CHAPTER ONE

Introduction to social welfare

Session Objectives

At the end of the session learners should able to:

 Understand the concept of social welfare
 Comprehend the general over view of social welfare in terms of residual, institutional,
narrow, broad and descriptive ways.
 Understand the purposes of learning social welfare.
What is Social Welfare?
The older English term ‘welfare’ can be traced back to the 14th century,
 It meant to journey well and could indicate both happiness and prosperity (Williams;
1983).
 In 20th century, welfare came to be associated with the assessment of and provision for
needs in the ‘welfare state’. The idea of 'welfare' refers to 'well-being', or what is 'good' for
people.
 Social Welfare is the provision of a minimal level of wellbeing and social support for all
citizens.
 More narrowly, it can be taken to refer to the provision of social services principally health
care, housing, social security, education.
 Generally, Social welfare refers to a wide range of activities and services by
Government/ volunteers/ non-profit organizations to needy persons unable to care for
themselves in order to eliminate or reduce the incidence of social problems.
Social welfare is described as “the organized system of social services and institutions, designed to
aid individuals and groups to attain satisfying standards of life and health and personal and social
relationships which permit them to develop their full capacities and to promote their well-being in
harmony with the needs of their families and the community”(Friedlander,1980).

Social Work Dictionary: social welfare is “A nation’s system of programs, benefits and services that
help people meet their social, economic, educational and health needs that are fundamental to the
maintenance of society. Ronald C. Federico: “Social welfare is defined as a society’s governmental
and non-governmental efforts to help its members function more effectively as individuals and as
participants in organized social structures.”
From the above definition of social welfare it is clear that it has no unique definition. Instead it is
possible to define social welfare both in narrow and broad way as well as in institutional and
disciplinary ways.
1. The term social welfare has different meanings, as it is both an institution and an academic
discipline.
As an institution: A nation’s system of programs, benefits, and services that helps people meets
those social, economic, educational, and health needs that are fundamental to the maintenance of
society.
As an academic discipline: social welfare is “the study of agencies, programs, personnel, and
policies which focus on the delivery of social services to individuals, groups, and communities.
2. Social welfare (SW) can be defined both in narrow and broad sense.
In its narrower sense: SW includes those non-profit functions of society, public or
voluntary, that are clearly aimed at alleviating distress and poverty.
In a broader definition :
Social welfare is a nation’s system of programs, benefits, and services that help people meet those
social, economic, educational, and health needs that are fundamental to the maintenance of society.
o This definition includes activities
 By the non-profit sector
 For profit, and
 Governmental programmes
o It analyses a wide range of professionals apart from social workers.
3. However, both definitions are not complete.
The narrow definition fails to include other sections like the private or for –profit sector. It
focuses in residual terms. Only for those people for whom the market failed to provide.
The broader definition
o By distinguishing the profit sector from the welfare sector, they appear to
exclude the growing delivery of social services for profit in the context of the
private sector. E.g. Private Hospitals, Day-cares Centres, Private social work
practice, that is part of the PS but not divorced from the social welfare system.
Descriptive definition of Social welfare
According to Leighnenger and Popple (1999), Social welfare is given two facets of descriptive
definitions.
1. Social welfare as non-market economic transfer.
This definition has two advantages:
a. It is very clear that those who are unable to afford for the service markets are benefiting
b. It includes many services to the non-poor and reduces stigma and welfare.
Disadvantages
However, the approach has conceptually limited value:
a. There are many social welfare programs that do not involve economic transfer: or if they do
the transfers are within the market system.
People who receive treatment at mental care hospital.
Residents in retirement homes who pay the full cost of their case.
b. The other problem is that the definition is not exclusive. It includes many things that most
people would not define as social welfare. E.g. people who receive agricultural subsidies.
2. In terms of descriptive definition: Wickenden Social welfare is defined as including those
laws, programs, benefits, and services which assure or strengthen provisions for meeting
social needs recognized as basic to the wellbeing of the population and the better functioning
of the social order.
Hence, Social welfare is
1. Broader than physical and material welfare
2. It also deals with peoples relations
3. Peoples interactions- as part of normal functioning
o Family
o Professional
o Neighbourhood
o Human relation, which are key aspects of wellbeing

The concept of bringing people up to some minimum is basic in the definition.

Preliminary functional definition of Social welfare

For society to survive

3.1 Individuals must function as interdependent units, discharge roles and responsibilities
3.2 It should not contain too many individuals who cannot function in an interdependent manner
3.3 It should not have too many dysfunctional cultural patterns that inhibits people’s ability to
function
3.4 Up until the 19th Century- the basic institutions of family, economy, religion, and politics were
able to handle the problems of dependency. So, the needs of dependent people were not a threat to
society.
 When society recognized dependency as a threatening state of affairs; social welfare as an institution
began to emerge to handle dependence and to facilitate interdependence.
Principles to define social welfare
Dolgoff and Feldtein suggest the following basic principles in defining social welfare.
1. Social interventions that are intended to enhance or maintain social functioning of human
beings may be defined as social welfare in the largest and broadest sense
2. As social welfare programs enter the mainstream of society and become more universally
used and widely accepted, they tend to lose their identity as social welfare services.
3. Our definition will tend toward the broad rather than the narrow approach to what social
welfare is. We will include interventions for the enhancement of social functioning, even
where they are in the profit making sector or where they are part of the informal, less clearly
institutional structure.

