Using Academic Privilege to Dispute Dominant Narratives in Welfare and Child Protection
1. LIKE WATER ON A
ROCK: USING
ACADEMIC
PRIVILEGE AND
SOCIAL MEDIA TO
DISPUTE
DOMINANT DOXA
DR. EMILY KEDDELL, SOCIOLOGY GENDER AND SOCIAL WORK,
UNIVERSITY OF OTAGO, AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND (WITH
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS TO ASSOC. PROF. LIZ BEDDOE FOR SOME
SLIDES)
MEMBER: RE-IMAGINING SOCIAL WORK COLLECTIVE
PRESENTATION TO:
SALFORD UNIVERSITY’S MAKING RESEARCH COUNT SEMINAR
SERIES
CENTRE FOR APPLIED RESEARCH IN HEALTH, WELFARE AND
3. ANZ – THE BIG PICTURE
• HIGH AND INCREASING LEVELS OF CHILD POVERTY – 29% OF CHILDREN LIVE BELOW THE
60% MEDIAN WAGE AHC POVERTY LINE – BUT 33% OF MAORI, 28% OF PASIFIKA, 16% OF
PAKEHA. 46% OF CHILDREN IN POVERTY ARE MAORI OR PACIFIC.
• 14% IN MATERIAL HARDSHIP – GOING WITHOUT THE THINGS MOST NZERS CONSIDER
ESSENTIAL, 9% IN SEVERE HARDSHIP
• 16% LIVE IN CROWDED HOMES – BUT 50% OF PASIFIKA CHILDREN, 25% OF MAORI, 5% OF
PAKEHA
• MOST UNAFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE WORLD BASED ON INCOMES: HOUSING COST.
AVE HOUSE PRICE = 10X AVE HOUSEHOLD INCOME
• VERY HIGH RATES OF CHILDHOOD ILLNESSES AND MARKED EDUCATIONAL DIFFERENCES
BETWEEN DIFFERENT LEVELS OF DEPRIVATION
• BENEFIT RATES STAGNANT, WAGES LOW, FAMILY TAX CREDITS NOT INDEXED TO WAGES
OR CPI UNLESS IT EXCEEDS 5%. THRESHOLD ACTUALLY DROPPING, AND ABATEMENT
INCREASING. (SEE DALE ET. AL., 2014).
• HTTP://WWW.RADIONZ.CO.NZ/NEWS/NATIONAL/307110/POVERTY-NZ'S-'NEW-NORMAL'-
REPORT
(DALE ET AL., 104; SIMPSON ET AL., 2015; NZ HERALD, 2014).
4. THE TUU’U FAMILY – VAIOPA’A
AND TAMASAILAU TYPIFY THE
AUCKLAND HOUSING CRISIS –
IN WORK, BUT CAN’T PAY THE
RENT – LIVING IN THEIR CAR
5. DOXA – COMMON BELIEFS OR OPINIONS USED TO
PERSUADE PEOPLE OF PARTICULAR TRUTHS
“DISCOURSES FROM THE STATE, THEREFORE, CARRY
MORE WEIGHT THAN OTHERS BECAUSE THEY ARE
OFFICIAL AND ARE OFTEN ACCEPTED AS BEING
AUTHORISED AND LEGITIMATE ACCOUNTS…
THE POWER OF THIS OFFICIAL DISCOURSE CAN
CREATE WHAT BOURDIEU (1977: 169) TERMED A
DOXA – A SITUATION WHERE THE ARBITRARY
APPEARS NATURAL AND WHERE IMPORTANT ISSUES
REMAIN UNSPOKEN AND TAKEN FOR GRANTED, IN
CONTRAST TO AN ORTHODOXY OR A HETERODOXY,
WHERE DISCUSSION AND CONTESTATION TAKES
PLACE” (CROSSLEY, 2015:2)
6. WELFARE REFORM
CHARGED WITH “PROMOTING BETTER WORK OUTCOMES”
FOR CERTAIN GROUPS OF THOSE “AT-RISK” OF BENEFIT
DEPENDENCY
“THERE IS NO SIMPLE SOLUTION TO LONG-TERM WELFARE DEPENDENCY,
AND THERE ARE DIFFICULT TRADE-OFFS WHICH MUST BE FACED. WE NEED
TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE ARE TREATED WITH COMPASSION WHEN THEY
CANNOT SUPPORT THEMSELVES, BUT THEY ALSO HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO
PREPARE FOR AND MOVE INTO PAID WORK, WHERE THAT IS POSSIBLE. WE
NEED TO BE CONSCIOUS OF COSTS TO THE TAXPAYER, BUT WE SHOULD
ALSO BE WILLING TO INVEST EARLY TO REDUCE AVOIDABLE WELFARE
DEPENDENCY” (2011: 2).
