Final Exam: Part One
Define social welfare policy – (provide an in depth answer describing what social welfare policy means and define why it's necessary).
Social welfare policy is an aspect of social policy that regulates the provision of benefits to meet basic life needs, such as employment, income, food, housing, and health care (Karger & Stoesz, 2008). There is a strong relationship between how social welfare is perceived and the policies and programs that are formed based on that definition. The concept of social welfare and who is considered to be deserving of it has been continually redefined over the years. Often, those with power and influence will determine what legislation will be passed through. Nevertheless, social welfare policy has developed as a response to social problems and there are multiple reasons why it is necessary. These reasons include contributing to the overall maintenance and survival of society, relieving social and economic challenges caused by a capitalistic society, and serving as a potential means to rectify past and current injustices (Krager & Stoesz, 2008).
Examples of social welfare policy vary, and can have a number of the above goals or more. For instance, there are social welfare policies that subsidize employers because welfare benefits supplement low and non-livable wages. Without social welfare benefits tied to employment such as the earned income tax credit, employers would have to raise wages and thereby prices would rise for all consumers. This can also been seen in the fact that social welfare supports important industries such as agriculture through food stamps, health care through Medicaid and Medicare, and housing through section 8 and other programs (Krager and Stoesz, 2008). Furthermore, if any of the above basic and necessary benefits are eliminated it would raise the prices for these commodities making them further less affordable for low wage earners. Thus, social welfare benefits help maintain stable prices and support economic structures under the goal of contributing to the overall maintenance of society and relieving social and economic challenges.
What have you learned about your role in social welfare policy as both an individual and as social worker?
As a social work student who has been considering macro social work and community organizing as a point of focus, I view my role as an advocate central to the change process. I find it especially crucial as a social worker to move beyond work with clients and private practices to aid in the necessary systemic changes that need to occur to support marginalized populations. I am not by any means deriding social workers who choose the interpersonal concentration, but that has been increasingly the dominating trend. Past research has indicated that most students enter social work programs aiming for clinical practice or other direct service activities rather than toward community organizing, policy work, or other macro activities (Weiss, 2006). In fact, the number of social work students entering macro practice tracks has been decreasing since 1982, and out of all current social work students, only 10% focus on macro social work practice (Starr, Mizrahi, & Gurzinksy, 1999).
While market forces, such as employment trends and third-party reimbursements, as well as social trends and public policies have moved much of the profession toward a more clinical and direct-practice focus, social work's roots in community practice and emphasis on social justice requires that both individual social workers and the profession as a whole retain a strong macro practice identity (Hill, Ferguson, & Erickson, 2010). Therefore, more social workers are needed to advocate on the macro level who understand the dramatic impacts that policies can have for the most unrepresented and disadvantaged members of society. Inevitably, I perceive my role in the process of social welfare policy as taking the lead by being proactive rather than reactionary. This involves taking a preventive stance, one in which I am part of the process of crafting effective polices that will directly support marginalized populations, rather than being forced to constantly react against ineffective ones.
Who does social welfare policy affect?
Social welfare policy affects everyone from those needing services the most such as disadvantaged and marginalized populations, to folks paying for these taxes, whether rich, middle class, or low income workers. Social welfare policies can have a direct effect on families and communities, and serve as a means to healthier communities and families or a deterrent against this. Furthermore, it affects social workers and social work practice as well because social welfare policy and the ideologies behind can shape what is taught in social work education (Karger & Stoesz, 2008). As mentioned earlier, this can be seen in the fact that public policies are one of the key factors that have moved much of the profession toward a more clinical and direct-practice focus.
While everyone is generally affected by policy, sometimes certain populations are more affected or experience more dramatic effects than others. For example, since the late 1970s social welfare policy has largely been shaped by values that emphasize self sufficiency, individualism, and the capitalistic market economic. Consequently, governmental support for social service programs was increasingly cut because policy makers expected the disadvantaged to be able to pull themselves by their very own boot straps or in other words, their problems were believed to be a lack of individual effort rather than the result of discriminating institutional systems. While these reductions may have saved money in the shot run, most of the beneficiaries of these programs were children who were most impacted by these cuts. This led to greater expenses in requiring programs to remedy problems associated with poor maternal and infant health care including illiteracy, poverty, and family disorganization (Krager & Stoesz, 2008).
For that reason, this highlights the crucial need to promote and advocate for social welfare policies that are in congruence with the values and ethics of the social work profession and are aligned with its guidelines.
Works Cited:
Karger, H. J., & Stoesz, D. (2008). American social welfare policy. Boston: Pearson.
Katharine M. Hill, Sarah M. Ferguson & Christina Erickson (2010): Sustaining and strengthening a macro identity: The association of macro practice social work, Journal of Community Practice, 18:4, 513-527
Starr, R., Mizrahi, T. and Gurzinsky, E. 1999. Where have all the organizers gone? The career paths of community organizing social work alumni. Journal of Community Practice , 63(3): 23–48.
Weiss, I. 2006. Modes of practice and the dual mission of social work. Journal of Social Service Research , 32: 135–151.