Therefore, in broader terms,

 Social welfare can be defined as social intervention intended to enhance or maintain the social functioning of human
beings.
 Social welfare is the condition or well-being of a society.

 It can be considered as a state or condition of human well-being that exists when social problems are managed; when
human needs are met and when social opportunities are maximized.

 When all three are met, it may be claimed that a family, community and a society enjoys a satisfactory level of welfare.

2. WHY DO WE STUDY SOCIAL WELFARE?

We study social welfare because:

a. Each of us is parts of the social welfare system at different times in our lives.
b. All of us are providers as well as recipients of social welfare,
Providers - tax, sales tax, parks, services tax
Recipients - public road driving, public library, police station/protection, tax exemption of non-profit
agencies, government public houses, school feeding
c. Citizens are also involved in making social welfare policy.

Participation and not participation in election

Voting and lobbying- legislative advocacy
Building public awareness
Getting the media involved, attention
d. Private effort is part of the social welfare system
Social welfare is the condition or wellbeing of a society. Social welfare encompasses people’s health,
economic condition, happiness, and quality of life.

We learn social welfare to understand, deliver and design welfare issues, services and policies when
other institutions in our society, such as the market economy and the family, fail at times to meet the
basic needs of individuals or groups of people, then social services are needed and demanded. In
short, we learn it to achieve the goal of social welfare i.e to fulfil the social, Financial, health, and
recreational requirements of all individuals in a society. Social welfare seeks to enhance the social
functioning of all age groups, both rich and poor.

3. Session Three
Social values and social welfare
A critical concept in the history of social work is social welfare, or the array of governmental
programs, services, and institutions designed to maintain the stability and well-being of society.
Social welfare requires both a common understanding and a formal arrangement between a
government and its people. From this relationship, people have a sense of what they should receive
for and contribute to their well-being. Social welfare reflects the beliefs and values of a nation. It
involves the allocation of resources such as money, personnel, and expertise.
Social values- are defined as standards, which individuals and social groups employ to define
personal goals and essentially shape the nature and form of social order in a collective i.e., what is
acceptable and not acceptable, what ought or not to be, what is desirable or non-desirable. Social
values are the result of explicit or implicit societal and group decisions that can be individually
expressed. We think of ourselves in terms of our values, using them as standards to guide impressions
of ourselves, others, and the world. The need for self-efficacy and self-worth, in terms of having
control over our lives, is underpinned by values and essentially defines our self-concept and our idea
of good life Values, through their ego-defensive functions, become protectors of our sense of
efficacy.
In relation to social welfare, social values are standards/guiding principles that legitimate who should
get welfare services, what services and how access it. Social welfare services and programs designed
and rendered depending on nations, communities and/groups social value. Even the classification of
social work services is based on the social values in the country which implies that social welfare
services and programs vary from country to country.
Social Values are fundamental human motivations that serve as guiding principles in people’s lives,
in relation to which virtually all aspects of social life can be evaluated. Therefore, it should be a
central task in the social welfare/social work to assess the influence of values on welfare services and
attitudes towards such basic societal institutions as welfare state arrangements. Human values play a
crucial role in attitude formation towards welfare service provision and receiving.
 4. Session four
Concepts of social welfare: social policy, social services, and social work