7. WWG PRINCIPLES:
• RECIPROCAL OBLIGATIONS
• A LONGTERM VIEW – AN ACTUARIAL VIEW OF FORWARD LIABILITY
• COMMITTING TO TARGETS – BOTH GOVT AND COMMUNITIES
• IMPROVING OUTCOMES FOR MAORI – 31% OF WORKING AGE MAORI ON WELFARE
• IMPROVING OUTCOMES FOR CHILDREN – 220 000 CHILDREN IN BENEFICIARY
HOUSEHOLDS – NEED TO REDUCE CHILD POVERTY THROUGH FOCUS ON ‘AT-RISK JOBLESS
HOUSEHOLDS’
• A CROSS-GOVERNMENT APPROACH – SOLUTIONS LIE ‘OUTSIDE THE WELFARE
SYSTEM…NEEDS CROSS GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP’
• MORE EFFECTIVE DELIVERY – OUTCOMES FOCUSED – ENGAGE COMMUNITY AGENCIES TO
DELIVER TO SPECIFIC POPULATION EGS MAORI, YOUTH ETC.
MAIN AGENCY SHOULD:
“…BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR IMPROVING WORK OUTCOMES FOR PEOPLE OF WORKING
AGE AT RISK OF LONG-TERM WELFARE DEPENDENCY AND REDUCING THE LONG-TERM
COSTS OF WELFARE DEPENDENCY (AS MEASURED BY THE FORWARD LIABILITY) (WWG, 2011:
10).
8. CHILD PROTECTION REFORMS: TWO WAVES
• WAVE ONE: VULNERABLE CHILDREN’S ACT 2014, CHILDREN’S ACTION PLAN
• WAVE TWO: CHILD YOUTH AND FAMILY REVIEW 2015 – 2016 (FINAL REPORT) AND
ONGOING
• WAVE ONE – SURVEILLANCE, SAFETY CHECKING, BROADENING RESPONSIBILITY,
COLLABORATION, RISK MODELLING
• WAVE TWO – RECONSTRUCTING THE CHILD PROTECTION AGENCY, SOCIAL
INVESTMENT, INFORMATION AND DATA SHARING, SINGLE POINT OF
ACCOUNTABILITY, (SERVICE PURCHASER) MORE RESOURCES FOR CHILDREN IN CARE,
MORE CONTRACTING OF SERVICES, LANGUAGE OF TRAUMA.
9. COMMON DOXA IN THE WELFARE REFORMS
• WELFARE DEPENDENCE IS ‘RISKY’, AND PEOPLE NEED INCENTIVES AND PUNISHMENTS TO GET
INTO WORK.
