THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WORK

SOWK1001C
Introduction to Social Work & Social Welfare
(2020-21, 2nd Term)

Lecture 3
Organizing social welfare
Prepared by Terry Leung

The social functions of social welfare (Whitaker & Federico, 1997)

 Cost to society when people in it encounter dysfunctions with needs unmet
 Maintain social order through social solidarity
o Social welfare helps maintaining predictable patterns of behavior to make it easier
for people to agree on following certain social rules
o If everyone share the same goals, beliefs and values, patterns of interaction would
be stable
o The functionalist perspective – social welfare fulfills an integrative social
functions, sustains morale and cohesiveness in society and thereby contributes to
efficiency, stability and order (Gilbert & Terrell, 2013)
 Social control
o By socialization
o By informal expression of disapproval
o By actual physical restraints
o In Marxist view, by pacifying the working class to maintain their subservience
 How the social functions of social welfare are defined is related to the ideological
commitment of the society and its policy makers

Ideological basis of social welfare (Macarov, 1995; Kirst-Ashman, 2017)

 Ideologies
o ways of viewing and understanding how the world is structured and what
processes should govern behavior in it
o predispose values and prescribe what is considered appropriate behavior
 Altruism and humanitarianism
o Altruism implies an unselfish concern for the welfare of others
o Humanitarianism concerns for improving the welfare and happiness of
humankind
 Individualism vs collectivism
o Individualism
 places a strong emphasis on individual responsibility, presumes the
availability of opportunities, has individualistic explanations for achievement,
and therefore accepts unequal distributions of rewards
 upholds the value of equity (deserved equity or needs-based equity): people

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 get different share of benefits in accordance to what they are entitled or need
o Collectivism
 stresses the importance of collective good and action, prioritizes collective
benefits over individual benefits, and cooperation over competition
 upholds the value of equality: people get the same share of benefit regardless
of their individual differences
 Conservatism vs liberalism
o Conservatism
 Upholds change does not necessarily mean improvement (thrive on tradition);
believes that institutions and practices that have stood the test of time should
not be readily abandoned, and that society has the responsibility of regulating
people’s behavior
 Asserts that individuals are responsible for themselves, government should
has minimal interference in people’s lives; social welfare policies and
programs should be reactive, solving problems only after they occur
 Mistrust as an ideology
 Believes that people are guided by an acquisitive instinct, striving
to get all they can by any means, resulting in mistrust of the
welfare recipients
 Basic mistrust of welfare recipients may be linked to the difficult
and complex regulations and arrangements, which are meant for
preventing “welfare cheats” or discouraging welfare use
 Morality as an ideology
 Upholds that the eligibility of welfare recipients or the amount of
aid they receive should depend on their attitudes or behavior,
therefore those whose condition is presumably the result of their
own conduct are not entitled to the same level of help
o Liberalism
 Upholds that government should be involved to support its citizens and help
them cope with the stresses and problems in their environment, protect
people’s rights and privileges in the name of social justice
 Believes that failure to succeed generally is due to complex, unfair stresses
and problems in the environment
 Asserts that social welfare policies and programs should provide ongoing
support to all people in need, to relieve existing tensions and help solve
problems distressing people in their environment
 Often seeks change for a better way to get things done
 Other ideologies influencing social welfare policy
o Ageism
o Sexism
o Racism
o Ableism
o Xenophobia

Social welfare institutions (Gilbert & Terrell, 2013)

 Welfare institutions are major institutions in society that organize and provide social

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 welfare in accordance to the dominant welfare ideology
 The informal vs formal welfare institutions
o Informal welfare institutions
 Kinship
 Religion
 Economics
 Mutual assistance
o The formal welfare institutions
 Government and the states (Politics)
 Technical determinism in the development of welfare institutions
o The origins of social welfare perceived to lie in industrialization
o Welfare as citizen rights
 In pre-industrial societies, social stability was maintained by stable human
relationships determined at birth (ascribed)
 In industrial societies with social mobility and rapid change, social welfare
based on citizenship rights ensure stability to the society, e.g. Bismark’s
social insurance program
o Industry’s needs for a highly educated, well-trained, reliable work force leads to
health, welfare and educational legislation to ensure the development and
protection of that work force
 Role of the states in providing social welfare
o Residual view
 Social welfare is a supplemental activity of the state, relevant only when the
“normal” channels fail to perform appropriately, a safety net
 Seen as a residual, temporary response to the failures of individuals and major
institutions, social welfare is conceived as undesirable and expendable
o Institutional view
 Social welfare as an integral and “normal” first line function of modern
industrial society, a primary means by which individuals fulfill their social
needs
 Social welfare should not carry the stigma of the “dole” or of “charity”

References
Gilbert, N. & Terrell, P. (2013). Dimensions of Social Welfare Policy (8th ed.). Boston: Pearson.
(Chapter 1 – The field of social welfare policy)
Kirst-Ashman, K.K. (2017). Introduction to Social Work & Social Welfare: Critical Thinking
Perspectives (5th ed.). Cengage Learning. (Chapter 1)
Macarov, D. (1995). Social Welfare: Structure and Practice. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
(Chapter 9, 10)
Whitaker, W.H. & Federico, R.C. (1997). Social welfare in today's world (2nd ed.). New York:
McGraw-Hill. (Chapter 2 – Why is social welfare needed?)

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