Trinity Lutheran College, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Department of Social Work.

1. Social Welfare Service in Ethiopia
Self introduction
Updating information about students
Course outline

2. Brainstorm
Personal experience
 Ever faced serious problem and need for help?
 Ever provided any kind of assistance for any body
Participation in any kind of voluntary activity and aid
organization
Personal attitude about poor and beggary
Why we want to help others?
Have you an interest in helping a stranger as well?
What is social welfare?

3. Chapter One
1.1 Definitions and Concepts of Social Welfare
• Social welfare is an ambiguous concept
• Despite the ambiguity attached to this concept some
generalizations are possible
• Before we delve further into the topic of practice, lets explore
the idea of social welfare by dividing into two simple words,
social and welfare.

4.  Literal definition of Social Welfare
o The term Welfare is commonly refers to well-being
o It might refers to individual access to their need, interest and
wants
Needs: the things people must have
 Interests: things which are good for people
 Wants: the things people choose for themselves.
o Therefore, welfare can be seen as people access to their need
o In this sense welfare can be seen as a reaction to the commercial
base.

5. Cont…
• The term social usually refers to more than one person or human system
and to the interpersonal or intersystem relationship between or among
them.
• The term ‘social’ historically signified those services provided outside the
market forces and for promoting integration.
• That means, social Welfare originated to help those individuals who
could not purchase their needs in the market according to the
commercial exchange rate.
• The activity to fulfill the wider interests of society is called as social
welfare (Richard Titmuss)

6. Defining social welfare based on scope of practice
 Broad definition
• Social Welfare can be seen as an organized provision of resources
and services for the society to deal with social problems
 All social interventions that are intended to enhance or maintain the
social functioning of human beings may be defined as social welfare
(Ralph Dolgoff)
 Social Welfare is a system of laws, Programs, benefits and services
which strengthen or assure provision for meeting social needs
recognized as basic for the welfare of the population and for
functioning of the social order (Elizabeth)
• In this sense, the goal of social welfare is to alleviate the distress
and ameliorating the conditions of causalities of society.

7. Cont…
 Narrow definition
• welfare service can be seen as all collective interventions to
meet certain needs of the individual in the society.
 Social Welfare includes all programs whose explicit purpose is to
protect adults and Children from the degradation and insecurity of
ignorance, illness, disability, unemployment and poverty (Amy
Gutmann)
 Social Welfare is a program that aims to give a base level of income to
the people who may be out of work, disabled, or elderly.
• In this sense, the goal of social welfare is to fulfill the social,
financial, health, and recreational requirements of individuals
in a society.

8. Cont…
• But such kind of separation is helpful only for
understanding the concept,
• Practically, we cant find such kind of clear boundary
between this two type of welfare
• Thus, all collective interventions to meet certain needs of
the individual and / or to serve the wider interests of
society is called as social welfare (Richard Titmuss)

9. Social work definition of social welfare
• Social work is primarily concern with the provision of welfare services in
different way
• social worker define social welfare as,
 Social Welfare generally denotes the full range of organized activities
of voluntary and governmental organizations that seek to prevent,
alleviate or contribute to the solution of recognized social problems or
to improve the well being of individuals, groups and Communities
(NASW)
 The encyclopedia of social work adds that social welfare is for the
purpose of ensuring basic standard of physical and mental wellbeing
and providing universal access to the main stream of society.