• PROMOTES THE UNSPOKEN PRESUMPTION THAT JOBS EXIST, THAT POVERTY IS RELATED TO
WORK STATUS (NOT BENEFIT RATES, WAGE RATES AND FAMILY TAX CREDIT RATES) AND THAT
PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO WORK
• RESULTS BASED ACCOUNTABILITY FOR WORKERS – THE ONLY RESULT THAT MATTERS IS FEWER
PEOPLE ON BENEFITS – FUTURE FINANCIAL SAVINGS AND PERSONAL INDEPENDENCE IS WHAT
MATTERS
• RESULT = INDIVIDUALISATION AND RESPONSIBILISATION IN POLICY = SANCTIONS, DRUG
TESTING, SOCIAL OBLIGATIONS, ACTIVE CASE MANAGEMENT AND FOR PEOPLE WITH
DISABILITIES A FOCUS ON “WHAT PEOPLE CAN DO, NOT WHAT THEY CAN’T DO”
• CONSEQUENCE: CREATES ANTAGONISM AND
STIGMA FOR THOSE IN THE WELFARE SYSTEM,
POVERTY CAN BE INDIVIDUALISED AND IGNORED
10. DOXA: INDIVIDUALISATION
• INDIVIDUALISATION OF SOCIAL PROBLEMS – BENEFICIARIES AND
PROFESSIONALS AND PARENTS ARE EACH INDIVIDUALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR
POOR OUTCOMES
• INCREASING THE LANGUAGE OF SOCIAL OBLIGATION, (BEYOND SOCIAL
CONTRACT) RESPONSIBILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY AS MECHANISMS FOR
ENSURING BEST PRACTICE AND BEHAVIOURAL CHANGE
• “THOUGH I ACKNOWLEDGE THE PRESSURE THAT FINANCIAL HARDSHIP PUTS
ON FAMILIES, THAT IS NEVER AN EXCUSE TO NEGLECT, BEAT, OR ABUSE
CHILDREN. MOST PEOPLE IN SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES DO NOT ABUSE THEIR
CHILDREN, AND I CANNOT TOLERATE IT BEING USED AS A JUSTIFICATION FOR
THOSE WHO DO (NZMSD 2012A, 2)
• “WHILE MANY RISK FACTORS, OR CONFLUENCE OF FACTORS, PLAY AN
IMPORTANT ROLE IN VULNERABILITY AND RESILIENCE, THE MOST IMPORTANT
FACTORS ARE PARENTAL BEHAVIOR, ACTION AND FAILURE TO ACT”
(BENNETT, 2012, P.3).
11. DOXA: SEPARATE LIVES
• NEITHER ISSUE VIEWED AS CONNECTED TO THE OTHER, EVEN THOUGH WE
KNOW THAT 85% OF THOSE COMING TO ATTENTION IN THE CYFS SYSTEM
ARE IN RECEIPT OF A BENEFIT (VAITHIANATHAN, 2012).
• HIGH AND PERSISTENT RATES OF POVERTY ARE DIRECTLY CONTRIBUTING
TO THE 157 000 FAMILIES CURRENTLY REFERRED TO CYFS. WE KNOW
THERE IS A STRONG ASSOCIATION, YET THIS IS IGNORED: “POVERTY IS NO
EXCUSE FOR CHILD ABUSE” (PAULA BENNET, MINISTER FOR SOCIAL
DEVELOPMENT).
• NO NEW PREVENTIVE SERVICES FUNDED, NOR LOW INCOMES INCREASED.
DIFFERENTIAL TREATMENT OF THOSE ON BENEFITS REMAINS, AND THIS
CONTRIBUTES TO CHILD POVERTY.
• WE KNOW THAT FAMILIES ARE MULTIPLY DISADVANTAGED, AND THAT
INEQUALITIES ARE EXPRESSED IN THE PATTERNS OF CHILD PROTECTION
REFERRALS AND SERVICE NEEDS (SPRATT, 2011; FEATHERSTONE ET AL,
12. DOXA: POINTED NEO-LIBERALISM?
• SOCIAL GOVERNMENT RESTRUCTURED ACCORDING TO ECONOMIC LOGIC, AND
ECONOMIC GOVERNMENT MUST CREATE THE CENTRAL ELEMENTS OF ECONOMIC
WELL-BEING (ROSE, 1999: 141).
• INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM IS EMPHASIZED, WELFARE VIEWED AS OFFERING PERVERSE
INCENTIVES VIA DEPENDENCY ON THE STATE. WELFARE STATE AS A THREAT TO FREEDOM
(ROGOWSKI 2013: 37).
• THE MARGINALIZED AND DISADVANTAGED ARE SO BECAUSE OF THEIR OWN CHOICE, AND
THEY ARE “PEOPLE WHOSE SELF-RESPONSIBILITY AND SELF FULFILLING ASPIRATIONS
HAVE BEEN DEFORMED BY THE DEPENDENCY CULTURE” (CULPITT (1999: 36, BASED ON
ROSE 1996).
• GARRETT STATES THAT IN SOCIAL WORK AND SOCIAL SERVICE PROVISION, THAT WHILE
THE STATE SEEMS TO PROMOTE FREEDOM, IS “IN FACT INTERVENTIONIST IN ENSURING
AN INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK TO SUPPORT A COMPETITIVE MARKET OF SERVICE
PROVIDERS AND AN ACTIVE APPROACH TO PUBLIC MANAGEMENT DESPITE ITS CLAIMS OF
FREE MARKET ORIENTATION” (GARRETT, 2010)
• AN INCREASE IN THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY TO BOTH SURVEIL CLIENTS AND RETAIN
CONTROL OF PRACTITIONERS IS ANOTHER KEY ASPECT OF SERVICE PROVISION IN
13. YES!
• LANGUAGE OF INVESTMENT AND THE PRIORITISATION OF PAID WORK OVERTLY
STATED IN WELFARE REFORM = ECONOMIC LOGIC INHERENT
• ACCESSING PAID WORK AND AVOIDING ABUSE IS VIEWED AS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF
THE INDIVIDUAL, AND ENSURING SURVEILLANCE AND COMPLIANCE, THE
RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PROFESSIONALS. THE STATE?
• CHILD PROTECTION – THE CHILD IS TO BE PROTECTED AND SAVED, AND
INVESTMENT MADE IN THE POST-CARE PERIOD, BUT SERVICES IN THE PRE-CARE
PERIOD INVOLVE SURVEILLANCE, RISK MANAGEMENT AND PREFERENTIAL ACCESS TO
EXISTING SERVICES, AND THE ULTIMATE ACCOUNTABILITY OF PROFESSIONALS.
• ACCEPTANCE OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR CHILDREN ALREADY IN CARE, AND CHILDREN
WHO HAVE BEEN ABUSED, NOT FOR PREVENTING SOCIAL CIRCUMSTANCES
CONTRIBUTING TO ABUSE
• NO NEW PREVENTION RESOURCES OR COMMITMENT TO RESOURCING UNIVERSAL
FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES
• RISK A PRIMARY CONCERN IN BOTH WELFARE AND CHILD PROTECTION SYSTEMS –
ACTUARIAL APPROACHES PREFERRED.
14. DOXA: RESPONSIBILISATION?
THIS AFFECTS BOTH INSTITUTIONAL DYNAMICS AND THE INDIVIDUAL:
• INSTITUTIONS: THE MOVEMENT OF THE ‘SOCIAL STATE’ TO THE ‘FACILITATING STATE’
THE STATE IS NO LONGER EXPECTED TO “…ANSWER ALL SOCIETIES NEEDS FOR ORDER, SECURITY,
HEALTH AND PRODUCTIVITY. INDIVIDUALS, FIRMS, ORGANISATIONS…SCHOOLS, PARENTS,
HOSPITALS…MUST TAKE ON THEMSELVES – AS ‘PARTNERS’ – A PORTION OF THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR
RESOLVING THESE ISSUES …ORGANISATIONS AND OTHER ACTORS ARE.. TO BE SET FREE TO FIND
THEIR OWN DESTINY BUT, AT THE SAME TIME, THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT DESTINY AND FOR
THE DESTINY OF SOCIETY AS A WHOLE” (ROSE, 1999: 174).
