Download - Chapter 3 Conceptual Foundations of Social Welfare Policy

Chapter 3

Conceptual Foundations of Social Welfare Policy

Social Welfare Policy and Social Programs: A Values Perspective, by Elizabeth SegalCopyright 2007, Brooks/Cole, a division of Thomson Higher Education

Ideologies of Social Welfare SystemCause and FunctionBlaming the VictimThe Culture of Poverty and the

UnderclassConservative and Liberal Political

PerspectivesBiological DeterminismSocial Welfare Services as a Right

Theories of Evolution of the Social Welfare System

Six theories to consider


Industrialization and the Social Welfare System Industrial expansion created a need for

social welfare policies and programs. Industrialization created new jobs and

also poor working conditionsChanges in economics, communities,

and family relations demanded a change in social welfare polices.


Cycles of HistoryPolicies cycle between individual

responsibilities and social responsibilities

Between public purpose and private interest

Cycles shift with generation with 30 years cycles


Social ControlThose in positions of power use the

institutions of the social welfare system to control and direct the behavior of the needy.

Residual social welfare programs and low benefits become a tool of control.

Policies alternate between periods of minimal benefits and broader ones.


Elite Power TheoryBuilt of the idea that a “handful” of

people control policiesRelated to social control and dominant

class of capitalistDomination of public policy by those

who control the resources


Economics as a Determinant of Social Welfare PolicyEconomics is a driving force behind the

policies and politics of social well-beingTimes of economic growth are marked

by an emphasis on individual responsibility

Economic slow downs call for increased demand for government intervention


Critical TheoryCombines elements of social control,

elite power, and economics in explaining policy

Allows us to evaluate how power and domination impact the social order

TANF is an exampleCall for action


Paradigms of the Social Welfare SystemSocial ConstructionCritical AnalysisDistributive JusticeStrengths-Based ModelSocial Empathy


Social Work Professional ParadigmHow do conflicting beliefs enter into a

discussion of ideologies, theories, and paradigms?

Understanding one’s own beliefs is an important first step in analyzing social welfare policies

Download - Chapter 3 Conceptual Foundations of Social Welfare Policy

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