10. 1.2 The relationship between social work and social welfare
• Social welfare and social work are historically related and even used
synonymously in some cases
• Starting from 19 century, different social programs were created to respond to
the more severe needs of people
• Volunteers associated with churches and community service agencies began
to play an active role in providing assistance.
• Yet, the resolution of many social problems was quite complicated in modern
societies
• This condition was requiring that human services should be provided by
highly trained professionals, rather than traditional approach

11. Cont…
• Social work emerged as a professional activity within this
context
• Therefore, the root of social work lie in this traditional early
social welfare movements
• Social work refers to,
“any of the various professional activities or methods concerned
with providing social services and especially with the
investigation, analysis and material aid to economically
disadvantaged and to the socially mal adjusted categories of
society.”
• There is strong bond between social work and social welfare
• But this does not mean that there is no difference between
social work and social welfare

12. Cont…
• Today we distinguish social welfare institution from the
profession and occupation of social work in different way
• Social welfare in contrast to social work is a system or
institution (set of established practices) with in a given
nation.
• It is true that, almost all social workers can be employed in
the social welfare field
• But that does not mean that social worker have no other
function rather than providing social welfare

13. Cont…
• On other hand there are also several scope of social welfare
which can be failed out of social work profession
• Social work is really only one profession among many that can
be considered part of institution of social welfare.
• Depending on the need being addressed, the helpers must have
various kinds of knowledge and unique competencies to
effectively serve their clients.
• There are many other professionals and occupational groups
working in the field like, teachers, physicians, psychologists,
nurses, attorney, recreational therapists and planners.

14. Cont…
• Yet, Social workers have unique contribution for social
welfare among the helping professions in a sense that;
 It assist individuals to interact more effectively with the
people and social institutions that are important parts of
their lives.
 Social workers give more holistic intervention through
person in environment approach

15. 1.2 Two basic concepts of social welfare
 The basic concepts of social welfare rests on two concepts.
I. social problems
II. Ways in which the Society responds to its problem

16. social problems
o Social problem can be occurred anywhere at any time either because of
natural factors like famine, draught, epidemic, etc or due to manmade
factors like war, discrimination and injustice etc.
o Social welfare refers to any of the various professional activities or
methods concerned with providing social services and especially with
the investigation, analysis and material aid to economically
disadvantaged and to the socially mal adjusted categories of society.
o Hence, understanding and identifying the existing social problem is the
main function of social welfare

17.  Ways in which the Society responds to its problem
• From ancient times to the present all civilized societies have placed great
value on helping others.
• Even in the most simple societies families, friends, members of the clan, and
other personal acquaintances were expected to care for people in need.
• As societies become more complex , different social programs were created to
respond to the more severe needs of people
• Volunteers associated with churches and community service agencies also
began to play an active role in providing assistance.
• Yet, in modern societies the resolution of many social problems is quite
complicated requiring that human services should be provided by highly
trained professionals

18. Cont…
o On the other hand helping the vulnerable and disadvantaged segment
of society started to be seen as the primary responsibility of the
government.
o The idea is that without the government stepping in to help these
groups, they would otherwise not survive, and so the government has a
moral obligation to support them.
o Thus, in modern society the government is responsible to provide
such type of social welfare service
 It is also the responsibility of the government to make the policy,
legislation, procedure to help those segment of the society

19. Examples of social welfare services
I. Social assistance to the targeted vulnerable and marginalized
groups
 Disadvantaged segment of societies like persons with
disability, older persons, children, orphans, the needy
families; and the unemployed, sick and injured are the
beneficiary of this service
 The welfare service might include Cash transfer, Food
transfers, Social service and Old age grant
 The service is non-contributory and tax-financed benefits

20. Cont…
II. Social insurance programmers
 Encompasses welfare services like Pension, Health,
employment and other social insurances
 It is financed by contributions and based on insurance
principles

21. Cont…
III. Promotive and transformational welfare activities
Health assistance – reduced fees, provision of free
Free health and education services
School feeding, Scholarships and fee waivers
Child Support Grant
Water and sanitation
Access to basic housing

22. Recent development of social welfare
• In addition to the above welfare types, recently, the scope
of social welfare shows some development
• Two additional areas also included in the scope of social
welfare,
I. Private (for profit organization) involvement
II. Deviance model of social welfare

23. Private (for profit organization) involvement
 social welfare now includes such new areas as for-profit
services
 Social welfare at this time include other for profit services
like
 Nursing homes and day care centers,
 Social service in business organization, like subsistence
abuse, counseling,
 Day care for employees, children etc.