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 the professional application of social work values, principles, and
techniques to one or more of the following ends: helping people obtain tangible services; providing
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.
(NASW)
The previously given institutional definition of social welfare is applicable when the relationship
between social welfare and social work is examined. Social welfare is a more comprehensive term
than social work; social welfare encompasses social work. Social welfare and social work are
primarily related at the level of practice.
Almost all social workers are working in the field of social welfare. There are, however, many other
professional and occupational groups that may be working in this field. Professional people providing
social welfare services include attorneys who offer legal services to the poor; urban planners in social
planning agencies; physicians in public health agencies; teachers in residential treatment facilities for
the emotionally disturbed; psychologists, nurses, and recreational therapists in mental hospitals; and
psychiatrists in mental health clinics.
Social service, - also called welfare service or social work, any of numerous publicly or privately
provided services intended to aid disadvantaged, distressed, or vulnerable persons or groups. The
term social service also denotes the profession engaged in rendering such services. The social
services have flourished in the 20th century as ideas of social responsibility have developed and
spread. Social services are a subset of human services, and its primary mission is to create a more
equitable society by enhancing the well-being of individuals in need.
The term ‘social services’ is often substituted with other terms such as social welfare, social
protection, social assistance, social care and social work, with many of the terms overlapping in
characteristics and features. What is considered a ‘social service’ in a specific country is determined
by its history, cultural norms, political system and economic status. The most central aspects of social
services include education, health services, housing programs and transport services. Social services
can be both communal and individually based. This means that they may be implemented to provide
assistance to the community broadly, such as economic support for unemployed citizens, or they may
be administered specifically considering the need of an individual - such as foster homes.
The idea of a 'social service' is conventionally used in a fairly narrow way. The main areas usually
referred to are medical care, social security, housing, education and social work. The use of the terms
seems fairly arbitrary.
Social services are distinguished less by what they do than the way in which they do it. In the first
place, social services have to be organized activities. The provision of social welfare can be
informal; much of the care provided by a family becomes a 'social service' when it is taken over by a
welfare agency. A 'voluntary social service' is more than the work done by an individual volunteer, or
a helpful neighbor; it means social welfare provision run by a voluntary organization.
Secondly, social services are redistributive - that is to say, the people who pay are not the same as
the people who benefit. Many occupations and services involve activities which in a different context
might be 'social services'; grocers, accountants and hoteliers are possible examples. However, these
types of services are not 'social', unlike some other schemes which might seem at first sight to be
similar - like meals on wheels, welfare rights advice or residential homes for the elderly.
There are some organized activities which are social and redistributive, but are not classified as 'social
services'. They are usually referred to as 'public' services. They include the police, the army, roads,
refuse collection, parks and many others. They are collective services which benefit (in principle) the
whole community. The same, of course, could be said for many social services. The health service
and education offer universal coverage and are likely to be used by almost everyone at some time.
The distinction between public and social services may, then, be difficult to sustain. Public housing,
for example, is thought of as a social service, and libraries are a public service. But both are publicly
provided; both benefit the individuals who use them at the expense of others.
In part, the distinction is made because social services have a residual function acting as a safety net
when other methods fail. Eyden defines a social service as 'a social institution that has developed to
meet the personal needs of individual members of society not adequately or effectively met by either
the individual from his own or his family's resources or by commercial or industrial concerns.'
Social services are provided through a variety of models. Some of these models include:
The Scandinavian model: based on the principles within 'universalism'. This model provides
significant aid to disadvantaged groups such as people with disabilities and is administered through
the local government with limited contributions from non-governmental organizations.
The family care model: employed throughout the Mediterranean, this model relies on the aid of
individuals and families which usually work with clergy, as well as that of NGO's such as the Red
Cross.
The means-tested model: employed in the UK and Australia, the government provides support but
has stringent regulations and checks which it employs to determine who is entitled to receive social
services or assistance.
Social policy- The phrase ‘social policy’ generally has two possible meanings. It is used to refer to
the academic subject called Social Policy or, more importantly, it means social policies themselves,
that is to say the intentions and activities of governments that are broadly social in their nature. It is
not very useful to spend a great deal of time trying to pin down the best definition of social policy.
There is no right answer.
Policy- serves as a framework for collaboration and coordination system of social protection in order
to provide different services, and it also clearly indicates the organizational structures at federal,
regional and the respective lower levels of organizational structures with duties and responsibilities.
Social policies are the activities of governments in providing money and services to their citizens
significantly in five main areas:
● Social protection benefit (often known as social security);
● Health services;
● Education services;
● Housing provision and subsidies;
● Personal social services;
Social welfare programs and social services are based on the social welfare policy of a country or a
region as well as the world as a result if a nation has no best social policy in line with social welfare
programs and services there will have no social welfare programs or services.
Social welfare policy:
The decisions that the government makes about social welfare policy shape the lives of our clients,
the extent to which we can help them, and the ability of social agencies to fulfil their missions. These
decisions determine who pays for and who benefits from government spending, how well or poorly
people live, the nature of their relationships to each other, the overall quality of life, and the nation’s
commitment to social justice. It sets a tone for the way individuals in the wider society think of their
obligation to people in need either encouraging or discouraging social responsibility for others. i.e
social welfare policy.
Indeed social welfare policy is controversial because it involves political conflict over the nature and
causes of and solutions to social problems such as poverty, racial discrimination, and the welfare of
children. In the final analysis, social workers must understand and learn to deal with social welfare
policy, given its controversial character, its importance to social work, and its impact on the wider
society. However, as any social welfare policy text will tell you, no simple, clear-cut, or uniform
definition of social welfare policy exist.
Policy can be public (international and national eg.welfare policy) or private.
Social welfare policy refers to the principles, activities, or framework for action adopted by a
government to ensure a socially defined level of individual, family, and community well-being. It has
been defined as “those collective interventions that contribute to the general welfare by assigning
claims from one set of people who are said to produce or earn national income to another set of
people who may merit compassion or charity”; as “a subset of social policy that regulates the
provision of benefits to people to meet basic life needs”; and as “an organized system of laws,
programs, and benefits and services which aid individuals and groups to attain satisfying standards of
life, health, and relationships needed to develop their full capacities.” At the ground level, social
welfare policy appears in the form of social welfare programs benefits and services used by people
every day to address basic human needs.
Functions of social welfare policy
Social welfare policy has not always contributed to the well-being of individuals, families, and
communities. It can also have social, economic and political functions to the wider world.
The Social Functions of Social Welfare Policy
The social functions of social welfare policy seek to enhance the functioning and well-being of
individuals and families. To avoid chaos and disorganization, all societies need to maintain
predictable patterns of behaviour, to ensure that individuals comply with societal norms and rules,
and to educate people to carry out their socially defined work and family roles.
The Economic Functions of Social Welfare Policy
The economic functions of social welfare policy regulate the relationship of the individual to the
economy. Social welfare policy functions economically on several fronts: it provides a minimum
level of economic security, helps to stabilize the economy during economic downturns, subsidizes the
cost to business of sustaining the workforce, and underwrites family maintenance (social
reproduction). One economic function of social welfare policy is to ensure a minimum level of
economic security to all.
The Political Functions of Social Welfare Policy
The political functions of social welfare policy address the need to reduce social conflict. All large
and diverse societies contain many groups or classes, each with distinct interests and goals.
Therefore, most governments try to integrate all elements of the population into a coherent system, to
win and maintain the people’s loyalty, and to legitimate both themselves and the wider social order.
Social welfare policy helps to reduce interest group conflict by distributing resources from those with
more to those with less.
Social Welfare Policy: Arena of Struggle
Perhaps the best way to define social welfare policy is as an arena of struggle. In this view, social
welfare policy represents the outcome of struggles over the distribution of societal resources fuelled
by its often competing social, economic, and political functions. In addition, social welfare provision
has the potential to strengthen the political and economic power of those with less. For example,
access to income and services outside the market enables people to survive while avoiding unsafe and
insecure jobs as well as unsafe or unhappy marriages.