=MORE AUTONOMOUS BUT ALSO MORE RESPONSIBLE
• INDIVIDUALS: “THROUGH THIS ‘RESPONSIBILISATION’, THE SELF IS MADE
RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS OR HER RISK CHOICES, AND ONLY
‘GOOD’ CHOICES ARE REWARDED BY INCLUSION IN SOCIETY;
(PRUDENTIAL CITIZENS) THOSE WHO MAKE ‘BAD’ OR RISKY
CHOICES ARE EXCLUDED” (KEMSHALL, 2010: 1250).
15. ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE CYF REVIEW AND
THE BIRTH OF REIMAGINING SOCIAL WORK
• ON APRIL 12015 THE NEW ZEALAND MINISTER OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, ANNE TOLLEY,
ANNOUNCED THE CREATION OF A NEW REVIEW OF CHILD YOUTH AND FAMILY, OUR NATIONAL
CHILD PROTECTION AGENCY.
• BOTH THE TERMS OF REFERENCE AND THE MAKEUP OF THE REVIEW PANEL FILLED MANY
SOCIAL WORKERS WITH ANGER AND DREAD
• PUBLIC CRITICISM OF SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION BY THE COMMISSIONER FOR CHILDREN (OCC)
IN APRIL
• VIRTUAL SECRECY FOR THE REVIEW PANEL- NO PUBLIC CONSULTATION
• PANEL LEAD BY SAME RIGHT-WING ECONOMIST WHO LED THE EARLIER REFORM OF THE
WELFARE SYSTEM
• RELEASE OF HISTORICAL REPORTS ON ABUSE IN STATE CARE AND IN THE SAME WEEK…
• THE OCC STATE OF CARE REPORT WAS PUBLISHED “THE STATE OF CARE”
16. WHO CAN SPEAK?
• CHIEF SOCIAL WORKER – EXCLUDED FROM THE REVIEW PANEL
• SWRB – SILENCED
• SOCIAL WORK ASSOCIATION – SPOKE UP BUT VERY SMALL AND UNDERRESOURCED
• PSA – ISSUING GOOD STUFF
• POLITICIANS – SOME, ESP MAORI PARTY, LABOUR, GREEN
• SOCIAL WORKERS IN THE CP SYSTEM – GAG CLAUSE
• SOCIAL WORKERS FOR NGOS – GAG CLAUSE
• LARGE CHARITIES? NO
• CHILDREN’S COMMISSIONER?
• ACADEMICS – YES!
17. REIMAGININGSOCIALWORK.NZ
• THE RSW COLLECTIVE LAUNCHED THE RE-
IMAGINING SOCIAL WORK BLOG ON 6TH APRIL
2015 AND TO DATE HAS PUBLISHED 83 POSTS
HAD OVER 54,000 VIEWS,257 COMMENTS AND
HAS 236 SUBSCRIBERS. THE TWITTER ACCOUNT
HAS 308 FOLLOWERS.
• THE PURPOSE OF THE BLOG SPACE IS TO:
‘DISCUSS, DEBATE AND DELIBERATE ON THE
FUTURE OF MODERN AND PROGRESSIVE SOCIAL
WORK SERVICES IN AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND’.
• ALL ENTIRELY VOLUNTARY AND SELF-
SUPPORTING
18. WHO ARE WE?
• NEIL BALLANTYNE, SENIOR LECTURER IN SOCIAL WORK, OPEN
POLYTECHNIC OF NEW ZEALAND.
• LIZ BEDDOE, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR IN SOCIAL WORK, UNIVERSITY OF
AUCKLAND.
• IAN HYSLOP, LECTURER IN SOCIAL WORK, UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND.
• EMILY KEDDELL, SENIOR LECTURER IN SOCIAL WORK, UNIVERSITY OF
OTAGO.
• SIMON LOWE, SENIOR TUTOR IN SOCIAL WORK, UNIVERSITY OF
WAIKATO.
