1. Conceptual Foundations of Social Welfare Policy
Chapter 3
Conceptual Foundations of Social Welfare Policy

2. Ideologies of Social Welfare System
Cause and Function
Blaming the Victim
The Culture of Poverty and the Underclass
Conservative and Liberal Political Perspectives
Biological Determinism
Social Welfare Services as a Right
Social Welfare Policy and Social Programs: A Values Perspective, by Elizabeth Segal
Copyright 2007, Brooks/Cole, a division of Thomson Higher Education

3. Theories of Evolution of the Social Welfare System
Six theories to consider

4. 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 conditions
Changes in economics, communities, and family relations demanded a change in social welfare polices.
Social Welfare Policy and Social Programs: A Values Perspective, by Elizabeth Segal
Copyright 2007, Brooks/Cole, a division of Thomson Higher Education

5. Cycles of History
Policies cycle between individual responsibilities and social responsibilities
Between public purpose and private interest
Cycles shift with generation with 30 years cycles
Social Welfare Policy and Social Programs: A Values Perspective, by Elizabeth Segal
Copyright 2007, Brooks/Cole, a division of Thomson Higher Education

6. Social Control
Those 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.
Social Welfare Policy and Social Programs: A Values Perspective, by Elizabeth Segal
Copyright 2007, Brooks/Cole, a division of Thomson Higher Education

7. Elite Power Theory
Built of the idea that a “handful” of people control policies
Related to social control and dominant class of capitalist
Domination of public policy by those who control the resources
Social Welfare Policy and Social Programs: A Values Perspective, by Elizabeth Segal
Copyright 2007, Brooks/Cole, a division of Thomson Higher Education

8. Economics as a Determinant of Social Welfare Policy
Economics is a driving force behind the policies and politics of social well-being
Times of economic growth are marked by an emphasis on individual responsibility
Economic slow downs call for increased demand for government intervention
Social Welfare Policy and Social Programs: A Values Perspective, by Elizabeth Segal
Copyright 2007, Brooks/Cole, a division of Thomson Higher Education

9. Critical Theory
Combines 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 example
Call for action
Social Welfare Policy and Social Programs: A Values Perspective, by Elizabeth Segal
Copyright 2007, Brooks/Cole, a division of Thomson Higher Education

10. Paradigms of the Social Welfare System
Social Construction
Critical Analysis
Distributive Justice
Strengths-Based Model
Social Empathy
Social Welfare Policy and Social Programs: A Values Perspective, by Elizabeth Segal
Copyright 2007, Brooks/Cole, a division of Thomson Higher Education

11. Social Work Professional Paradigm
How 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
Social Welfare Policy and Social Programs: A Values Perspective, by Elizabeth Segal
Copyright 2007, Brooks/Cole, a division of Thomson Higher Education