3.Social Welfare: The Field - the study and implementation of strategies designed to alleviate human

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Chapter 1 Social Welfare The underlying values of social welfare are: compassion, collective responsibility, and a belief in social equality Social Welfare - is the “social safety net” that helps to make Canada one of the world's most successful countries.Social welfare shapes our quality of life, our interactions with each other, and the way we cope with life's changes Social Welfare - Defined 1.Social Welfare: The Concept - social welfare refers to a society's vision of well-being, health, happiness, and prosperity - for its people 2.Social Welfare: The System - is comprised of policies and programs designed to help individuals, families, and communities meet their basic needs 3.Social Welfare: The Field - the study and implementation of strategies designed to alleviate human suffering, present social problems, and improve the quality of life of disadvantaged groups Industrialization, urbanization, and immigration led to “modern” problems like unemployment, poverty and family breakdown. From this historical context our current notion of social welfare shifted with the understanding that “problems” were not the fault of any one individual or group. People began to treat the vulnerable members of society with more fairness, respect, and compassion, and to take responsibility for one another. Social welfare with its emphasis on collective responsibility replaced the term charity.Compassion and collective responsibility, and a fundamental belief in the social equality of all people are core Canadian values.The Scope and Purpose of the Social Welfare System Scope - Canada’s social welfare system is limited to the members of society who require some assistance in meeting their basic needs Determination of “in need” -Must measure social well-being -Identify which human needs the social welfare system will address -Identify how those needs will be met Measuring Social Well-Being Subjective View - how well a society is doing is open to interpretation and is shaped by people’s values, cultural norms, and beliefs about wellness and such constructs as “healthy lifestyles”.Objective View - the welfare of a society or social well-being is objectively gauged through the use of statistical tools and measures Indicators of Well-Being (IWC) - a measurement framework designed to provide a national and comprehensive picture of the well-being of canadians. The IWC recognizes ten broad domains and three types of indicators to measure the characteristics and changes in the well-being of Canadians. 2 / 3

Well-Being of Canadians - The IWC indicates that the wellbeing of Caandians is declining -The IWC was introduced by the federal government in 2007.-The 10 broad domains of individual and social well-being: learning, work, financial security, environment, security (safety), health, leisure, social participation, family life, and housing.-The 3 indicators are status, life events and key influences.-Irrespective of economic decline and recovery, the IWC indicates that the well-being of most Canadians has continued to decline (2010).The Primary Functions of the Social Welfare System Primary Function - the primary function of Canada’s social welfare system is to attempt to identify and meet the basic human needs.Well Functioning Society - its members have physical, social, psychological, financial, and material health Human Need - a necessary condition or requirement of human development that if not met will result in harm (physical, psychological, or social harm) Identifying Human Needs Human Needs - Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs outlines the range of human needs Original Theory - Maslow first believed human needs must be met in sequence (lowest to highest) Current Theory - accepts that needs do not have to be met in any fixed order Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs 1.Psychological - hunger, thirst, sex, sleep, rest, exercise, elimination, pain avoidance and oxygen consumption 2.Safety - shelter, protection from immediate or future threat to psychological or economic well-being 3.Social - love and affection, friendships, association with others and affiliation 4.Self-Esteem - self-confidence, independence, achievement, competence, knowledge, status, personal recognition and affiliation 5.Self-Actualization - realizing one's own potential, carrying out self development activities, behaving creatively, having a problem-centered orientation to life, identifying with the problems of humanity and accepting self and others Maslow’s Hierarchy illustrates the different levels of human needs as identified: Basic needs appear at the bottom of the pyramid , with higher-order needs listed successively up the hierarchy. Social welfare attempts to minimally meet basic human needs.Meeting Human Needs Individual Role - culturally, canadian individuals are considered responsible for meeting their own basic needs (for food, shelter, safety and, affection) Government's Role - governments intervene through a range of social welfare programs when people fail to meet their own needs adequately through traditional means.Government programs aim to -provide the basic necessities (for people who cannot)

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