• DEB STANFIELD, SOCIAL WORK ACADEMIC, WINTEC.
19. WHAT’S THE POINT? SICK OF MOANING ON
THE SIDELINES
• TO RESIST THE SILENCING OF OUR VOICE BY CREATING A SPACE TO DISCUSS AND DEBATE
THE FUTURE OF MODERN AND PROGRESSIVE SOCIAL WORK SERVICES
• TO USE PUBLIC FACING SOCIAL MEDIA FOR LONGER DIALOGUES AS WE BELIEVE THAT THE CYF
REVIEW HAS IMPLICATIONS FOR ALL SOCIAL WORK SERVICES AND IS PART OF AN BIGGER
AGENDA – PRIVATISATION, INFORMATION SHARING, SURVEILLANCE, TARGETTING.
• FAST AND ACCESSIBLE
• BUILDS ALLIANCES WITH COLLEAGUES -EDUCATORS, ACTIVISTS, MPS, SOCIAL WORKERS,
SOCIAL WORK MANAGERS- WHO SHARE OUR CONCERNS.
• WE POST SERIOUS LONG PIECES, VIDEOS, A POEM, SHORT PIECES AND LINKS TO MAJOR
BROADCAST INTERVIEWS (SEE STANFIELD, 2015 [BLOG POST] FOR A GOOD SUMMARY)
• WE EVEN GAVE SPACE TO THE CHILDREN’S COMMISSIONER TO POST!
20. WHAT KINDS OF TOPICS?
• HTTP://WWW.REIMAGININGSOCIALWORK.NZ
• AIM: DISPUTE THE DOXA!
21. WHAT HAVE WE ACHIEVED?
• FACE TO FACE MEETINGS WITH POLITICIANS, DRAFTING PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS
• THROUGH INTENSIVE LOBBYING WITH ANZASW/ PSA UNION AND NETWORKING HAVE MADE
SOME CONTACT WITH THE PANEL
• SUPPORTED UNION TO RUN A ONE DAY CONFERENCE
• ONE TO ONE CONTACT WITH THE OFFICE CHILDREN’S COMMISSIONER
• MEDIA COMMENTS INVITED
• INVITATIONS TO SPEAK AND WRITE
• INVITATIONS TO MAKE SUBMISSIONS AND COMMENT ON POLICY AND LEGISLATIVE CHANGES
• PEOPLE SAYING TO US ‘YOU ARE SAYING WHAT OTHERS CAN’T’
• OFFERS OF ALLIANCES – FAMILY RIGHTS GROUPS, SWAN, PSA
• REFERENCED AND CITED BY OTHERS: HTTP://WEREWOLF.CO.NZ/2016/06/GORDON-
CAMPBELL-ON-THE-OMBUDSMANS-VERDICT-ON-PAULA-REBSTOCK-AND-IAN-
RENNIE/COMMENT-PAGE-1/
22. CHALLENGES OF USING SOCIAL MEDIA
• RELATIVELY SLOW UPTAKE OF SOCIAL MEDIA BY SOCIAL WORKERS (SUBJECT OF
CURRENT RESEARCH BY A COLLECTIVE MEMBER)
• UNEASY RELATIONSHIPS – WHO SHOULD SPEAK AND WHO DO WE SPEAK FOR?
• LACK OF MANY MODELS FOR SOCIAL WORK ACTIVISM ON LINE
• HOSTING A BLOG AND KEEPING IT ACTIVE DOES REQUIRE TIME
• WE’RE NOT SURE HOW MOST ACADEMIC COLLEAGUES VIEW THIS WORK BUT WE
HAVE SOME THEORIES…
23. WHERE DOES THIS FIT IN ACADEMIC LIFE?
• DOESN’T GET RESEARCH ‘BROWNIE POINTS’ IN PBRF/REF
• IT’S MAYBE SEEN AS ECCENTRIC… OR IRRELEVANT
• MAYBE WE DON’T HAVE ENOUGH REAL WORK TO DO
• PUBLIC INTELLECTUAL ENGAGEMENT IS VIRTUALLY NON-EXISTENT IN NZ SOCIAL
WORK
• WE LET ECONOMISTS AND LAWYERS AND DOCTORS DO THE PUBLIC TALKING ON
THESE ISSUES. WHY?
