Chapter Two What is social policy?
Abstract
This chapter looks at the term ‘social policy’ and asks a good many questions about it. It considers various definitions of associated concepts and categorised labels: social administration, social services, social welfare, social security, welfare states, and so forth. It determines the need to study social policy at all or, for that matter, society’s response as it identifies or fails to identify social needs and problems. It tries to determine whether it is concerned with principles and objectives about certain areas of social life and organisation or with social engineering, that is, with methods and techniques of action, management, organisation, and the application of games theory. It opines that whatever answers are arrived at, it cannot fail to become heavily involved in the issues of moral and political values. It notes that political propaganda frequently masquerades under social policy labels.
Abstract
This chapter looks at the term ‘social policy’ and asks a good many questions about it. It considers various definitions of associated concepts and categorised labels: social administration, social services, social welfare, social security, welfare states, and so forth. It determines the need to study social policy at all or, for that matter, society’s response as it identifies or fails to identify social needs and problems. It tries to determine whether it is concerned with principles and objectives about certain areas of social life and organisation or with social engineering, that is, with methods and techniques of action, management, organisation, and the application of games theory. It opines that whatever answers are arrived at, it cannot fail to become heavily involved in the issues of moral and political values. It notes that political propaganda frequently masquerades under social policy labels.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Contents III
- Sources of extracts V
- Introduction 1
-
The family, poverty and population
- The nation’s wealth 17
- The summation of poverty 23
- A measurement of human progress 25
- The position of women 31
-
The ‘welfare state’
- The welfare state: Images and realities 49
- The social division of welfare: Some reflections on the search for equity 59
- War and social policy 71
- Unfinished business 81
-
Redistribution, universality and inequality
- The role of redistribution in social policy 103
- Welfare state and welfare society 113
- Social welfare and the art of giving 125
-
Power, policy and privilege
- The irresponsible society 141
- The need for a new approach 159
-
International and comparative dimensions
- The international perspective 175
- Developing social policy in conditions of rapid change: The role of social welfare 185
-
The subject of social policy
- The subject of social administration 199
- What is social policy? 209
- Values and choices 215
- Bibliography 219
- Index 239
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Contents III
- Sources of extracts V
- Introduction 1
-
The family, poverty and population
- The nation’s wealth 17
- The summation of poverty 23
- A measurement of human progress 25
- The position of women 31
-
The ‘welfare state’
- The welfare state: Images and realities 49
- The social division of welfare: Some reflections on the search for equity 59
- War and social policy 71
- Unfinished business 81
-
Redistribution, universality and inequality
- The role of redistribution in social policy 103
- Welfare state and welfare society 113
- Social welfare and the art of giving 125
-
Power, policy and privilege
- The irresponsible society 141
- The need for a new approach 159
-
International and comparative dimensions
- The international perspective 175
- Developing social policy in conditions of rapid change: The role of social welfare 185
-
The subject of social policy
- The subject of social administration 199
- What is social policy? 209
- Values and choices 215
- Bibliography 219
- Index 239
