Social Welfare Exam 1
Other America (F in A)
*we live in an upside economy *The children were forced to go to the worst schools known as the Killing Fields. Were not given books or certified teachers. only a lucky few like Pineapple were given chances to excel, and still she was very behind and had to work hard
Characteristics of ideology
--set of beliefs --learned/relearned to point the beliefs are not questioned and are no longer challenged --distort understanding of reality --ideology benefits those who promote ideology and not necessarily those adopt the beliefs as their own
Poor are invisible
--they live off the beaten path --are segregated (all placed in the Martinque Hotel where they are not seen by those who not help/raise awareness) --blend in --wrong age (the children cannot control where they live or go to school. they must do the best they can with that they are given until they are old enough to change it --politically invisible (the owners of the hotels make big contributions to political campaigns, but the people living there could use the money and the political reform)
. Describe what Social Security is, including its original legislative intent, and discuss why it is considered an important protection for society.
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Church Poor Law and Administration and how those ideas influence social welfare in our society today.
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Define Classical Liberalism, provide examples of it in contemporary America and discuss the impact that Classical Liberalism has had on welfare policy in America.
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Describe how faith was joined with capitalism in the aftermath of the Great Depression to undermine a federal government that had embarked on a new path of social and economic intervention.
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Describe how social insurance programs differ from public assistance programs. Link the elements of social insurance programs to Social Security to show how the four elements apply. (i.e. compulsory, contributory, etc.)
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Describe how the New Deal changed the relationship between the federal government and the US economy. Relate these programs to Classical Liberalism and small 'l" liberalism.
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Describe how the Social Security Trust Fund operates. Discuss the problems that threatened the trust fund in the early 1980s and the Social Security Amendments that were designed to "fix" the immediate and long term issues facing the fund. Explain the problems the fund now faces. (With no impact on the grading of this essay, describe what you think should be done at this point in time.)
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Describe the "Sources of Illusion" that interfere with an accurate understanding of social realities, and link them to social attitudes and policies in America. Use examples from your reading of Fire in the Ashes to apply the sources of illusion.
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Describe the economic fluctuations that occurred throughout 19th and early twentieth centuries. How might the omission of this information from standard school history classes be linked to ideology?
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Describe the following concepts and describe how they served as transitional points in social welfare history: Black Death, Henry VIII, and Bentham's work house plan.
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Describe the major programs of the Recovery Act of 1933 and discuss how this federal intervention is an example of Keynesian economic policy.
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Describe the various types of welfare described in the article "Everyone's Still on Welfare." Link the idea that everyone is on welfare to the concept to ideology, and discuss the impact that this aspect of welfare ideology has on US welfare policy.
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Discuss the major elements of ideology and relate ideology to social welfare policy in America using concrete examples.
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Distinguish Keynesian economics from supply side economic and relate these economic approaches to social welfare.
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Essays!!
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From "Fire in the Ashes"
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From...Everyone is Still on Welfare
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Poor Law Reform of 1834 and how those ideas influence SW in our society today
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Victim Blaming Process
1. Identify a social problem 2. see how those effected by the problem are different from those not effected 3. Define the differences as the problem 4. Design interventions that seek to correct these differences Examples-- --young black man cannot find a job. You can look at his outfit, attitude, skills to see what he is doing different from people with jobs. You then use this info to help find him a job. --F in A -----people in poverty put themselves there and they can get themselves out. Many people are born into poverty or end up there through no fault of their own. Victim blaming leads many people to believe it is their fault they are impoverished, which may not be true.
Other America
1. Poor are invisible 2. Impact of being a numerical minority 3. Loss of Middleclass awareness 4. Live in an upside down economy
Sources of Illusion
1. denial and repression--we use these feelings as a mechanism to block us from things that distress us 2. evaluative stance--we are able to see things through what we value 3. take social arrangements and realities for granted-the poor will always be with us 4. Ideology
Statute Of Laborers,1349
1st state poor law to respond to the Black death People able to work must accept work if offered through this-----became a distinction between worthy and unworthy poor; beginning of social control in social welfare **able bodied poor must accept work if offered **pre-plague wages and food prices were reasonable **if able bodied begged, it was considered a criminal act **beginning of secular control in SW
Ideology
A set of beliefs that blind us from contradictory facts
Adam Smith
AKA the Father of modern economics embraced and spread Laissez-faire (no government involved). Attracted Classical Liberals!!!! and resulted in an unstable economy with extreme times of profit and depression depressive periods were disastrous for the poor and resulted them losing their belongings, jobs, and health
Principle Of Less Eligibility
Determined in the Elizabethan Poor Law - no matter what type of aid it was, it would not bring you above the lowest working wage. **F in A --Live in Martinque--if you want good housing, you really have to fight for it --need to jump through hoops to get any sort of assistance --Must come humbly to the person giving out assistance, which is embarrassing Less eligibility was intended to make workhouses a deterrent, and stated that working conditions in the workhouse had to be worse than the worst job possible, it existed to deter the poor from claiming poor relief. In today's political environment with job losses this could be relevant in regards to the state of the economy.
