

● However, during his administration, U.S were involved in 2 wars: Iraq and Afganistan, mortgage crisis, and financial crisis of large financial institutions.

Barack Obama-Will Change Come?

● Elected in 2008, he sought changes to improve social welfare and making Iraq and Afghanistan a high priority.● Obama is a supporter of a woman’s right to choose

to have an abortion. He believes same-sex couples should be able to enter into civil unions with all the legal benefits of marriage but believes marriage should refer to the union of a man and a woman. He is requiring employers to offer health insurance or contribute to a public plan.

● Recently, the capture and death of Osama Bin Laden was a great and significant defeat for the U.S.

Where do we stand today?

● Among industrialized nations, we rank very low in the percentage of gross national product spent on social welfare programs.

● Sweden spends over twice as much as the U.S.

● We still need to address:● What new services and programs should be

developed to combat the worldwide AIDS crisis?● What new programs should be developed for the

homeless?● Page 19