2. What values does a welfare state seek to maximize? Explain what elements of the welfare state are present in either Hong Kong or China and which ones are missing.
Introduction
The term “welfare state” is developed in the 1930s and has been regarded as the opposite meaning of warfare at that time. The concept is interpreted in various ways in different countries due to cultural and socio-economic differences and different historical development (Esping-Andersen, 2013). A welfare state, generally speaking, refers to a state where the society takes responsibility for providing comprehensive welfare like social and economic security to its population (Spiker, 2014). Despites different interpretations of welfare state over time and across countries, the essential values that a welfare state seeks to pursue are expected to remain consistent. This paper aims at identifying values that a welfare state seeks to maximize through literature review. Furthermore, the paper will also review the historical development of welfare system in Hong Kong and find possible similarities between Hong Kong and a welfare state.
Definition and Values of the Welfare State
Asa Briggs (1961) defined the welfare
…show more content…
Hong Kong people have valued the equality in opportunities very much as it is essentially important to those who are from lower-class families and weaker socio-economic background to succeed. The Equal Opportunities Commission in Hong Kong has played an important role promote social opportunities. The major approaches that have been adopted by the government to promote equal opportunities are reducing and eliminating discriminations and providing a range of universal statutory social services to its citizens. While in the contexts of welfare state, there is an emphasis on the role of welfare distribution in promoting equal social
The United States is often referred to as a ‘reluctant welfare state.’ There are various reasons for this description. One of the primary reasons for this is the differences and diversity of the political parties which are the motivating forces that control government. The Liberal Party, for instance supports government safety nets and social service programs for those in need. “Liberals believe in government action to achieve equal opportunity and equality for all.” ("Studentnews," 2006) They believe it is the responsibility of government to ensure that the needs of all citizens are met, and to intervene to solve problems. The responsibility of government is to alleviate social ills, to protect civil liberties and sustain individual
The idea of the welfare state can mean something different in each and every country. There is an ideal model of the welfare state which is where society accepts the responsibility for things such as the ground work and the provision of wide ranging and
If you were asked are you against or for the Canadian Welfare State, what would you answer? Prior to all of the research that I have constructed for this assignment, I had little knowledge about the Canadian Welfare State. There is a lot of criticism and support from those who are against and for the Canadian Welfare State, but what exactly is it? Before coming up with my opinion I had to get to know the Welfare State, its history, and the advantages and disadvantages of it.
In conclusion the Welfare State was created on the principle that the state accepted a responsibility to protect and promote the welfare of all citizens. It must be noted that the system was designed to provide a national minimum, not reduce inequalities. I have looked in detail at all aspects to combat the “five giants “and the popular support when the Beveridge report was introduced. I have also looked at flaws in the system, however the cornerstone of the Beveridgian welfare system, was left almost untouched until the 1980’s.
The topic of this paper is to shed light on the issue of welfare. The original purpose and intent for social welfare was to temporarily ease the plight of the poor at no cost to the middle and upper class. Overtime, it has become a burden America’s taxpayers have had to unrightfully carry. Welfare has been reformed in the past, but many still believe it is a failing program. Citizens and non citizens are both taking advantage of the program that was intended to help. Even after multiple reformations, this program continues to fall back into the same issues repeatedly. Taking care of the poor was not intended to be the role of the government. Biblically, that job has been delegated to the church. Social welfare is giving the government more
The analytical findings of Brady, D.( 2009, p.81) stated that “As countries devote a larger share of their economy to welfare, poverty declines steeply.” This happened to Scandinavia, Finland, and Sweden, and European continental countries like Netherlands and Belgium. USA was identified to have high poverty and low welfare expenses. He also made clear that poverty is not necessarily increased by higher welfare generosity.(p.84) and further says that it benefits all rather than just “the elderly or men” (p.87). The 5 features of welfare state were historically proven to reduce poverty through greater generosity with (1) social welfare expenditures, (2) expenditures for public health, (3) social security, (4) government expenditures, and (5) “decommodification” (p.91). Brady, D. (p.92) also contends that public employment is less effective than welfare state generosity as a
All welfare states provide direct state assistance to the poor in cash e.g., social assistance and in kind such as housing and social services. " Welfare States embrace government activity in the field of poverty relief, education, individual retirement, housing, and health care"(SEE BIBL. Barr & Whynes 1993). Also, the welfare state created in 1942 Beveridge Report spelled out a system of social insurance, covering every citizen regardless of income. Lastly, the welfare state has achieved its goals of the country by providing services in the field of education, that by provide schools and libraries. Then, in the field if health, by provide hospitals and medical staff that help patients and present the awareness of health care. Finally, housing, the provision of services concerning housing and living which is suitable for all
