"Social welfare is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter."
This topic explores the ways in which social welfare policy can either exacerbate or alleviate social and economic inequality, as well as the factors that influence policy outcomes.
Social welfare: It refers to programs and policies designed to provide financial, healthcare, and other assistance to individuals and families in need.
Inequality: It refers to the unequal distribution of resources and access to opportunities, such as income, education, and healthcare, among different groups in society.
Poverty: It refers to a lack of basic resources and necessities, such as food, shelter, and clothing, that affects one's ability to live a decent life.
Social justice: It refers to the fair and equitable distribution of resources, opportunities, and privileges among individuals and groups in society.
Public policy: It refers to the decisions and actions taken by government bodies and officials to address social problems and promote the general welfare.
Fiscal policy: It refers to the government's use of taxes and spending to influence economic activity and address social problems.
Political ideology: It refers to a particular set of beliefs and values about the role of government in society and the distribution of resources and opportunities.
Social security: It refers to the public program that provides financial assistance and healthcare services to senior citizens, disabled individuals, and low-income families.
Healthcare reform: It refers to the effort to improve access and affordability of healthcare services through various policy interventions, such as the Affordable Care Act.
Education policy: It refers to the government's efforts to promote educational opportunities and improve the quality of education for all students, regardless of socio-economic background.
Welfare state: It refers to a political system in which the government provides a comprehensive set of social services and benefits to its citizens, such as healthcare, education, and housing.
Homelessness: It refers to the condition of living without a permanent and stable place of residence, often due to economic hardship and social isolation.
Child welfare: It refers to the set of programs and policies designed to protect the welfare and well-being of children who are at risk of abuse, neglect, or exploitation.
Racial and ethnic inequality: It refers to the systemic and structural forms of discriminations and disparities that affect individuals and communities based on their race or ethnicity.
Gender inequality: It refers to the unequal treatment and opportunities experienced by people based on their gender or sexual orientation.
Disability rights: It refers to the policies and laws that protect the rights and promote the inclusion of individuals with disabilities in society.
Aging population: It refers to the demographic trend of increasing numbers of older adults in the population, which presents new challenges and opportunities for social welfare policy and service delivery.
Immigrant rights: It refers to the efforts to protect the legal rights and promote the well-being of immigrants and refugees, who often face social, economic, and political challenges in the host country.
Environmental justice: It refers to the movement to address the unequal distribution of environmental hazards and health risks, such as pollution and climate change, among different groups in society.
Advocacy and lobbying: It refers to the efforts to influence policy decisions and allocate resources through mobilizing public opinion and engaging with policymakers and government officials.
Income Assistance Programs: These programs provide financial support to eligible individuals, families, and households experiencing economic hardship.
Aging and Disability Services: These services support older adults and individuals with disabilities to live independently and with dignity.
Child Welfare: The services under this category aim to improve the wellbeing of children by ensuring they are protected from abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
Education Services: This category includes federal and state-funded programs that aim to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged students.
Health Services: This category includes public health insurance programs, such as Medicaid and Medicare, that provide affordable health care to low-income individuals and seniors.
Housing Assistance: This type of policy aims to provide affordable and safe housing to low-income individuals, families, and households.
Nutrition Assistance: These are programs providing assistance in accessing healthy and nutritious food for low-income individuals and families.
Employment and Training Services: These services focus on providing employment and training opportunities to individuals with low incomes or limited job skills.
Criminal Justice Services: These programs focus on reducing recidivism rates and promoting rehabilitation and re-entry for inmates and ex-offenders.
Immigration Services: These services aim to provide assistance to eligible individuals to gain legal status or integrate into their new communities.
"Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specifically to social insurance programs which provide support only to those who have previously contributed, as opposed to social assistance programs which provide support on the basis of need alone."
"The International Labour Organization defines social security as covering support for those in old age, support for the maintenance of children, medical treatment, parental and sick leave, unemployment and disability benefits, and support for sufferers of occupational injury."
"Welfare may also encompass efforts to provide a basic level of well-being through subsidized social services such as healthcare, education, infrastructure, vocational training, and public housing."
"Some historians view systems of codified almsgiving, like the zakat policy of the seventh century Rashidun caliph Umar, as early examples of universal government welfare."
"The first welfare state was Imperial Germany (1871–1918), where the Bismarck government introduced social security in 1889."
"The United Kingdom introduced social security around 1913, and adopted the welfare state with the National Insurance Act 1946, during the Attlee government (1945–51)."
"In the countries of western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, social welfare is mainly provided by the government out of the national tax revenues, and to a lesser extent by non-government organizations (NGOs), and charities (social and religious)."
"A right to social security and an adequate standard of living is asserted in Articles 22 and 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights."
"Support for those in old age, support for the maintenance of children, medical treatment, parental and sick leave, unemployment and disability benefits, and support for sufferers of occupational injury."
"In a welfare state, the state assumes responsibility for the health, education, infrastructure, and welfare of society, providing a range of social services such as those described."
"Social assistance programs provide support on the basis of need alone, as opposed to social insurance programs which provide support only to those who have previously contributed."
"Efforts to provide a basic level of well-being through subsidized social services such as healthcare, education, infrastructure, vocational training, and public housing."
"The Bismarck government introduced social security in 1889."
"The United Kingdom introduced social security around 1913."
"Social welfare is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter."
"Social welfare is mainly provided by the government out of the national tax revenues, and to a lesser extent by non-government organizations and charities."
"Welfare may also encompass efforts to provide a basic level of well-being through subsidized social services such as healthcare, education, infrastructure, vocational training, and public housing."
"Social assistance programs provide support on the basis of need alone."
"Social security may either be synonymous with welfare or refer specifically to social insurance programs."