Social_Policy

1. What is meant by the term ‘the welfare state’ today in contemporary Britain' The term “welfare state” today in contemporary Britain entails three principal elements. These are: Guaranteed minimum standards, for example the implementation of minimum wage, as at October 2010 it is set at £5. 93/hr. Secondly the state offers social protection in the form of health and safety laws and the provision of services on the basis of individual rights. Generally the term welfare state refers to the provisions made by a state intended to protect its citizens from social problems – principally ill health, unemployment, poor housing and lack of access to education. Welfare provision is characterised, in Fulcher and Scott’s view (1999/2003), by a varying amount of compromise between two polarised viewpoints: the market model, where citizens purchase healthcare, education and the like privately, against the welfare-state model, where the state fulfils welfare needs. Supporters of the market model believe that state welfare “is excessively bureaucratic and therefore inefficient” (Taylor et al, 1995/2005: 155). Because we so often talk about 'the welfare state', it is easy to forget that there are other agencies beside the state which provide welfare. This situation has been described as 'welfare pluralism'. There are private-sector providers in the shape of private schools and medical services and there has also been a greater emphasis on the voluntary sector in recent years. The move away from institutional care which was often criticized for being bureaucratic and unresponsive has also been fuelled by the policy of care in the community', though there is a question-mark over who exactly in the community provides such care. 2. What are the essential characteristics of ONE of the following models: i) ‘liberal’ welfare states (ii) ‘conservative’ welfare states iii) ‘social democratic’ welfare states' Largely as a result of such pressures the Liberal government of 1906 introduced a number of important measures which have been seen as the beginnings of the modern welfare state. These included the first school meals (1906) and school medical inspections (1907). Old age pensions were introduced in 1908 for those over 70, providing the first alternative to the hated workhouse for elderly people without incomes. The National Insurance scheme was introduced in 1911, providing health insurance for most workers (though not for their families) and unemployment benefits for workers in industries with a high risk of unemployment. Example of liberal welfare states can be found in Canada, USA and Australia. One of the essential characteristics of such model of welfare states include the rights of the citizenry is primarily attached to the individuals class and status within the society. It is a model designed to promote individualism rather than seeking and achieving a high level of social equality as compared to the social democratic reform seen in countries such as Sweden, Norway and Denmark. A liberal welfare state is also characterised by the differential state regulations, often with recipients having needs that extends to beyond the income maintenance. It is a model that often fails to keep the people above the poverty line. These elements found within the liberal system make it hostile to the poor but favours the rich who can afford for example private health care insurance or private schools for their children. 3. Which social movements have been most important in the making of the British welfare state' Social democratic movement have been most important in the making of the British welfare state based on the belief that a certain degree of collective welfare provision, organised by the state, is essential to make conform the more unwanted features of a capitalist free market economy. These features include unemployment and low wages. Social democratic theories support gradual and piecemeal social reform rather than revolutionary or radical social change. A good example of this type of movement is the work of William Beveridge whose ideas provided the framework of the modern welfare state. Social democratic theories vary in detail but share a number of general assumptions. Capitalism is not self-regulating. Unlike market liberals, social democrats do not see market forces alone allowing the economic system to run smoothly. Some element of state intervention is necessary to eliminate problems such as unemployment and poverty. Capitalism is wasteful and inefficient. Problems such as unemployment mean that resources such as labour are wasted. Also some needs are not dealt with adequately by market forces, for example care of the disabled and elderly and support for those in poverty, since these are not profitable to private enterprise. Economic development under capitalism does not automatically lead to the abolition of poverty and injustice. If growing wealth in society is not redistributed, it may leave certain groups in poverty and widen social divisions. Unrestrained capitalism leads to conditions which threaten social stability. A stable society requires loyal citizens. This loyalty can only exist if the state is seen to care for their welfare. T.H. Marshall (1963) emphasised the importance of the development of what he called 'citizenship rights', for example the right to social security and health care. He argued that the universal provision of such rights would help to encourage individuals to feel a sense of citizenship and loyalty to the state. He believed that a welfare state providing benefits for all would help to reduce the conflicts created by social inequality. Marshall's views echo functionalist sociologists' assumptions about the need for consensus and equilibrium in society. 4. What was distinctive about the ‘classic welfare state’ in Britain from the 1940s to the 1970s' From the 1940s to the 1970s significant measures in the welfare were put in place in Britain. Some of these include the National Insurance Act of 1946. It was “the core of the Beveridge report: state-run insurance, paid for by employers, employees and the general taxpayer, from cradle to grave” (Timmins, 1995: 135). Following Keynesian ideas of state intervention in labour markets to ensure full employment, Beveridge’s initiatives “argued along the grain of current thinking” (Timmins, 1995: 38) and were massively popular. The report also contained radical proposals for extending healthcare, education and improved housing to the populace – including the creation of the NHS via the National Health Act of 1948. His theories were “based on patriarchal assumptions” (Fulcher and Scott, 1999/2003: 834) of a male breadwinner and a female child carer, and have attracted criticisms from feminist thinkers. Equally Marxist critiques of the welfare state have argued that state welfare provision is an attempt by the ruling classes to manipulate the working class – maintaining an army of reserve labour to serve capitalist goals (Taylor et al, 1995/2005). Another distinctive measure came with the election of Thatcher’s 1979 which propagated “significant changes in the provisions of general welfare provided by the State” (Bilton et al, 1981/1996:183). During eleven years in office, Thatcher aggressively reduced the size of the welfare state. Successfully combining neo-conservative rhetoric (advocating a return to Victorian values) with neo-liberalist policies (reducing state welfare provision), the professed aim of her policies was to reduce state expenditure and state interference in citizen’s lives - although the reality of her agenda required the state to continue playing a large role in public life. Her efforts meant the 1980s saw “a rapid increase in the level of inequality” (Taylor et al, 1999/2003: 666) in Britain. Bibliography Bilton, T, Bonnett, K, Jones, P, Skinner, D, Stanworth, M and Webster, A, “Introductory Sociology”, Basingstoke: Macmillan, 1981/1996 Fulcher, J and Scott, J, “Sociology”, Oxford: Oxford University, 1999/2003 Taylor, P, Richardson, J, Yeo, A, Marsh, I, Trobe, K and Pilkington, A, “Sociology in Focus”, Ormskirk: Causeway, 1995/2005 Timmins, N, “The Five Giants: a Biography of the Welfare State”, London: HarperCollins, 1995