The great problem with the welfare state lies in the fact that it inherently makes one subordinate to the state and dependent upon the provision of benefits from the government in order to survive. This forces recipients of welfare programs to believe that the state will always be there to provide for them, regardless of the circumstances, and requires that they submit themselves to the specific mandates of the government in order to get what they desire. The poor who live under the welfare state consequently find themselves forced to rely upon others, unable to live independently and void of the incentive to work. Individuals feel that they no longer need to take responsibility for themselves and their own lives, instead understanding and internalizing the notion that the welfare state will always be there to provide for them. This has three stark moral issues associated with it. The first is that the welfare state may not always be capable of consistently filling the needs of the people it purports to serve, as limitations on resources may at some point kick in. This thereby creates a false sense of expectations that may hurt recipients at a later point. Secondly, it creates a mindset that we have the right to what others have produced. Once adopted by the state, this approach is reinforced in the people. This is harmful because it extends the notion that one group is obliged to receive benefits from another, which alters the very nature of freedom from voluntary exchanges to mutual benefit both parties to a sense of “I’m entitled to this.” Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, by stirring among the poor the sense that the government will always provide for them, it in turn creates a cycle of dependency out of which it is difficult, if not impossible, to break free. Even more, it can become impossible to see the means of breaking out,
In David Langille’s Follow the Money: How Business and Politics Define Our Health, Langille clearly outlines the history of the welfare state in Canada with regards to the development, the dissimilarities with the United States and the deliverance of democracy. Historically, the welfare state originates after the Industrial Revolution, maintaining tensions between the democratic government and the capitalist marketplace. The adoption of a welfare state grant foundations for business, assures funding, and implements bailouts and subsidies. According to the text the welfare state also raises qualifications and decreases expectations in the labor force. The welfare state in Canada differs vastly from the United States. For example, the United
For a country to be fully developed and progressive, its objective should be to accommodate and provide the structure to support the needs of its population and also manage the prosperity and happiness of its society. Thus, our nation needs the assistance from the welfare state in order to maintain the stability and structure for the people who are in financial need of it the most.
Since the dawn of the United States, our nation’s government has committed to helping its people to advance society and its general welfare. As early as 1785, America’s federal government reserved lands in the Articles of Confederation that would be set aside for the placement of schools and other establishments for the public domain. In 1789 the federal government acquired the responsibility of providing pensions to disabled veterans of the Revolutionary War. Later that year the earliest form of health insurance was established to protect merchant seamen. Since then welfare has evolved into a vast network of economic relief for those in need. Welfare’s evolution is greatly attributed to the many economic
The theory is based on the assumption that people view welfare policies from a moral point. The theory is largely informed by the belief that permissive welfare policies invite personal irresponsibility while paternalistic welfare policies would better achieve moral uplift and help the poor people on the society (Soss et al., 381). The study found out that welfare policies have indeed been influenced by morality politics and problem solving as evidenced by the TANF resolution in regards to two parent families being crucial to receiving welfare. The policies were in response to the moral illegitimacy of unmarried women benefiting from welfare while they kept on having children. The policies thus sought to discourage this illegitimacy and hence the restrictive policy choices adopted by states in the aftermath of
The Welfare system can be divided into two different classes these would be social and economic classes. The social aspect includes any plan brought forth to help poverty level members of the community and asset in there need with financial support. Then there is economic support it is a class because it is there to aid the society that can sustain themselves and their children due to circumstance such as adversities, untrained labor ability, and disabilities. In so many situations the older public and the single this includes the divorced parents may also qualify for assistance. To be given benefits, most programs require that there be verification of needs that has been evaluated and set at a basic state to state standard. This is because welfare misuse in the past has made it more difficult and threatened the reliability of the system. A frequent thing that is used is what is called the means test, which estimates income and compares individuals to the set standard of living. When a
The idea behind the welfare state was to relieve poverty, reduce inequality, and achieve greater
A 2000 word comparative review of the ways different countries approach welfare, as discussed on the unit.