24. • CONTACT US THROUGH THE BLOG
OR ANY OF US AS INDIVIDUALS
• WRITE FOR THE BLOG
• CARTOONS, PHOTOS, POETRY,
VIDEOS, AUDIO INTERVIEWS ALL
WELCOME
EMILY.KEDDELL@OTAGO.AC.NZ
WE ARE
ALWAYS OPEN
TO BLOGGING
OFFERS
25. REFERENCES
• BENNETT, P. (2012). WHITE PAPER ON VULNERABLE CHILDREN. PAPER TO CABINET SOCIAL POLICY COMMITTEE, SEPTEMBER 2012. RETRIEVED FROM
HTTP://WWW.MSD.GOVT.NZ/DOCUMENTS/ABOUT-MSD-AND-OUR-WORK/WORK-PROGRAMMES/POLICY-DEVELOPMENT/WHITE-PAPER-
VULNERABLE-CHILDREN/WHITE-PAPER-CABINET-PAPER.PDF
• BYWATERS, P. (2013). INEQUALITIES IN CHILD WELFARE: TOWARDS A NEW POLICY, RESEARCH AND ACTION AGENDA. BRITISH JOURNAL OF SOCIAL
WORK. DOI: 10.1093/BJSW/BCT079
• BYWATERS, P., BRADY, G., SPARKS, T., & BOS, E. (2014). CHILD WELFARE INEQUALITIES: NEW EVIDENCE, FURTHER QUESTIONS. CHILD & FAMILY
SOCIAL WORK, N/A-N/A. DOI: 10.1111/CFS.12154
• CROSSLEY, S. (2015). REALISING THE (TROUBLED) FAMILY’, ‘CRAFTING THE NEOLIBERAL STATE’ FAMILIES, RELATIONSHIPS AND SOCIETIES. DOI:
.DOI.ORG/10.1332/204674315X14326465757666
• CULPITT, I. (1999). SOCIAL POLICY AND RISK. LONDON: SAGE.
• DALE, C., O'BRIEN, M., & ST JOHN, S. (2014). OUR CHILDREN, OUR CHOICE: PRIORITIES FOR POLICY. AUCKLAND, NZ: CHILD POVERTY ACTION GROUP.
• FEATHERSTONE, B., WHITE, S., & MORRIS, K. (2014). RE-IMAGINING CHILD PROTECTION: TOWARDS HUMANE SOCIAL WORK WITH FAMILIES. BRISTOL,
UK: POLICY PRESS.
• GARRETT, P. M. (2010). EXAMINING THE ‘CONSERVATIVE REVOLUTION’: NEOLIBERALISM AND SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION. SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION,
29(4), 340 - 355.
• KEDDELL, E. (2014). THE WHITE PAPER ON VULNERABLE CHILDREN AND WELFARE REFORM IN AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND: TWO SIDES OF THE SAME
COIN? . PAPER PRESENTED AT THE SOCIAL WORK SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE, MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA.
• KEDDELL, E. (2016). CHILD PROTECTION REFORM AND WELFARE REFORM IN AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND: TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN? IN J.
MAIDMENT & E. BEDDOE (EDS.), SOCIAL POLICY FOR SOCIAL WORK AND HUMAN SERVICES IN AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND: DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES.
CHRISTCHURCH: CANTERBURY UNIVERSITY PRESS.
• KEMSHALL, H. (2010). RISK RATIONALITIES IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE. BRITISH JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WORK, 40, 1247 - 1262.
