Ask 15-20 people to define the term “social welfare”.
Ask them to list five social welfare programs.
Take the answers from 1 & 2 and write a 2-3 page paper comparing
them to a bunch of other readings. (Ok, I paraphrased that last one.)
PleasepleasepleasePLEASE don’t turn this into a debate so that it gets
moved to GD. I know this is a hot-button topic, but I just need some
short, concise answers to compare and contrast to some classroom
stuff. I would like to start a debate on it in GD and I will after my
assignment is complete. For right now, though, try to keep it opinion-like and
un-debate-like, ok?
Social Welfare is a body of programs by the government that try to make sure the citizenry does not starve or die unnecessarily.
Food Stamps
WIC
Unemployment insurance
Worker’s compensation
Social security
Since we are being asked to bechique’s homework, not dochique’s homework, I’m going to allow this one.
As has already been requested, please give your own answer without debating someone else’s answer.
Thank you.
Social welfare in America is a piss poor “safety net” to keep the poor from starving, while at the same time KEEPING them poor by trapping them in a system that punishes those who want to get off of welfare for good. I am thoroughly convinced that there is not a politician alive, Democrat or Republican, that truly wants to see the poor improve their status. They are easier to control when they have no power and no money. The stigma that those on welfare are “tainted” with keep them from speaking out, too.
Here in WV, we have:
WV Works: for people with minor children only. You either work and/or go to school. Last I heard a family of 3 gets food stamps, $340(?) a month and a medical card. It used to be about $550 before the Legislature slashed it last summer.
WIC
CHIPS: some kind of state medical insurance program for children of people who work but make too much money to be on actual welfare
Social Security Disability: you pay into a fund that will supposedly be there for you if you ever become disabled. You get sick, you go beg the government for your piece of the pie. If you’re damn lucky, you’ll get it. If you’re not considered sick enough, you’re pretty much left to fend for yourself.
Social welfare… programs that purport to assure the health and well-being of people who cannot afford to do so on their own, as well as the families of the same.
“Social welfare” is the well-being of the community.
“Social welfare programs” are what the government does to ensure that well-being. Usually both Sw and Swp are used to refer to those Sw programs that deal with the most limited and basic parts of well-being (the primary needs: food, shelter, healthcare).
By the bigger definition, 5 programs would be:
*food stamps,
*government subsidized housing,
*public schools,
*fellowships,
*job-seeker’s assistance
By the narrower definition,
*food stamps,
*government subsidized housing,
*unemployment subsidies,
*medicare,
*free food at school for students who can’t pay for it
I’m not sure if you want US only answers, or if responses from other parts of the world are interesting, but here’s one from a country where “welfare state” is a positive word
“Social welfare” is a security net which ensures (or is supposed to ensure) that all people in a country have a minimum of decent living conditions. Exactly what “decent living conditions” is, would of course depend on what the society can and chooses to afford, but at a minimum it should include whatever needed to stay alive and reasonably healthy.
Five social welfare programs (which exist in Norway):
“Sosialhjelp” (“social help”): If you’ve no money and no other source of income, you’ll get enough to barely get by through this program
Health care. Free for children under 7 and prenatal care, usually has pay symbolic part of cost for treatment for older children and grown ups.
Education. A right to 10 years free education + 2-3 years mostly free (need to pay for books but not tutition)
“Minstepensjon” (“Minimum old age pension”). If you haven’t contributed to a pension fund by working, you get a minimum old age pension.
“Barnetrygd” (“children” um, not sure how to translate “trygd”, “contribution” perhaps). Parents get a monthly cash contribution for each child under 16 (I think). Nowhere near enough to cover the cost of raising a child, but can be a significant help for low income families.
Social Welfare is a program set up by a large organization- often governments but also churches and benevolent societies- that seeks to provide members of it’s community with basic neccessities if they cannot afford them and raise the general quality of life.
Examples include:
Food banks
Subsidized housing
Government subidized or run healthcare systems
Homeless shelters
Child protective services
Social welfare is the well-being of the people in society, summed up in some manner (through a social welfare function). The amount of social welfare is nebulous because there is no real way to specifically define the most appropriate social welfare function. Well, at least I don’t know if there is any real way to do so.
That is hard to answer. There are programs that are called “welfare” programs, such as AFDC (Aid to Families w/ Dependent Children) and unemployment. There is Social Security, medicare & medicaid. And there are are laws, such as minimum wage laws. Additionally, there are regulatory rules and organizations to deal with them, such as health departments and whatnot. I think that many of those are intended to raise societal welfare.
“Socual welfare” is an umbrella term used to describe the overall well-being of a community. Social welfare programs are those which are intended to provide a minimum level of basic needs.
Traditional social welfare programs include
Social Security
Medicare
Medicaid
Unemployment insurance
School lunch programs
Aid for Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) which has morphed into Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
Some other less-known social welfare programs include
Subsidized housing
Health screenings
Community mental health programs
Family services/child protection
Foster care
Juvenile/Family courts and rehabilitation services
Social welfare is a Government ‘safety net’ to provide people in difficulty with essentials. It is more popular in left-wing countries.
Examples from the UK:
National Health Service (free health care for all)
State Education (free education)
State Pension (paid to all at retirement age)
Social Security (paid to unemployed people)
Income Support (supplements for low income people with dependants)
Social welfare: the set of ongoing programs and resources that serve as Band-Aids™ for the injuries and insufficiencies of the system, which tends to generate victims; also, the activity and/or purpose of those programs, or those programs in action; or, the general attempt to render such services, as a political or administrative policy initiative.
I’ll let you know at the end.