Module 3 Flashcards
Social policies are never
Nutural or value free
they are the values of Canada
they provide structure to almost every aspect of our lives
Personal Policies are:
Unwritten rules that we set for ourselves
Public Policies are:
Government Policies
Social policies require/ are:
the development and implantation of social programs
ex- social welfare, healthcare, post-secondary
Social Welfare Policy is…
a subset of social policies aiming to-
- strengthen job security
- provide training and skills development
- motivate adults to work and save for the future
- redistribute income to limit poverty
- enhance the quality of life for people, families and communities
STAGES of social policy development:
used by social policymakers
1) identify social problems and issues
2) understand social problems and issues/ what needs to change
3) consult and review
4) formalize the policy
5) implement the policy
6) evaluate the policy/program and amend if needed
Living and working conditions are not problematic until…
People label them that way—– DESIREABLE vs UN-DESIREABLE
Social Conditions
some are accepted others are not
ACCEPTED= divorce
NOT ACCEPTED= unemployment
A Social Issue is:
A widespread condition that is not problematic BUT/// Potentially could be if not addressed promptly
Ex; aging population
Social Problem
an issue must need certain criteria to be labelled a “PROBLEM”
1) majority/ or lots of people must see it as a problem
2) economic, social hardships, negative consequences
3) a collective response is taken to end the problem
Serious Social Problems In Canada:
Crime Child poverty Racism Violence against women Drug addiction Homelessness
Bisexuality and divorce are considered social problems by fewer Canadians–> in result:
are lower priorities for policy makers
There is a changing perception on what a social problem is:
social problems accepted now were not accepted in the past
Racism/ Racist Laws enacted
Today racist laws and discrimination are not tolerated
Social Welfare Policies Reflect:
Nations priorities which are ever changing
Poverty and social exclusion are…
intertwined
Social Exclusion began…
in the shift from industrial to post industrial era
“people feeling left out from society”
Understanding social issues and problems:
Policy makers must learn about the nature and prevalance of the issues and problems that effect society
and must also find ways to measure social problems
Social Knowledge
on housing, income, and education
DATA collection tools
Surveys
Interviews
Focus groups
longitudinal surveys
LONGITUDINAL SURVEYS:
are the most helpful tool in the social welfare field
Follows the progress of the same group of people over time
and can be on 1 or more aspect of a social condition or problem
EXAMPLE of a longitudinal survey
1) negative events people experience
2) the time it takes to find employment after unemployment
3) the influences the economy has on these events/transitions
Longitudinal Surveys
identify HOW changing and emerging patterns in the general population might create either social WELL BEING or// SOCIAL PROBLEMS
CLSA initiated in 2001
“Canadas Longitudinal study on aging” tracks about 50000 adults over 20 years
2001 The United Nations Redefined Poverty as:
“a human condition characterized by substained or chronic deprivation of resources, capabilities, choices, security and power necessary for the enjoyment of an adequit standard of living and other social, political, economic, cultural and civil rights”
Much of CAN’s social knowledge comes from…
The census Statistics CAN conducts every 5 years (since 1971)
Defining and measuring social problems
Once a social problem has been identified, it must be defined and measured
a general consensus and measurement must be reached before policy makers can design effective policies
First task of defining a social problem is:
Labeling it
child abuse, racism, poverty, social exclusion
The international community (including CAN) signed the United Nations Declaration on the elimination of violence against women in:
1993
Women abuse aka
gender based violence
Indicators
Help to measure the existence of social problems
data or statistical measure
Indicators: QUANTIFY vs QUALIFY
QUANTIFY= how many/ how often are people affected by this problem?
QUALIFY= others serve to qualify how people perceive a social problem
Emotional or Psychological Indicators
Women are afraid or angry
Feel Isolated
-have suicidal or homocidal thoughts
Physical Indicators
women experience non-consensual sex
recurring genital pain
unwanted touching
Financial Indicators
abusers who control womens finances
or// women who seek permission from abusers before spending money
Stalking or Harassment Indicators
women are followed or watched
receive unwanted telephone calls or gifts
These Indicators…
not only illustrate HOW a problem manifests in society
but can also report on how a problem changes over time
*partially used for identifying emerging trends
DISCOVERY- some women are more at risk for violence
High Risk Women Groups:
Young, Poor, Aboriginal, disabled and are dating, in a common law relationship or recently out of a relationship
These groups help policymakers target their policies and programs to certain at risk populations
At time policy makers FAIL to agree:
on what social problems look like
No Nationally Agreed Definition of ______ in Canada
No official single set of indicators to measure ______ in Canada
Making it difficult to measure _____ and develop solutions
poverty (for all)
Stage 3: Consulting and Reviewing
- Stakeholders must come together to set desired outcomes/ benefits of proposed policy
- Determine which type of policy would most likely achieve desired outcomes
- Debate pros and cons of policy choices
Policy Community
a broad mix of organizations, individuals& groups from both inside and outside government
“Stakeholders”
Canada is a Federal State that divides power between:
Central/fed. gov.
and Regional or Territorial gov.s
Regional Governments handle:
local needs in their area
Early 20th Century
Social and Economic problems created by industrialization, urbanization and immigration created the need for an expanded social welfare system
Canada’s Social Transfer CST
Modern cost sharing arrangement for social welfare
under CST each province/ territory receives equal payment (per capita payment)
75% goes towards social assistance and child care services
25% goes to education
Per Capita Payment
every province/ receives same $ ammount
Regional Identity
factors effecting regions goals: economic capacity, ideological views, intergovernmental cooperation
& some regions are more poor that others
The equalization program
gives additional funding to less prosperous provinces
Territorial Formula Financing TFF
an annual unconditional cash transfer from fed gov to each territorial gov
1990s collaborative governance
a new approach to leadership
The social union framework agreement is an example of:
collaborative governance
(an agreement between fed and territorial gov.s) to better the lives of all Canadians
A non- binding policy
1968 PM Trudeau called for “participatory democracy”
encourages the public to speak out about social problem concerns
Citizens in policymaking
involvement in policy making is essential to a democratic and equal society but///
Governments decide who is invited, controlling systems
Interest groups AKA pressure or lobby groups
organized collectives that form to support specific causes and try to influence gov. policies for the benefit of their own members OR// on behalf of the public