Editor's Notes
NZ Herald 4 Oct 2014. www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11336725
A typical house in Auckland now costs 10 times a typical household income. The recommended international maximum is three times.
• Prices have tripled in the last 15 years while incomes have risen by only two thirds.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11622922
Housing stress is also spreading into middle-income families as the proportion of all renters paying more than 40 per cent of their income in rent has more than doubled in the past decade nationally, from 9.5 per cent to 23 per cent.
WWG –The Welfare Working Group was established in April 2010 to examine ways to reduce long-term benefit dependency in New Zealand for people of working age. In particular, it was asked to focus on promoting better work outcomes for sole parents, sick people, disabled people and other people at risk of long-term benefit dependency. “ (2011: 1). “”The Welfare Working Group was asked to make practical recommendations on how to reduce long-term welfare dependency for people of working age, in order to achieve better social and economic outcomes for people on welfare, their families and the wider community.
Slide: There is no simple solution to long-term welfare dependency, and there are difficult trade-offs which must be faced. We need to ensure that people are treated with compassion when they cannot support themselves, but they also have a responsibility to prepare for and move into paid work, where that is possible. We need to be conscious of costs to the taxpayer, but we should also be willing to invest early to reduce avoidable welfare dependency” (2011: 2).
Our welfare system has major deficiencies that need to be corrected if we are to achieve the outcomes New Zealanders expect from the welfare system. Addressing these issues requires innovation and fundamental change to the welfare system, rather than further piecemeal change. Significant changes in other areas of Government activity, including health and education, are also vital. Fundamental change will require the commitment of individuals, families and whānau, employers and communities, working alongside Government.”
Reciprocal obligations – not just between individuals and the state, but between all people ie communities, employers et to help reduce welfare dependency
A longterm view – an actuarial view of forward liability to reduce costs in the longterm
Committing to targets – both govt and communities – “such a target will require promoting and encouraging better choices that enable people to maintain or secure paid work rather than enter the welfare system”
Improving outcomes for Maori – 31% of working age Maori on welfare
Improving outcomes for children – 220 000 children in beneficiary households – need to reduce child poverty through focus on ‘at-risk jobless households’
A cross-government approach – solutions lie ‘outside the welfare system…needs cross government and community leadership’
More effective delivery – outcomes focused – engage community agencies to deliver to specific population egs Maori, youth etc.
Main agency should:
“…be held accountable for improving work outcomes for people of working age at risk of long-term welfare dependency and reducing the long-term costs of welfare dependency (as measured by the forward liability) (WWG, 2011: 10).
Increasing the language of social obligation, responsibility and accountability – of the poor in the welfare reform and of professionals in the child protection reforms
Individualisation of social problems – beneficiaries, parents and professionals are each individually responsible for poor outcomes
Social policy as investment for future citizens – in both parents as means to ends – instrumental rationalism BUT in CP parents barely included, whereas in welfare, parents are central.
Spreading of responsibility beyond the agencies traditionally charged with their respective domains
Increasing mechanisms of control of the most marginalised while others have no such control. Eg social obligations.
READ: Where risks are individualised, for example, this clearly reflects the neo-liberal’s concern with personal responsibility and the limited role of the nation state. Within this
conceptualisation, individuals are viewed as ‘prudential citizens’, if they are able to react rationally and responsibly to the demands of modern life (Rose, 1996).
“Through this ‘responsibilisation’, the self is made responsible for his or her risk choices, and only ‘good’ choices are rewarded by inclusion in society; those who make ‘bad’ or risky choices are excluded” (Kemshall, 2010: 1250). Rose (2000) states this agenda for social work is aimed at ‘failed citizens, anti-citizens, comprised of those who are unable or unwilling to enterprise their lives or manage their own risk, incapable of exercising responsible self-government’(?)
Both child protection and welfare change responses represent a shift towards Rose’s (2000) ‘responsibilisation’ agenda, where citizens are expected to take full responsibility for every possible risk to themselves and are punished if they fail in this task.