The document outlines the goals and functions of social welfare, emphasizing the provision of services to enhance social functioning across various demographics and addressing social problems through key programs. It discusses the historical evolution of social welfare in the U.S., from colonial times to the present, highlighting major policies, philosophical approaches, and political movements shaping social assistance. Furthermore, it contrasts residual and institutional views of welfare, while also reflecting on contemporary challenges and the need for future developments in social services.

1. HMS 18 Introduction to Social Work
Week 1
Adjunct Instructor: Ms. Thu Tran, MSW
Thursday 6pm-910pm

2. Agenda
● Attendance
● Add Codes
● Review Syllabus
● Lecture

4. Goal of Social Welfare
● Is to fulfill the social, financial, health and recreational
requirements of all individuals in a society.
● It seeks to enhance the social functioning of all age
groups, both rich and poor.

5. Goal of Social Welfare
● It is the business of social welfare to:
● Find homes for parentless children
● Rehabilitate people who are addicted to alcohol or drugs
● Treat those with emotional difficulties
● Make life more meaningful for older adults
● Provide vocational rehabilitation services to persons with a physical or
mental disability
● Meet the financial needs of the poor
● Rehabilitate juveniles and adults who have committed criminal offenses
● End all types of discrimination and oppression
● Provide child care services for parents who work outside the home
● Counteract violence in families, including child abuse and spouse abuse

6. Goal of Social Welfare
● It is the business of social welfare:
● Counsel individuals and groups experiencing a wide variety of personal and
social difficulties
● Provide services to people with AIDS and to their families and friends
● Provide recreational and leisure time services to all age groups
● Educate and provide socialization experiences to children who have a
cognitive disability or an emotional disorder
● Serve families struck by such physical disaster as fires and tornadoes
● Provide adequate housing for the homeless
● Provide programs that support and enhance the normal growth and
development of all children and adults
● Provide vocational training and employment opportunities to the unskilled
and unemployed
● Meet the special needs of people of color, migrant workers and other
minority groups
● Empower individuals, groups, families, organizations, and communities to
improve their circumstances

7. Social Welfare as an Institution and
as a Discipline
● Social Welfare has different meanings for both institution and an academic discipline.
● NASW defines social welfare as an institution as:
● “A nation’s systems of programs, benefits, and services that helps people meet those
social, economic, educational, and health needs that are fundamental to the
maintenance of society”
● Its purpose is to prevent, alleviate, or contribute to the solution of recognized social
problems in order to directly improve the well-being of individuals, groups, families,
organizations and communities.
Examples of social welfare programs and services are:
● Foster care
● Adoption
● Day Care
● Head Start
● Probation and Parole
● Financial Assistance Programs
● Homeless
● Public Health Nursing
● Sex Therapy
● Suicide Counseling
● Recreational Services: Boys and Girls Club
•Services to Minority Groups
•Services to Veterans
•School Social Services
•Medical
•Legal Services to the Poor
•Family Planning Services
•Nursing Home
•Shelters for Battered Spouses
•Protective Services for Child Abuse
and Neglect
•Public Housing
•Alcoholic Anonymous
•Rehabilitation

8. Social Welfare’s Relationship to
Sociology and to Other Academic
Disciplines
•Sociology: is the study of human social
behavior
•Psychology: is the study of the diagnosis,
treatment and prevention of mental illness
•Psychiatry: is the study of the diagnosis,
treatment, and prevention of mental illness
•Political Science: is the study of processes,
principles and structure of government and of
political institutions
•Economics: is the study of the production,
distribution, and consumption of commodities
•Cultural Anthropology: is the study of human
culture based on archeological, ethnographic,
linguistic, social and psychological data and
methods of analysis

9. Social Welfare’s Relationship
to Social Work
● Social Work has been defined as:
● “Social work is the professional activity of helping
individuals, groups or communities to enhance or
restore their capacity for social functioning and to
create societal conditions favorable to their goals.”
● Social work practice consists of professional
application of social work values, principles and
techniques to one or more of the following ends:
● Helping people obtain tangible services; provide
counseling and psychotherapy for individuals,
families and groups; helping communities or
groups provide or improve social and health
services; and participating in relevant legislative
processes.
● The practice of social work requires knowledge of
human development and behavior; of social,
economic, and cultural institutions; and of the
interaction of all these factors.

10. Social Welfare’s Relationship
to Social Work
● What does it mean to be a Social Worker in the Social
Work Field?
● NASW defines “social worker” as:
● “Graduates of schools of social work, who use their
knowledge and skills to provide social services for clients
(who may be individuals, families, groups, communities,
organizations or society). Social workers help people increase
their capacities for problems solving and coping and help
them obtain needed resources, facilitate interactions between
individuals and between people and their environments, make
organizations responsible to people, and influence social
policies”.

