“Social welfare” and “social policy” – agreeably there is no term that could be more ambiguous, or to provoke a more negative reaction in our society. The general overview in this article discusses the social welfare policy and practices; therefore the writer will examine common misconceptions regarding the term social welfare.
The history of social welfare policy and practices was implemented by the Church of England under the Elizabethan Poor Laws Act during the latter part of the 20th century, and the historical perspective on social welfare and related policies will provide a foundation for more thorough investigation of these areas.
Initially, a person may discover that social welfare policy is puzzling, conflicting, or even fragmented. Gilbert & Terrell (1998) indicate that the social welfare policy’s landscape is hazy with constantly changing features, much like , where Alice exclaimed: “I don’t think they play at all fairly…and they all quarrel so dreadfully one can’t hear oneself speak – and they don’t seem to have any rules in particular: at least, if there are, nobody attends to them.”
Interventions for social welfare is to improve the quality of life or to maintain the social functions of human beings. Several scholars define policy as government actions with a goal, a purpose, or an objective. DiNitto (2003) definition of social welfare policy is anything that the government chooses to do, or not to do, that affects the quality of life of its people.
Within this summary, individuals who associate the term social welfare to a single mother with children are affected by her impoverished living and environmental conditions in having to seek governmental assistance. Many citizens in our society perceive that welfare recipients often try to “rip off” the government for money. Thus, society often has the mentality “blame the victim” for their circumstance, instead of assisting with their needs as was originally created by the Church of England.
The initial concept of the social welfare policy was for everyone to become responsible in helping those with immediate needs. We should not expect, wait, employ, or for some to even to con the government to assist us and our neighbors, relatives, family, or friends through the means of social welfare services. It is up to us educate, teach, and provide resources to service the needs of our community and family by establishing learning centers for leadership and training, thus creating an entrepreneurial spirit for revenues.
Tags: entreprenur, social welfare