Social welfare policy is an aspect of social policy that regulates the provision of benefits to meet basic life needs, such as employment, income, food, housing, and health care (Karger & Stoesz, 2008). There is a strong relationship between how social welfare is perceived and the policies and programs that are formed based on that definition. The concept of social welfare and who is considered to be deserving of it has been continually redefined over the years. Often, those with power and influence will determine what legislation will be passed through. Nevertheless, social welfare policy has developed as a response to social problems and there are multiple reasons why it is necessary. These reasons include contributing to the overall maintenance and survival of society, relieving social and economic challenges caused by a capitalistic society, and serving as a potential means to rectify past and current injustices (Krager & Stoesz, 2008).
Examples of social welfare policy vary, and can have a number of the above goals or more. For instance, there are social welfare policies that subsidize employers because welfare benefits supplement low and non-livable wages. Without social welfare benefits tied to employment such as the earned income tax credit, employers would have to raise wages and thereby prices would rise for all consumers. This can also been seen in the fact that social welfare supports important industries such as agriculture through food stamps, health care through Medicaid and Medicare, and housing through section 8 and other programs (Krager and Stoesz, 2008). Furthermore, if any of the above basic and necessary benefits are eliminated it would raise the prices for these commodities making them further less affordable for low wage earners. Thus, social welfare benefits help maintain stable prices and support economic structures under the goal of contributing to the overall maintenance of society and relieving social and economic challenges.
What have you learned about your role in social welfare policy as both an individual and as social worker?
As a social work student who has been considering macro social work and community organizing as a point of focus, I view my role as an advocate central to the change process. I find it especially crucial as a social worker to move beyond work with clients and private practices to aid in the necessary systemic changes that need to occur to support marginalized populations. I am not by any means deriding social workers who choose the interpersonal concentration, but that has been increasingly the dominating trend. Past research has indicated that most students enter social work programs aiming for clinical practice or other direct service activities rather than toward community organizing, policy work, or other macro activities (Weiss, 2006). In fact, the number of social work students entering macro practice tracks has been decreasing since 1982, and out of all current social work students, only 10% focus on macro social work practice (Starr, Mizrahi, & Gurzinksy, 1999).
While market forces, such as employment trends and third-party reimbursements, as well as social trends and public policies have moved much of the profession toward a more clinical and direct-practice focus, social work's roots in community practice and emphasis on social justice requires that both individual social workers and the profession as a whole retain a strong macro practice identity (Hill, Ferguson, & Erickson, 2010). Therefore, more social workers are needed to advocate on the macro level who understand the dramatic impacts that policies can have for the most unrepresented and disadvantaged members of society. Inevitably, I perceive my role in the process of social welfare policy as taking the lead by being proactive rather than reactionary. This involves taking a preventive stance, one in which I am part of the process of crafting effective polices that will directly support marginalized populations, rather than being forced to constantly react against ineffective ones.
Who does social welfare policy affect?
Social welfare policy affects everyone from those needing services the most such as disadvantaged and marginalized populations, to folks paying for these taxes, whether rich, middle class, or low income workers. Social welfare policies can have a direct effect on families and communities, and serve as a means to healthier communities and families or a deterrent against this. Furthermore, it affects social workers and social work practice as well because social welfare policy and the ideologies behind can shape what is taught in social work education (Karger & Stoesz, 2008). As mentioned earlier, this can be seen in the fact that public policies are one of the key factors that have moved much of the profession toward a more clinical and direct-practice focus.
While everyone is generally affected by policy, sometimes certain populations are more affected or experience more dramatic effects than others. For example, since the late 1970s social welfare policy has largely been shaped by values that emphasize self sufficiency, individualism, and the capitalistic market economic. Consequently, governmental support for social service programs was increasingly cut because policy makers expected the disadvantaged to be able to pull themselves by their very own boot straps or in other words, their problems were believed to be a lack of individual effort rather than the result of discriminating institutional systems. While these reductions may have saved money in the shot run, most of the beneficiaries of these programs were children who were most impacted by these cuts. This led to greater expenses in requiring programs to remedy problems associated with poor maternal and infant health care including illiteracy, poverty, and family disorganization (Krager & Stoesz, 2008).
For that reason, this highlights the crucial need to promote and advocate for social welfare policies that are in congruence with the values and ethics of the social work profession and are aligned with its guidelines.
Works Cited:
Karger, H. J., & Stoesz, D. (2008). American social welfare policy. Boston: Pearson.
Katharine M. Hill, Sarah M. Ferguson & Christina Erickson (2010): Sustaining and strengthening a macro identity: The association of macro practice social work, Journal of Community Practice, 18:4, 513-527
Starr, R., Mizrahi, T. and Gurzinsky, E. 1999. Where have all the organizers gone? The career paths of community organizing social work alumni. Journal of Community Practice , 63(3): 23–48.
Weiss, I. 2006. Modes of practice and the dual mission of social work. Journal of Social Service Research , 32: 135–151.
Final Exam: Part 2
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