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Social welfare Is based upon the premise that In an Ideal place, all people are treated with respect and dignity, and that; for a community to be responsive, It needs to be a place where members are valued for who they are and what they can offer the community. The goal of social welfare Is to fulfill the social, financial, health and recreational needs of all Individuals In a society. Social welfare seeks to enhance the social functioning of all age groups, both rich and poor.
When other institutions in our society such as family and market economy fails, at times, to meet the basic deeds of individuals, or groups of people, then social welfare is needed and demanded. Richard Times argued that social welfare is much more than aid to the poor, and in fact, represents a broader system of support to the middle and upper class. It is the business of social welfare to: Find homes for apparentness children. Rehabilitate people who are addicted to alcohol.
Make life more meaningful to older adults Provide vocational rehabilitation for persons with physical and mental dillydally Meet flannel needs of the poor Rehabilitate Juveniles and adults who have committed criminal offense End all hypes of discrimination and oppression Counteract violence in family including child abuse Provide services to people with WAITS and to their families and friends Counsel individuals and groups experiencing a variety of personal and social difficulties Serve families struck by physical disasters such as fire, hurricanes Provide housing for the homeless When a society strives for community betterment by developing methods and programs to promote social Justice and address social needs, this effort Is referred to as social welfare. However, the [perceptions of social welfare vary and there are several definitions of social welfare. Times, 1995, defines social welfare as: 1.
The assignment of claims from one set of people who are said to produce or earn the national product to another set of people who may merit compassion and charity but not economic rewards for productive service. 2. Collective interventions to meet certain needs of individuals and to serve the wider interest of society Other available definitions include: 3. A system of social services and institutions designed to aid individuals and groups o attain satisfying standards of life, health and personal social relationships which permit them to develop their full capacities and promote their well being In harmony with the needs of the families and community (Friendlier,1 995, P. 140) 4. A subject of social policy which may be defined as the formal and consistent ordering of affairs (Gagger & Stores, 2010, P. 3) 5.
A nations system of programs, benefits, and services that help people meet those social, economic, education and health needs that are encompasses people health, economic condition, happiness and quality of life. (Seal &Brzuzy,1998, P. ) 7. Society’s organized way to provide for the persistent needs of all people for health, education, socio-economic support, personal rights and political freedom. Mamma 1995, P. 6) Own definition of social welfare The common themes in the definition above are: 1. Social welfare includes a variety of programs and services that benefit a target group. 2. Beneficiaries are not able to meet their basic needs on their own and so qualify for charity 3.
Social welfare involves a system of programs designed to meet the needs of a people socio-economically and social well-being 4. End result of social lifer is to improve well-being of individuals/groups or organizations Therefore, according to me, social welfare refers to a variety of systems, programs and services designed and provided by a society, either on its own or in partnership with other institutions, to meet the specific needs of individual members, groups or communities to ensure a life of dignity for all its members and development of capacities for productive services. Definitions of other relevant terms Social services: Services delivered by social welfare agencies. May include individual services or institutional services e. Income projects, housing projects Welfare: Refers to the provision of minimal level of well-being and social support for all citizens, sometimes referred to as public aid. In developed countries, welfare is largely provided by the government and to a lesser extent, charities, informal groups, religious groups and intergovernmental organizations. Social Justice: Refers to ideal conditions in which all members of a society have the same basic rights, protection, opportunities, obligations and social benefit Social welfare policy: A designed framework, sometimes legislated, that offers a remark on how social welfare is provided by the government.
Human services: Refers to welfare programs administered by the federal government and by non-profit and for-profit agencies The residual concept asserts that people should take care of themselves and rely on charity from the government or non-governmental agencies for support only in times of crisis or emergencies. Characteristics of residual social welfare 1. In residual welfare, people are not considered eligible for help until all of their won private resources, which include family wealth and inheritance, help from church, friends, employers and so no, have been exploited. 2. Social services are only welfare one must prove their inability to provide for themselves and their families and this must be documented 4.
Beneficiaries are routinely rectified for continued eligibility every few months to determine that they are still unable to meet their needs Residual welfare is mostly carried out by governments using tax funds. It is criticized for being too rigid. Critics say it can create a barrier for those who seek assistance due to the numerous eligibility criteria, which often causes clients to produce a variety of supporting documents and cause clients to forgo assistance even when the need is persistent due to the routine recertification processes. Beneficiaries in residual programs also carry stigma as they are often regarded as failures, labeled lazy, lacking in morals and dishonest and are often accused of making bad decisions and of needing constant monitoring because of their untrustworthiness.