Henry VIII
He dissolves the Church of England; confiscated their property and shut down their social welfare implements harsh, secular laws poor tax replaces church tax (poor are a burden!!!) number of poor increase and costs increase as well
Ideology (F in A)
In general, most of the impoverished people work really hard to get of poverty. There's a belief by many that if you work hard, you can succeed and move past your SES. Not always the case though. And people fail to understand it is not just about working hard that can get your on your feet. There's implications that arise beyond effort.
Settlement Houses
Jane Adaams Hull House=1st settlement House Goal=getting the rich and poor in society to live more closely together in an interdependent community. Its main object was the establishment of "settlement houses" in poor urban areas, in which volunteer middle-class "settlement workers" would live, hoping to share knowledge and culture with, and alleviate the poverty of their low-income neighbors. The "settlement houses" provided services such as daycare, education, and healthcare to improve the lives of the poor in these areas **later staffed New Deal Programs which led to schools of social work
Outdoor/Indoor Relief
Outdoor relief: the poor would be left in their own homes and would be given either a 'dole' of money on which to live or be given relief in kind - clothes and food for example. This was the norm. **remaining in the home to receive aid for the helpless poor (worthy) Indoor relief:the poor would be taken into institutions for vagrants and the unworthy poor (able-bodied)
Speenhamland System
a method of giving relief to the poor, based on the price of bread and family size it allowed the able-bodied - those who were able to work - to draw on the poor rates. Therefore, many more people were on assistance stablished family wage supplement; if wages fall below established minimum related to price of bread and family size the system fails though -----there was a decrease in wages -----decrease in productivity -----increase in cost of assistance
Impact of being a numerical minority
allows politicians to ignore them
progressive vs regressive taxes
defined by the percentage of income that individuals must spend paying the tax. Progressive taxes-->make individuals with a larger income spend a larger percentage of their income paying the tax (income tax) Regressive taxes-->those which take an equal or greater percentage from those with lower incomes as opposed to those with higher incomes
Sources of Illusion (F in A)
distorts our perception of social realities 4 parts= 1. denial and repression 2. evaluative stance 3. Take social arrangements/realities for granted 4. Ideology
Elizabethan Poor Law of 1601 and how those ideas influence SW in our society today.
embodied the 1st public legislation outlining a public response to SW needs As the feudal system changed in England, the problem about what to do with the poor became a public concern. Towns became populated with people who did not have the means to survive. Elizabethan Laws were passed to designate a system of care for the poor Landowners and lawmakers categorized need by categorizing the poor into who deserved aid --worthy and unworthy poor Connecting to our Society today ------the economic support of those in need must 1st come from within the family. only when the family could not afford to care for a person did local authorities take public responsibility. -----only after the family cannot provide support do authorities step in ------person in need had to be a legal resident of the community. local government would provide for the community and not outsiders. **the tendency to support people we know rather than strangers is an important concept
Marginal tax rates
for each tax bracket, you get taxed at the portion of your income that falls within that bracket --you get taxed 10% on the 1st $17,000 you make --15% on 17,000-69,000 --get taxed 35% anything making over $379,150 **varies with presidents what the marginal tax rates are
Theory of Attachment (F in A)
founded by John Bowlby the drive for attachment is a basic part of human nature; also UNIVERSAL secure attachments=children feel safe and parents meet their needs insecure attachments=a child is uncertain; lack of safety exists; and needs are ignored Types of insecure attachments Insecure/Avoidant=keep distance from parents; do not seek help;hides their feelings insecure abilvalent/resistant=children cling to adults; adults become irritated; these children are impulsive. attention seekers; dependent. do not play well with other children. have poor social skills and lack confidence insecure/disorganized=no set pattern; may seek care from strangers; confused, frightened; poor self control; may seem bizarre; behavior difficulties **Christopher, who returns to his sister time and time again even though he is in and out of jail **the child with the giant bag of cookies who talks to Jonathan for hours the first time they meet **Pineapple keeps in close contact with Jonathan **the woman who moves to Montana integrating a new community with her children keeps in contact with Jonathan. **our service!!