*Social value-social policy- social welfare service- social change

 Chapter Two

HISTORY OF SOCIAL WELFARE

Learning objectives:
 Understanding the historical development of social welfare
 Identifying the contributing factors for social welfare development in history.

1. History of social welfare

Social welfare as a discipline or service passes a long stages of development to be on the current
status from the ancient society to the contemporary society. In ancient societies before the industrial
revolution, the needs of those unable to be self-sufficient were met by family, church, and
neighbours.
Kropotkin,
 There are mutual aid mechanisms in all types of societies in human history.
 Such mutual aid created the very condition for man to develop his arts, knowledge and
intelligence, industry and science.
Robert Trivers,
 Reciprocal altruism (mutual aid) exists are known cultures,
 The predominant view of human motivation determines the degree of corruption and
altruism or the emphasis placed on individual responsibility and the role of Social
welfare,
 The degree of altruism depends on societal structure within which people live than on any
essential and universal characteristics of human nature.
 All the features of society that make egoism ring true are human creations – they vary
from culture to culture.
Ancient Cultures

Egypt - There was relationship between Social welfare and societal goals. Ancient Egyptians
practiced centralized planning and services to feed the hungry.

Sumer and Babylonia: - 2000 B.C

- Had a positive value to protect the poor, orphans and the widow.
 - Rations used to be distributed from the temple granaries during times of trouble.
Hebrew and Judaic Societies
- Giving bread to the hungry, housing the poor, and clothing the naked, are an
acceptable offerings to the Lord. Not only fasting and the wearing of a sack cloth
and ashes.
- Judaism bases its altruism on 2 concepts
o Tzqdakah: a mixture of charity and Justice
o Chesed – loving kindness
Greece and Rome:

Plato - beggars to send away from cities

Plaut - “to give to a beggar is to do him an ill service”
Aristotle – Avoid the need for charity by making part of the land completely public, thus defraying
the costs of providing common meals.
Roman – By the 3rd Century A.D. there was food distribution practice.
Christianity:

Christianity introduced important new variables that are important to social welfare.
 Charity and the near sanctification of the poor influenced societies with Christian
thoughts.
 Denigration of conspicuous consumption
- Alms giving highly promoted/practiced
- By the middle of the second century Christian charity began to be organized
- By the 4th Century- hospitals, schools – state, church and voluntary social welfare functions
expanded
Byzantium: Christianity in the east.
- The poor should be maintained by the wealth of the churches and that the rich should support
the needs of this world.
When the Roman Empire collapsed Byzantium- Constantine remained prosperous until 13 th Century
A.D. A mixed system of voluntary, religious and state supported social welfare was implemented.
Eastern Cultures.
China

- The Confucian ideal of the humane and righteous king and suggested that rulers must pay
attention to the people’s welfare,
- Support during natural disaster.
 - 960 –1276 A.D Emergency relief, charity homes established
- Government should make sure that the living are giving sustenance, the sick medical care; the
dead burial.
India
- aspects of social welfare goes back to Buduha (Six Centure B.C)
- Support to minors who lacked natural guardian
- All Indian religions emphasized charity.
- Even the poorest should offer something to hungry students
- Temples sheltered the homeless
- Medieval period (13th Century A.D) Indian Muslims provided Zakat, a poor tax,
- Indian Muslims provided endowments for religious and educational institution, established
rest houses and dharmashalas, a public place of provision for those in need.
Islam:

- The fundamental tenet of Islam is charity

- One should give at least 2.5 % of what one possessed.
- Zakah is one giving of alms on obligatory basis. One give up a portion of his wealth in excess of
what is personally needed in order to ‘purify’ what one retains
- Sadaqah – righteousness – is another form of charity that includes distribution of a quantity of
grain to the poor or its monetary equivalent at the end of Ramadan.

Summary
- Every society in varying forms, created social welfare
- Sometimes motivated by altruistically and benevolently at other times social welfare was used as
means of social control.