11. Social Welfare’s Relationship to
Human Services
● Human Services may be defined as those systems of services and allied occupations
and professions that concentrate on improving or maintaining the physical and mental
health and general well-being of individuals, groups, or communities in our society.
● According to Alfred Kahn, Human Services is composed of:
● Personal Services
● Protection Services
● Information/Advising Services
● Maintenance Services
● Human Services is a broader terms as it includes: library services, law enforcement,
housing code enforcement, consumer protection, and fire prevention and firefighting
● These services are usually not considered social welfare services.
● Human Services and Social Welfare meets at a program level, where social
welfare focuses on conceptualizing and resolving social problems and human
services focuses social welfare programs.

12. Residual View vs. Institutional View
of Social Welfare
•The social welfare system helps support people preventively-before there is a problem and
responsively when a problem is already present.
•2 approaches in providing services:
•Residual
•This view holds that social welfare services should be provided when an individual’s needs are
not properly met through other societal institutions, primarily the family and the market economy.
•Social services and financial aid should NOT be provided until ALL other measures or efforts
have been exhausted including the individual's and his or her family’s resources.
•Funds and services should be provided on a short-term basis and should be withdrawn when
the individual or the family again becomes capable of being self-sufficient.
•Institutional
•Institutional social welfare services are in place to prevent problems. They are proactive an
provide benefits or services to people before problems arise.
•This views holds that social welfare programs are to be accepted as a proper, legitimate
function of modern industrial society in helping individuals achieve self-fulfillment.
•Associated with this view is the belief that an individual's difficulties are due to causes largely
beyond his or her control. When difficulties arise, causes are sought in the environment and efforts
are focused on improving the social institutions within which the individual functions.

13. Liberalism vs.
Conservatism
● There are two prominent political philosophies in the U.S.:
● Conservatism and Liberalism
● Conservatives emphasize tradition and believe that rapid change usually
results in more negative than positive consequences.
● They generally view individuals as autonomous and that regardless of
what a person’s situation is, or what his or her problems are, each
person is thought to be responsible for his or her own behavior.
● They advocate a residual approach to social welfare programs.
● Liberals believe that change is generally good, as it usually brings progress.
● They advocate government action to remedy social deficiencies and to
improve human welfare. They feel that government regulation and
intervention are often required to safeguard human rights, to control the
excesses of capitalism, and to provide equal chances for success.
● They adhere to an institutional view of social welfare.

14. Developmental View of Social
Welfare
● An alternative to liberalism and conservatism views, Developmental View emerged to appeal to liberals,
conservatives and general public.
● This approach consist of: “process of planned social change designed to promote the well-being of the
population as a whole in conjunction with a dynamic process of economic development”.
● Why does it appeal to:
● Liberals: supports the development and expansion of needed social welfare programs.
● Conservatisms: assets that the development of certain social welfare programs will have a positive impact
on the economy.
● General Public: since most voters oppose to welfarism because they believe it causes economic problems
but by asserting and documenting, certain proposed social welfare programs will directly benefit the
economy.
● Characteristics of Developmental View:
● Advocates social interventions
● The approach towards economic progress is vital component of social progress
● Promotes the active role of the government in economic and social planning
● Direct opposition to the residual approach, which advocates that the government should seek to minimize
its role in the provision of programs
● Integrating economic and social development for the benefit of all members of society.

15. History of Social Welfare
• Today’s social welfare system reflects four centuries of
responses to social needs.
• Several major historical events and trends have
influenced the development of social welfare policy and
systems since the earliest European colonists arrived in
this country.

16. Colonial Period
• First social welfare policy to be widely implemented in this country was an English
system based on the Elizabethan Poor Laws.
• What are the Elizabethan Poor Law and its primary principles?
• The able-bodied poor
• The impotent poor
• Dependent Children
• The poor were categorized as either worthy or unworthy to receive aid.
• The worthy poor included widows, orphans, the elderly, and the people with
disabilities.
• The unworthy poor included able-bodied single adults and unmarried women with
children born out of wedlock.
• Aid for the poor first came from families, and only when the family absolutely
could not provide economic support, did public authorities step in.
• Legal residency in the community was necessary to be eligible for assistance.
• Assistance was temporary and only for emergencies. The ultimate goal was for
each recipient to gain employment or marry someone who was employed.

17. Industrial Revolution
● In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, Industrial Revolution flourished and brought
up two views that has important effects on social welfare.
● Protestant Ethics: emphasized individualism, where “one is master of one’s own
fate”. It focused on hard work and self ambition to acquire material goods.
People were largely judged not on the basis of their personality and other
attributes but on how much wealth they had acquired. “To be poor was thought
to be one’s own moral fault”.
● Laissez-faire economic theory: asserted that the economy and society in
general would best prosper if business and industries were permitted to do
whatever they desired to make a profit. Any government regulation of business
practices was discouraged.
● Together: this caused exploitation of the working class through low pay, long
hours, and child labor.

