Transcript Welfare state

Welcome to Sociology 240
Social Welfare
Agenda
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Syllabus Questions?
How this course fits into the HS concentration
What is the Welfare State?
Who uses welfare to survive?
Surviving in the low wage job market –
assignment for next week.
Part of The Human Services Sequence
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Soc 240 Social Welfare –How Society Helps People in
Need (focus on using data to analyze different
approaches)
http://www.monkeysee.com/play/17261-choosing-to-be-a-social-worker
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Soc 341 Human Services Caseload Management
–How You Personally Might Help People in
Need (focus on internship and database
technology)
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Soc 402 Policy Analysis and Program
Evaluation –You Design a Program to
Help People in Need (focus on evaluating
if it works)
Jansson Reading for Today- Chapter 1
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What is a Social Problem? (page 1)
 Poverty
 Discrimination
 Disease
Who, according to Jansson, has often experienced a
disproportionate burden of social problems? (p1)
 African Americans
 Older persons
 Women
 Native Americans
 Latinos
 Gay Men and lesbians
 Children
 Persons with chronic physical disabilities
 Persons with psychiatric disorders
 Persons accused of violating laws
From The New Yorker Sociologist’s Book of
Cartoons2004
What is the Welfare State?
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In general, it is governmental efforts made to
respond to and fix or ameliorate these social
problems.
Let’s look at some “common”
definitions of the welfare
state…
What is a state? This can be
confusing.
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State: A government that claims the right to a
given territory and its population
Nation: A people with shared economic and
cultural interests
Nation-state: A term that combines the
governmental and cultural connotations of
both terms
(Cherlin 2005)
Definitions:
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Throughout this nation’s history, those who must bear the
brunt of social problems – individuals contending with
poverty, discrimination and disease – have depended in
considerable measure not only on their personal and familial
tenacity and on community supports but also on the policies
of public and nonpublic agencies and of federal, state, and
local governments. (Jansson, p1)
Welfare state –
 Government enacts measures to protect workers and
families from harsh effects of system—basis of current
U.S. government assistance (Cherlin 2005)
welfare states or social welfare policy,
 typically refers to the efforts of states (i.e. governments)
to address economic insecurity and inequality due to risks
to regular income. (Amenta et. al.)
risks to regular income.
How does this occur?
Requires an understanding of our economic
system.
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Capitalist economy
People pass go get $200 –symbolize
working
Economic Context of a Welfare
What happens when people must
State: Monopoly Game
keep going around board (living)
but cannot work (don’t collect
$200)?
 Have to pay others, get
bankrupt, go to jail,
homelessness (Housing
Policy)
 Starve? (Food Stamps)
 Perhaps even revolt? (Piven
and Cloward)
 If independently wealthy
and own a lot of property,
will still make money, won’t
be that bad off.
http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/images/monopoly-board.png
Social Context of a Welfare State
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What types of things might make a person not able
to work and collect that $200?
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Injury, Disability
Sickness
risks to
Death of Relative, need to assume new roles
regular
Caregiving responsibility
income
Women expected to remain in home (historically based)
Racism, exclusion from a job
Old Age
Lay-Offs
http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/images/monopoly-board.png
Exactly how we as a
society help those in need
(and who we consider
deserving of help) has
changed over time…
The Vast transition from Beggars to victims….
http://content.usato
om/communities/th
l/post/2011/08/oba
jobs-plan-my-turn
campaign-issue/1
Nobless Oblige, Robber Barron Philanthropy, not
until the Great Depression (and last year’s crisis)
did everyone seem vulnerable
http://www.castle-vidcons.com/2008/05/13/comic-25-alms-for-the-poor/
http://webserver.lemoyne.edu/~ridzifm/fmridzi_files/Social%20Welfare%20S04.htm
http://www.cottesimple.com/alms_purse/luttrell_purse_alms.htm
http://www.alliance1.org/newvoices/History.pdf
With a Human Services Concentration, Where Might
your Career Take You?
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Sociologists can be:
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Front-Line Staff
Social Workers
Administrators (Harry Hopkins)
Public and Agency Officials (FDR, LBJ, Perkins)
Elected Officials
Government and Non-Profit
Advocates (Mary McLeod Bethune)
Activists (Jane Addams Social Reformer)
Voters
Anywhere the welfare state is.
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Web Mural
http://webserver.lemoyne.edu/~ridzifm/fmridzi_files/Social%20Welfare%20S04.htm
THEORETICAL & HISTORICAL
UNDERSTANDING OF THE ROLE SUCH POLICIES PLAY IN
SOCIETY.
APPLIED
INCREASE Skills and
FAMILIARITY WITH
EFFORTS TO SOLVE
“SOCIAL PROBLEMS”
POLITICAL
IMPROOVE ABILITY TO GRASP
WHY PARTICULAR GROUPS
ADVOCATE PARTICULAR
SOCIAL WELFARE POLICIES.
http://webserver.lemoyne.edu/~ridzifm/fmridzi_files/Social%20Welfare%20S04.htm
But aside from helping
people in your career
…. You are already helping people (including
yourself) – let’s look at your tax bill.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/04/15/yo
ur-taxpayer-receipt
These are taxes
to yourself – to
pay for your
personal
insurance
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/0
4/15/your-taxpayer-receipt
SCHIP
Prescriptions for seniors
FDA
CDC
UI
Food Stamps
HUD
EITC
SSI
As we will
discuss, federal
employees and
railroad
employees
don’t
participate in
social security.
“Welfare”
Public School
College Loans
One Stop Centers
VESID
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/0
4/15/your-taxpayer-receipt
Do your own tax receipt and use it
as a guide to the rest of the course.
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http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/04/15/
your-taxpayer-receipt
I will ask you when we look at each section
what percent of your tax bill goes to it.