24. Deviance model of social welfare
o Social welfare start to concern about some type of social
problems for which some remedial, correctional, or
therapeutic intervention is required
o This model assumes
 deviant behavior as public problem
 deviant behavior as expression of a deviant self different from that
of the normal person.
 promotes efforts to a count for and corrects this difference.
• The social intervention to alter, modify, or control deviant
behavior as a public responsibility can be included in this
type of welfare type

25. 1.3 Basic function of Social welfare
 social welfare has two kinds of functions
I. Social treatment
II. Social control

26.  Social treatment
o The provision of goods and services for the enhancement of
human life.
o This refers to formally organized, and socially sponsored
institutions, agencies and programmes, to maintain or improve
economic and social conditions, health or personal competence
in some, or all, parts of the population.
o Generally we can say that social treatment is the basic function
of social welfare and hence, Social welfare seeks
 To enhance the social functioning of all age groups, both rich and poor.
 To enhance the social and economic wellbeing of society members

27. Social control
o The purpose of welfare service is not only to help individual people
meet their needs but, also to help the nation as a whole to maintain
stability.
o Social welfare is the institution that provides society’s sum total of
all goods and services to ensure their conformity to current social
norms, standards and ideologies.
o The provision of services expected to ensure conformity from
deviants and thus it is the main tool for social control
o These functions determine the activities of human service
professionals in carrying out society’s mandate (laws and policies)
regarding social services.

28. 1.4 Conceptualizing human needs and social institutions
 Social welfare can be conceptualized through two concepts
I. Human need
II. Social institution

29. I. Human need
• Welfare is often associated with needs
• Welfare provision therefore can be seen as the activity to
help people access to their need
• But what type of needs human being have?
• How we now human need?
• How we can prioritize these needs?
• Understanding humanistic psychology theory can help us
to understand these issues in a batter way.

30. Humanistic theory conceptualization of human
need
• Humanistic psychologists, such as Abraham Maslow (1908–
1970) and Carl R. Rogers (1902–1987), are concerned with
maximizing the human potential for self-direction and freedom
of choice
• Humanists primarily focus on improving the human condition.
• One of the key concepts advanced by Maslow is the hierarchy of
needs
• Maslow felt that human beings have certain basic needs that
they must meet before they can fulfill their other developmental
needs.

31. Cont…
• At the bottom of Maslow’s pyramid are fundamental
requirements to satisfy physiological needs (including
needs for food, water, and sex) and safety needs.
• Next, Maslow identified a set of psychological needs
focused on belongingness (love) and self-esteem.
• At the top of the pyramid, he placed the need to realize
one’s unique potential to the fullest in a process he termed
self-actualization.

33. Cont…
• According to the humanistic psychologists Abraham Maslow
and Carl Rogers, fundamental needs must be satisfied before an
individual is free to progress to psychological needs
• On the other hand psychological needs also must be met before
the person can realize self-actualization needs.
• Maslow and other humanistic psychologists argue that scientific
inquiry should be directed toward helping people achieve
freedom, hope, self-fulfillment, and strong identities.
• Therefore, such understanding of human need is important to
conceptualize social welfare at the first place

34. II. social institution
o Social INSTITUTION refers to an organization or an institution with
definite system of interaction or bureaucracies and social and physical
boundaries and with definite and specific goals at hand.
• They are usually conceived of as the basic focuses of social
organization, common to all societies and dealing with the basic
universal problems of ordered social life.
• The major social institutions are of five types: the family, the religion,
the education, the polity, and the economy
• In addition to these major social institutions there are such minor
items as recreation, art, health, sport, science, etc.