Early European History

All societies must develop ways to meet the needs of those who are unable to be self-sufficient—the
orphaned, the blind, persons with a physical or mental disability, the poor, and the sick. Before the
Industrial Revolution, this responsibility was met largely by the family, by the church, and by
neighbours. An important value of the Judeo-Christian tradition throughout history—and one that has
considerable relevancy for social welfare—is humanitarianism: ascribing a high value to human life
and benevolently helping those in need. With the development of the feudal system in Europe,
when a tenant family was unable to meet a relative’s basic needs, the feudal lord usually provided
whatever was necessary. This history mainly covers early on the middle age (period).
Middle Age
Middle Ages have been divided into three separate phases.
Early MA

- 6-10 Century the feudalization, Europe, immediately when ‘Barbarian’ stated replaced
Roman Empire
- The lord controls his vassals and serfs,
- The serf owed work and portion of agricultural products and the lord ostensibly owed
protection
- Repeated famines
- Increased burden on serfs
- Canon Law demanded, each parish provide for the poor, Poverty was not a crime. But
- In early 1909 an English Royal commission assumed “ every poor person was poor because
of a ‘defect’ in the citizen character”
- 13th Century “Canonical directive” confirms
- “Feed the poor. If you do not feed them you kill them”
- “Our superfluities belong to the poor”
- “Whatever you have beyond what suffices for your needs belongs to others”
- “a man who keeps for himself more than he needs is guilty of theft”
Middle Middle ages. 11th to early 14th Century
Key features of this age
- growth of population
- Expansion of cultivated area
- Some technical progress
- Market oriented production
Surplus appeared owing to three factors
a. Increased technical efficiency
b. Improved administration
c. Increased pressure to transfer more of the surplus from producers to lords.
- In this period craft work and artisanship flourished.
- Rural over population and migration to the towns prevailed
- Persistent demands for rent, titles, and taxes by land owners, the church and the state continued to
produce social upheaval and uncertainty
The Late middle age to Elzabethinan
Poor Law

In the Middle Ages, famines, wars, crop failures, pestilence, and the breakdown in the feudal system
all contributed to substantial increases in the number of people in need. Former approaches, primarily
through the church and the family, were unsuccessful at meeting the needs of many who were unable
to be self-sufficient. As a result, many of these individuals were forced to resort to begging. To
attempt to solve this social problem, England passed several Poor Laws between the mid-1300s and
the mid-1800s. The most significant of these was the Elizabethan Poor Law of 1601, enacted during
the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. The fundamental provisions of this Poor Law were incorporated into
the laws of the American colonies and have had an important influence on our current approaches to
public assistance and other social legislation.
1. The able-bodied poor. This group was given low grade employment, and citizens were prohibited
from offering them financial help. Anyone who refused to work was placed in stocks or in jail.
2. The impotent poor. This group was composed of people unable to work—the elderly, the blind, the
deaf, mothers with young children, and those with a physical or mental disability. They were usually
placed together in an alms house (institution). If the impotent poor had a place to live and if it
appeared less expensive to maintain them there, they were permitted to live outside the alms house,
where they were granted “outdoor relief,” usually “in kind” (food, clothing, and fuel).
3. Dependent children. Children whose parents or grandparents were unable to support them were
apprenticed out to other citizens.
Features of middle age
- Emergence of new towns
- Colonization of new land
- Growth of international trade
- Formation of money economy
- Relationship of Serf- and- lord status relationships changed into contracts between parties
- With the rise of wage labour serfdom declined.
- Begging become wide spread and gained a degree of acceptance
- Giving and begging long been practiced with the blessing of the church
- The GUILDS – Voluntary social and commercial associations of merchants and artisans-
functioned as mutual aid societies for their own members.
- They built and maintained hospitals, fed the needy on feast days, provided free lodging for
travellers, and gave other incidental help.
- For Guilds provided disaster insurance, assistance for poverty, sickness, old age, blindness,
loss of limb, loss of cattle, etc.
- Another pillar of social welfare was the private foundation; created by bequests gifts of
individual philanthropists.
 Foundations established alms- houses, hospitals and other institutions,
 Hospitals, ledger houses, orphanages, maternity homes and institutions for
the aged and the infirm.
- The 14th and 15th Centuries are characterized as the last middle ages.
 - Sever cold weather in Europe 12 – 1400 AD contributed to erratic eras of drought and flood,
abundance and famine. Hence the population began to decline 1315 – 1317.
- Much starvation and disease followed the first wave of the Black Death (bubonic plague) in
1318. The plague continued in England until the 17th Century. It further expanded to the rest
of Europe causing loss of 20 – 50 % of the population.
 Charity foundation tripled the amount of bequest by almost 40%

Work and Religion:

- The Roman Catholic – monasteries, monks and nuns – affected by

 1531 the English government introduced the principle of governmental
responsibility and provision
 1536 Henry VIII expropriated all monasteries with an annual income of less
than 200 English pounds. Their properties were given to the kings followers.

During the 16th Century, Calvinism made its mark. The distinction between the market place and
cloister (life in monastery) was broken down. One could serve God as well in market place as in any
other place.

Max weber describes Calvinism in this way:

It was “not leisure and enjoyment, but only activity (which) services to increase the glory of God …”
waste of time is thus the first and in principle the deadliest of sin”

Loss of time through sociability, idle talk, Luxury, even more sleep than is necessary for health (six to
at most 8 hours, is worthy of absolute moral condemnations work is viewed as chief end for life and,
as St. Paul suggested “He who will not work shall not eat”.