18. The Great Depression and the
Social Security Act
• The Great Depression was the most significant economic downturn in the U.S. history.
During the Great Depression, the imbalance between supply and demand was so great
that it destroyed social well-being on an immense scale. The scope of problems and social
needs overwhelmed existing state, local and private agencies and programs.
• In 1931, some states began providing unemployment relief to prevent starvation among the
jobless and their families. President Herbet Hoover, believed that only private charity
should meet the needs of the unemployed. He though public relief would demoralize
people and make them permanently dependent on the state and federal governments.
• In 1933, President Franklin Roosevelt took office an proposed temporary emergency
programs to provide paid work for some unemployed workers. It became clear that
situations and events beyond individual control can cause deprivation, misery and poverty
and that the federal government must play a role in providing financial assistance and
social services.
• The Great Depression demonstrated the need for more permanent federal efforts in
dealing with some of the critical problems of unemployment, aging, disability, illness and
dependent children. This resulted in the passing of the 1935 Social Security Act.

19. Social Security Act of 1935
● It is the basis for most of our current public social welfare
programs and federal legislation for the following three major
categories:
● Social Insurance:
● Unemployment Compensation, Old Age Survivor disability and Health
Insurance
● Public Assistance:
● Aid to the Blind
● Aid to the Disabled
● Old Age Assistance
● Aid to Families with Dependent Children (replaced by Temporary
Assistance to Needy Families in 1996)
● Public Health and Welfare Services

20. The Great Society and War on
Poverty
● There was a major push for expansion of social welfare
programs in the 1960s.
● President Lyndon Johnson declared “a War on Poverty” and
sought to create what he called a “Great Society”.
● Funding for existing social welfare programs was sharply
increased and many new programs were created such as
Head Start, Medicare and Medicaid.
● A renewed interest in changing the environment or “the
system” to better meet the needs of clients rather than
enabling clients to better adapt and adjust to their life
situations.

21. Conservatism in the 1970s and
1980s
● No new large scale social welfare programs were initiated due to the Vietnam War,
Watergate, Inflation, Recession, Israeli-Arab conflict, energy crises, political turmoil in Iran,
the Iran-Contra affair, 1991 war against Iraq, political turmoil in Haiti and the large federal
budget deficit.
● These social problems included: dismal living conditions in the inner cities, the AIDS crisis,
homelessness, racial discrimination, crime, prison conditions, family violence, high divorce
rate, overpopulation and the increasing number of people living in poverty.
● 1980, Ronald Reagan was elected president implemented:
● Taxes were sharply cut for both individuals and corporations
● Military expenditures were sharply increased
● Expenditures for social programs were sharply cut-first massive cutback for federal reduction
in social welfare expenditures.
● 1988, George Bush was elected and believed that federal government is not a solution to
social problems but in fact is part of the problem. During his term, he focused on a period
of prosperity that would “trickle down” to the lowest stratum so that everyone would benefit
but it resulted in the gap between the rich and the poor widen, with the poor failing to
benefit from the improved financial circumstances of the rich.

22. A Move toward Liberalism and
Back-1990s
● Bill Clinton was elected in 1992, his views on resolving social problems were
consistent with a moderate liberal orientation. It included a universal health
insurance programs for all Americans. However, this move was short lived and
resulted in the Republicans passing legislation shifting its spending from crime
prevention to prison construction and abolishing AFDC.
● Although AFDC ended, 1996 welfare reform legislation created Temporary
Assistance to Needy Families.
● Each state sets its own eligibility rules and amounts for financial assistance. The federal
government provides block grants to states to assist in financing the programs that are
developed.
● Recipients of financial benefits receive no more than 2 years of assistance without
working and there is a 5 years lifetime limit of benefits for adults.
● As a result, The Devolution Revolution emerged.
● Devolution Revolution refers to the fact that decisions about the provision of key
social welfare programs are being transferred from the federal government to the
state level.

23. Compassionate
Conservatism
● George W. Bush was elected in 2000. His slogan was
“compassionate conservatism”
● He was a loyal opponent of women’s right to choose abortion.
● He opposed to passing legislation to legalize gay marriages.
● He supported increased Federal spending for education
programs for low income school districts and children with
disabilities.
● Pell grants to help poor students attend college and private-
school voucher programs
● However, during his administration, U.S were involved in 2
wars: Iraq and Afganistan, mortgage crisis, and financial crisis
of large financial institutions.

24. Barack Obama-Will Change
Come?
● Elected in 2008, he sought changes to improve social
welfare and making Iraq and Afghanistan a high priority.
● Obama is a supporter of a woman’s right to choose to have
an abortion. He believes same-sex couples should be able
to enter into civil unions with all the legal benefits of
marriage but believes marriage should refer to the union of
a man and a woman. He is requiring employers to offer
health insurance or contribute to a public plan.
● Recently, the capture and death of Osama Bin Laden was
a great and significant defeat for the U.S.

25. Where do we stand today?
● Among industrialized nations, we rank very low in the
percentage of gross national product spent on social
welfare programs.
● Sweden spends over twice as much as the U.S.
● We still need to address:
● What new services and programs should be developed to
combat the worldwide AIDS crisis?
● What new programs should be developed for the
homeless?
● Page 19