35. Cont…
• Although there is a difference in the type and functions they
perform, social institutions exist in every known culture.
• They are universal.
• Any social revolution altering the forms of social institutions
and removing the positions that make up the establishments,
will in turn establish new positions in the new forms of the same
basic social institutions.
• They only change the norms that govern the behavior of the
participants.
• But, the institutions usually exist; they persist.

36. Basic functions of Social Institutions
• Social institutions are networks of relationships that carry out
the essential social functions
• Social institutions are an organized system of social
relationships which meets certain basic needs of the society.
• The fact that social institutions and the functions they
perform are universal entails that man can’t exist without
them, in one way or the other.
• This social institutional function can be categorized as
Primary secondary functions.
• primary function refers to a Paramount Function of the Social
Institutions

37. Primary function of family Institution
o The family institution performs essentially two major functions
for the general society
o One is the reproduction of mankind (producing new members)
in a regulated and socially acceptable way,
o The other the caring of the newborn babies during their infancy
and early age and satisfy the human emotional needs and drives.
o The family is the institution responsible for socialize new
members (to give them preliminary acquaintanceship with the
basic norms and values of their society.)

38. Primary function of the Educational Institutions
• The two major functions of the educational institutions.
 Perpetuation of the cultural heritage of a society by
passing it on to each new generation
 Socializing of new members of the society are
• Socialization by educational institutions refers teaching
the young about the culture of their society or the various
patterns of living they need to know to live in their social
environment.

39. Primary function the Religious Institutions
o People should feel that their life is purposeful and worthwhile to
live.
o Thus religion institution is providing purpose for life and
making it meaningful and worthwhile
o On the other hand, religion is the most dynamic means of social
control even more than social and public legislations
o Offering people a sense of order, and direction and by
influencing and supporting the dominant values of the society.

40.  Primary function the Economic Institutions
o Economic institutions supply the basic human needs or
the necessities of life
o Every society organizes economic institutions for the
purpose of coordination of
Production,
Distribution,
Exchange and consumption
of goods and services.

41. Primary function the Political Institutions
o In order for a society to exist and perpetuate, there must be
rules and regulations to keep peace and order.
o In all society there must be some sort of a power holder-
the government which is responsible to maintain the peace
and order among individuals with in the society and with
the outsiders.
o Primitive societies also have had traditional forms of
government which, however, may not be as sophisticated
as the modern ones could be.

42. Secondary Functions of social institution
• Every institution have their own function by themselves
• Yet, We can’t study one institution separately unless we try to
understand how it works with other institutions
• There is interdependence between these social institutions and they
exit in a constant mutual interaction.
• These social institutions work together to make the society an efficient
and a well organized one.
• Those functions that one institution performs in support of other
institutions are known as secondary functions.
• But here we are discussing only the secondary function of those
institutions to social welfare

43. Secondary functions of social institutions to social welfare
INSTITUTION Primary functions Social welfare functions
Families  Reproduction
caring & emotional
intimacy
Care for vulnerable family member
Primary source of support during
emergency and difficulty
Religion Spiritual development
Social control
 Counseling
 social and welfare services
 Teach the value of helping and
caring
Economy Mobilizing and
distribution
of goods and services
Commercial social welfare
goods/services
Polity
(government)
Peace and order
Leadership
Policy making (Antipoverty,
economic security, health, education,
housing etc
Public welfare provision
Education Socializing and
knowledge transfer
 Training professional for welfare
Skill for livelihood
Work
organization
Employment Employee benefits

44. Why we need to know about social institution
• Helping all social institution to play their role
social welfare is needed only when other institutions in
any society fail to meet the basic needs of individuals or
groups of people
• Coordinating the interaction and
interdependency of those institution
• Maintaining (reconstruction) those institution
when they fail to perform their function

45. CONT…
 social work may be said to stand at the interface between
the individual and social institutions.
 Ideally social work knowledge, skills, and values are used
to help individuals adapt to social institution.
 Yet, Intern social worker also seeks to modify social
institution to meet human needs.