The Poor Laws

- 1572- The aged, poor people were sought to be registered and assigned for habitation and
abiding.
- Government the 1st legislation of tax to use the proceeds for the relief of the poor
- The worthy and unworthy poor
- Severe punishments were imposed on able bodied who are idlers, beggars, rogues and
vagabonds.

The poor law compilation of 1601

- Legislation were enacted in 1597, 1601
- This was a law provided to systematize social welfare services to the poor. The law
appointed a community officer who was responsible to collect tax, coordinate welfare
services, and facilitate the able bodied to work and repay charities of the local communities.
- Those who refused to work and pay their poor tax were jailed.
- 1662 settlement law was enacted to return those coming to another residence renting a
properly less than 10 pounds a year. The assumption is that such person eventually ends up
needing social welfare support.
- 1723- English parliament passed decision to each district to establish a workhouse
- Work houses were established to provide profitable employment to the poor. But it did not
work. They were either incapable or not willing to work.
- The principle of work houses as centres of production was contradictory to the idea of
moving them a place of correction and deterrence.
The Poor Law of 1834
- At the beginning of the 19 Century the problem of the poor exacerbated by increased
unemployment, farmer’s bankruptcy, starvation and thousands of people were forced to apply
for relief.
- In the same period the theoreticians like economist Adam Smith and Thomas Malthus
developed their theories. According to Malthus, the poor can only come out of poverty by
abstaining from reproduction. Resources grow arithmetically while population growth is in
geometric progression.
Principles of the Poor Laws

- The poor laws developed as a result of changing features of society. Following the down fall
of the feudal system.
- Poor Laws were meant to create a motivated work force taking labour as productive resource.
- Social welfare gradually became secular and the responsibility of the state despite the
existence of religious sub-systems.
a. The poor were divided
- Children, orphan, aged, lame, ill
- /moral terms/ Deserving and undeserving
- Worthy and unworthy
b. Another category was indoor and outdoor service.
 Indoor – in hospitals, public houses
 Outdoor – in their own houses
 Chapter Three: Social welfare services in Ethiopia

1. Social services provided by families, communities and religious groups: “Social Welfare
services in Ethiopia began with traditional services provided by the extended family system and
religious groups. Gradually organized welfare services by voluntary and public agencies started
replacing traditional services since the 1920s. Now the government is trying to make use of
newly created institutions such as farmers’ and urban dwellers’ associations to extend welfare
services. …the care of the indigent, the afflicted and the orphaned has always been the
responsibility, first, of the extended family system and second, that of the community at large.
Religion and social customs have always encouraged charity and almsgiving.”

Social services including social welfare are provided by families, churches and mosques. Charity
is driven by custom and religion “But, the advent of modernization in the twentieth century
gradually began to erode this strong social fabric. Due to various reasons, the strong and
extended family system began disintegrating. The poor, the sick and the orphans were no more
fully absorbed by the community”. Modernization includes rural-urban migration, urban bias in
delivery of services, break down of and customary social welfare, salary-based social insurance
(e.g. pension for government or public employees) and increased social problems. “It is
unfortunate that the adoption of the new way of life did not usher in with it a system to replace
the eroded social system. Formerly, no matter how imperfect the system may have been, people
were either self-employed and were taken care of by the extended family system, or they were in
the service of the nobility who took care of them“.