Theory of competence (F in A)
founded by Robert White. Established at birth, universal to all human beings and continues throughout life; an innate part of human nature competence=effective interaction in one's environment; humans are naturally trying to achieve this; there may be obstacles, but the drive is still there **people who consume drugs/sexual promiscuity are following the same drive as a varsity athlete. they just need to find a healthier outlet **people must constantly acquire new skills to remain competent in new situations **in the story, there are drug dealers who help clean up the park so the baseball team can have a party
Worthy vs.Unworthy Poor (aka helpless vs. able-bodied)
has to do with Poor laws of 1601 1. worthy=included widows, orphans, elderly, and people with disabilities; were considered worthy because their circumstances were out of their control (helpless) 2. unworthy=unmarried women, single adults who were able to work, but considered unworthy because they were not putting in the effort to work
Invisible Hand
has to do with people pursuing their own self-interest. Maximizes social welfare. **the free market system is like an invisible hand in that can attract the behavior of individuals, interested in only maximizing their own utility; intends on his or her own gain **Classic liberals believe that the IH will take care of balancing the economy, and any government interference will only make it worse NOT THE CASE THOUGH! that line of thinking leads to harsh economic downturns that are devastating to the poor. Great Depression.
Victim Blaming (F in A)
in general, people in poverty put themselves there and they can get themselves out. Many people are born into poverty or end up there through no fault of their own. Victim blaming leads many people to believe it is their fault they are impoverished which may not be true
Michael Harrington
invented the term neo-conservatism wrote The Other America: Poverty in the United States, a book that had an effect on President Kennedy's administration, and on President Lyndon B. Johnson's subsequent so-called War on Poverty. The other America= 1. Poor are invisible 2. impact of being in a numerical minority 3. middleclass is not aware 4. upside down economy
Corporate welfare
laws and government subsidies, that, in the opinion of some people, favor corporations unfairly at the expense of ordinary taxpayers **drug co and patent extension to ensure votes **Social welfare gets cut because many think only the poor are on welfare, but in reality we are ALL on welfare!
Loss of middleclass awareness
missed opportunity to define mutual interests and create a political force
Tax Expenditures
money that the government chooses not to collect *often not thought of as social welfare *person just keeps money instead of the government mailing a check
Upside down welfare state
most of the country thinks only the poor are on welfare and it should be cut, when in reality between social, fiscal, and corporate welfare....we are all on welfare **the systems are "made for" the poor but favor the upper and middle classes
We live in a upside down economy
people with skills are greatly advancing, and those without the skills are falling father and farther behind example from F in A --the children were forced to go to the worst schools (killing fields) and were not all given books or certified teachers. Only a lucky few like Pineapple were given chances to excel, and she was still very behind and hard to work very hard
Jeremy Bentham
regarded as the founder of modern utilitarianism social reformer=had an institutional reform plan: -----wanted to build workhouses 10 2/3 miles apart to employ the able-bodied poor. Governor's wages were tied to profit and mortality -----he used child labor to establish residency -----herein lies the principle of less eligibility
Charitable Organization Society
sought to severely restrict Outdoor Relief distributed by the Poor Law. A handful of local societies were formed with the intention of restricting the distribution of outdoor relief to the elderly, ill or 'non-able bodied' (worthy poor) and to force them to accept the workhouse test. used scientific philanthropy to help poor, distressed or deviant persons. The Societies considered themselves more than just alms givers. Their ultimate goal was to restore as much self-sufficiency and responsibility as an individual could manage. Through their activities, the Societies tended to be aware of the range of social services available in their communities. Led to grad schools
Victim Blaming
tendency to explain social problems by examining the individuals involved and not the social forces
Poverty gap
the difference in income between the poverty threshold and the income of the individual or family poverty gap in the US=$174 billion
official poverty threshold
use a low cost food budget to develop a poverty estimate; this would have left 26% of Americans in poverty designed to be temporary so nutritional deficiencies were built into it; the number was then rounded down the revised version when intended to be a measure of income inadequacy; below this was too little and above was enough ****designed to be post-income tax, but applied pre-income tax **1/3 of this budget is not spent on food **housing costs>other household costs