2. Monarchy-led social services: Increase in social problems meant that families, churches,
mosques and charities failed to cope. In the 1940s, voluntary and semi-government welfare
institutions were put in place. In 1955, the Haile Selassie I Welfare Foundation was founded as
an umbrella of old people’s homes, schools for the blinds, orphanages, hospitals and clinics and
sheltered factories. It was funded from its investments in property and by the state. The Ministry
of National Community Development and Social Affairs was formed in 1957 and provided these
services: rural and urban development (community centers), social welfare, labor welfare, youth
(Training Centre and Remand Home), children programs, women programs, rehabilitation
(Rehabilitation Agency for the Disabled formed in 1971) and coordinating private voluntary
organizations (registering, supervising and providing grants). Social services and welfare were
provided by people who were not trained.
 The first school of social work was established in 1959 by the Ministry of Public Health at
the University College of Addis Ababa but it trained very few social workers that most
 services were trained by non-trained staff and this were the initial step to provide
professional based social welfare services.
 “The ‘soul searching’ began in the late 1960s, and culminated in a revised curriculum in
1971. The new curriculum was based on the assumption that the role of a social worker in
developing countries should include “one of bringing about institutional change and
organizational reform in the economic and social structures of the society in which he/she is
going to work.”
 The new curriculum was planned to go beyond the introductory courses in the social and
behavioral sciences as offered earlier. To enable social workers to understand and take part
in the planning and implementation of developmental and preventive programs, they were to
be offered such subjects as a deeper understanding of economics, political science, public
administration, and the development of natural resources. To prepare them both for rural and
urban settings, a wider coverage of rural and urban sociology was incorporated. The
curriculum also stressed statistical and research methods. The aim of the new program was
clearly set down in the preamble of the curriculum of the school“,
 But generally, during this period, social welfare programs were not adequately supported and
organized. Social problems increased and contributed to the overthrow of Haile Selassie I.
3. Revolution government-led social services (from 1974): The revolution led by Mengistu Haile
Mariam saw the end of the monarchy and an end to control of land by the royals, nobility and
Ethiopian Orthodox Church. The ideals were socialist. Rural land was nationalized without
compensation. The social structure changed with the formation of Peasants Associations
responsible for maintaining order, cooperative shops, health, social welfare and security at their
level. The associations worked with ministries. In towns, kebeles (urban dwellers or residents
associations) were formed. Their responsibilities were the same as Peasant Associations.
Additional associations included the Ethiopian Women’s Association and the Ethiopian
Youth Association. All associations had local, district and national structures. The idea was to
make people responsible for the welfare needs but the government still played a role. The new
regime recognized the need for social welfare services. The Haile Selassie I Welfare Foundation
was nationalized. The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs provided policies and services.
However, due to famine (1972-4) and wars, social services were relegated with very meager
funding. Social work education was discontinued after the revolution. In fact, university
education was suspended for 2 years and when it resumed, social work was no longer there but
replaced by sociology and social administration.
 “The usual complaint, all over the Third World, that social welfare programs are always
given the least priority seems to be more acute in Ethiopia. Social welfare is not only given
the least priority but it is also the first to suffer cutbacks in times of austerity….There is no
doubt this leaves social welfare to be a poor step-child. The role of social welfare, in
 overall national development, has not yet been clearly understood. This will remain so as
long as economists and politicians dominate the formulation of national development plans”.
4. Indigenization phase: This phase is characterized by promotion and use of African theories,
literature, practices and methods in teaching, learning and practice. “Social work training,
research and practice have to play dual roles. There has to be a focus on local realities in
teaching, practice and research while at the same time adaptation to international standards.
International experiences, research outcomes, theoretical perspectives and models of practice
should be adapted to Ethiopian social, cultural, political and economic contexts. However, in a
context where over 80% of the society is living in rural areas and in very poor conditions, and
where there are long held values and traditions which may be specific to the Ethiopian societies,
and where religions have strong influence to shape the attitude and perceptions of the society,
indigenous social work perspectives and training models are of paramount importance”.
Indigenization means:
 Social services provided by families, communities and religious groups are fully recognized
 Spirituality is recognized in social work
 The environment, land and agriculture are recognized
 International domination is replaced with cooperation
 Ethiopian staff are prioritized
 African theories, curricula, methods, literature, philosophies, creativity etc are prioritized
 African governments and agencies recognize African social work
 Session Four
Ideological perspectives of social welfare

1. What is ideology?

An ideology is a relatively coherent system of ideas (beliefs, traditions, principles and myths) about
human nature, institutional arrangements and social processes held by individuals and groups in society
(Abramovitz, 2004).
Ideologies can be driven from
Common sense – e.g poor people tend to commit crime than rich people
Females are more believers than males
From interpretation of daily experiences e.g family, school, religion, individual
Intellectual doctrines
They have the following key features:
Ideologies inhibit both individual belief systems and wider social values. They influence each
other.
Ideology refers to more than one school of thought
Ideologies are fluid, contested, and complex.
Ideology is like a road map for individual
Possessing ideology is like framework that individuals organize their thinking and actions.
Socializations institutions convey dominant ideologies of society that shapes/influence what
people think, believe and what they want.
Society and ideology:
 The dominant ideology in society tends to keep the status quo.
 In complex society, the dominant ideology protects and is based on the interests of those in power
 Mainstream social institutions are crafted to maintain the established ways of life? ex. Health,
education, economy, ..etc
 The mainstream ideology defends and rationalizes a society’s particular, social legal, moral,
religious, political and economic arrangements.
How do alternative ideologies come?

 The presence of different ideological perspectives represent a key force for social change
 Few people can come up with alternative ideological perspectives/ beliefs
  Some may develop alternative ideologies because they lack access to power and economic
rewards from the mainstream view.
 The existence of such alternative ideologies provide the basis for negotiation, resisting and
contesting the dominant view of social life and pave the way to social change.
2. Ideological traditions that shape social welfare and social welfare policies
1. The ideological perspectives should not be viewed as absolute pictures of real life rather they are
frame works and guides for understanding the issue.
2. Political parties and leaders can be labelled ideologically. E.g. EPRDF is radical or liberal, EDU is
conservative. However, the works and actions of leaders and political parties can depart from their
political ideologies. E.g the need to win votes
3. Our own personal thinking may include elements of more than one ideology.
The three ideological perspectives pertaining to social welfare services
Issue: Creation of job
Conservative Liberals Radicals
 New jobs compete with PVS  Do not believe existing society the best  The only way to change
possible world society is to change it
completely
 Tax increase would hurt the  Need to have change to reduce  Power and wealth
economy inequality and enhance social justice should be redistributed
 Increase in minimum wage  Oppose the conservative view of social  Everyone should be
would force PVS to pay welfare services. It perpetuates guaranteed the
more and cause them to raise inequality and helps the powerful to necessities of life
price or go broke remain as they are
 The result is a net loss to the  Support programs that change society  Cooperation rather than
economy more favourably than that change the competition and conflict
individual predominate
 Helping the poor harm  Social welfare cannot be effectively  Struggle of the
society provided by traditional institutions oppressed brings about
change to the social
system
 Support welfare program to  Social welfare targets  some radicals believe
help people adjust to current - individuals society can be
social system - social change through Social restructured gradually
 planning, political action…etc and democratically
 Oppose radical change  Social welfare has
become institutional
controlled by powerful
 Social welfare should be a  Dependency results from
residual social function. depression
Family, church, economy
should responsible.
 Social welfare should come  Motivation for Social
when these fail to function welfare is social control
and only temporarily

Different views and goals of social welfare

Goal
The goal of SW is to fulfil the social, financial, health, relational and recreational requirements of all
individuals in a society. It seeks to enhance the social functioning of all age groups, both rich and poor.
The purpose of social welfare is to promote the social betterment of a class or group of people who are
defined as disadvantaged, handicapped, or deprived. A set of common problems are attributed to such
persons based upon the nature of the trait or quality which sets them apart from the rest of society.
Programs of social welfare are then planned to meet the needs which arise out of these problems.
It is believed that the form and content of such programs should be determined by the needs of the client.
As his needs change, the programs themselves must change; conversely, the welfare of the client should
be the primary factor to consider in making any policy decisions about changes in such program

Social welfare programs/ social service institutions

The Purpose of social welfare programs and institutions are

1. To prevent 2. Alleviate 3. Developmental
To improve the wellbeing of individuals, families groups, organizations and communities.
- Social welfare programs/services - and the term Social welfare institution is applied to various levels of
complexity.
A. In terms of specific project ex. Foster care
b. Applied to group of services - child welfare services
 - Adoption, foster care, juvenile probation

There are different views of social welfare

1. Conservative (residual) view - tends to favour personal responsibility for one’s own well-being over
any form of government support or federally sponsored relief. The underlying premise is that people in
the top echelon of society have worked hard, made smart choices, and earned their lot in life; similarly,
people in distress have caused their own problems and should “pull themselves up by their own
bootstraps.” Conservative political platforms often take firm stances against taxation (federal income
tax, Social Security taxes, inheritance taxes, state income taxes, and local levies), which is the revenue
source for many social welfare programs. More specifically, many conservative politicians and their
constituents are of the opinion that the nation’s income tax system is counterproductive and undermines a
free enterprise, market-oriented economic system. Usually, conservatives oppose any form of graduated
tax rates, which raise the percentage of taxes paid, or the tax rate, as a person’s income increases. They
think this so-called progressive program of taxation and the government intervention that goes with it
place an unfair burden on business people and entrepreneurs, who create economic expansion,
employment opportunities, and the promise of subsequent wealth.
Conservatives generally advocate a residual approach to social welfare programs. They believe that
dependency is a result of personal failure and that it is natural for inequality to exist among humans.
They assert that the family, the church, and gainful employment should be the primary defences against
dependency. Social welfare should be only a temporary function that is used sparingly; prolonged social
welfare assistance will lead recipients to become permanently dependent. Conservatives also believe
that charity is a moral virtue and that the “fortunate” are obligated to help the “less fortunate” become
productive, contributing citizens in a society. If government funds are provided for health and social
welfare services, conservatives advocate that such funding should go to private organizations, which
are thought to be more effective and efficient than public agencies in providing services. Conservatives
revere the “traditional” nuclear family and try to devise policies to preserve it.
Conservatives, have been highly critical of the institutional approach. They claim it creates a welfare state
with many recipients then deciding to become dependent on the government to meet their health, welfare,
social, and recreational needs without seeking to work and without contributing in other ways to the well-
being of society.

2. Liberal ideology-also supports a capitalist, free-market form of government, but they have a different
view of the role of the federal government in social welfare. Liberals typically support a more robust
safety net for poor people, one that attempts to address social issues through moderate or incremental
forms of social intervention and change. Generally, liberals support various types of checks and balances
within government, as well as regulatory and protective policies to help ensure fair competition in the
marketplace. Adhere Institutional view of social welfare.
Liberals have criticized the residual approach to social welfare as being incongruent with society’s
obligation to provide long-term assistance to those who have long-term health, welfare, social, and
recreational needs.
3. Developmental view of social welfare.
Midgley – the developmental view offers an alternative approach that appears to appeal to liberals,
conservatives and the larger public. It is defined as “a process of planned social change designed to
promote the well-being of population as a whole in conjunction with a dynamic process of economic
development.”
Characteristics of the developmental approach,
 Advocate for social intervention that contribute for economic dev’t
 Responds economic progress as vital component of social progress
 Promote the active role of government in economic and social planning,
 Promotes integration of social and economic development for the benefit of all members of
society,
The developmental approach can be used in advocating for the expansion of a wide range of social
welfare programs. It can be argued that any social program that assists a person in becoming employable
contributes to the economic well-being of a society. It can also be argued that any social program that
assists a person in making significant contributions to his or her family, or to his or her community,
contributes to the economic well-being of a society.
Functional families and functional communities are good for businesses; members of functional families
tend to be better employees, and businesses want to be located in prosperous communities that have low
rates of crime and other social problems.
 E,g vocational training – quality child care program
 Job training – correctional clients to be contributing members of society

Critical thinking question:

What do you think are the differences of their impact
on social change between interventions targeting the
individual and those targeting the environment?