Week 2 - Setting the Context: Understanding Social Welfare in Canada

Question 1

Three major social programs in Canada?

Answer 1

1. Social welfare
2. Health care
3. Post-secondary education

Question 2

Reasons for increasing demand in social services?

Answer 2

• aging population

- changing family composition, ex. rise in single-parent families means more family-oriented services are needed

Question 3

3 Types of Financial Tests Used to Determine Eligibility for Targeted Income Security Programs

Answer 3

1. Income tests; based on applicant’s income, ignores individual needs or other assets
2. Needs tests; asses an applicant’s needs and whether his/her income meets those needs, ex. ODSP, OSAP,
3. Assets/Means tests; based on an applicant’s income and assets but ignores his/her needs, less common now because of depth/intrusiveness of test

Question 4

What is the difference between income security programs and personal social services programs?

Answer 4

• income security programs, aka social assistance; provide financial aid to replace or supplement a person’s income during time of unemployment, direct monetary transfers to individuals/groups that are needy
• ex. Ontario Works, Ontario disability assistance program (ODSP), OSAP, Canada Pension Plan (CPP), Old Age Security (OAS), Child Benefit (monthly check), GST Tax Credit,
• personal social services; non-income benefits designed to improve the living conditions of individuals, families and communities, provide support and opportunities to help people resolve problems of daily living, intervening in problems to lessen their effect, programs either run by or subsidized by the government

Question 5

Functions of personal social services programs?

Answer 5

• providing goods and services that aim to meet basic needs (ex. food)
• improving personal development (wellbeing)
• protecting vulnerable groups (ex. CAS, women’s shelters, nursing homes, CJS, youth homes)
• therapy and rehabilitation (ex. drug rehab, youth programs)
• public awareness and advocacy (John Howard Society)
• socialization of children and youth (ex. daycare, crime prevention programs for men and youth)

Question 6

Define: human need

Answer 6

a necessary condition of requirement of human development that, if not met, will result in serious physical, psychological, or social harm

Question 7

Primary functions of Canada’s social welfare system:

Answer 7

• provide the basic necessities to people who cannot sufficiently provide for themselves
• help people meet a variety of social needs
• enable people to carry out important social roles, ex. parent
• ensure that resources and opportunities are accessible
• address special needs related to substance abuse, mental disorders and other conditions that inhibit normal human development

Question 8

Define: social security

Answer 8

protection of individuals and families from socially recognized conditions that hinder peoples’ ability to meet basic human needs

Question 9

Define: social welfare program

Answer 9

• a set of projects or activities that aim to meet a public need
• many involve direct, face-to-face assistance to people in need, ex. counselling, peer support, advocacy

Question 10

Explain/define: 2 Broad Categories of Social Welfare Programs

Answer 10

1. Income Security Programs
   - provide financial aid to replace or supplement a person’s income during time of unemployment, direct monetary transfers to individuals/groups that are needy, attempt to ensure that all Canadians live above a reasonable standard of living (aka social minimum)
2. Social Services
   - non-income benefits designed to improve the living conditions of individuals, families and communities, complement or replace the support that one’s family or other informal support system might normally provide

Question 11

Define: social minimum

Answer 11

a reasonable standard of living or quality of life that can be subjectively measured by social norms, or objectively measured by the average real GDP per person

Question 12

4 Main Types of Income Security Programs:

Answer 12

• 1. Targeted cash transfers; benefits that government transfers to individuals whose income or assets fall below a certain level, ex. social assistance, ODSP
• 2. Universal cash transfers; provided to all persons, regardless of financial status or need, based on meeting basic requirements such as age or residency, ex. Universal Childcare Benefit $100/month to all Canadian children under 6 years old
• 3. Contributory programs (aka social insurance); forced savings plans that require working individuals to contribute to a program, which then compensates them when they ae not working, benefits are based on claimant’s contributions, and are only available to those who maintain a strong connection to the labour force, ex. EI, CPP
• 4. Tax credits; determined through income reported on an individual’s tax returns, those with low and modest incomes pay less income tax, ex. Canada Child Tax Benefit, GST/HST Tax Credit

Question 13

Define: transfers-in-kind

Answer 13

a type of benefit that is funded and transferred by government to individuals and families in the form of social service or a direct social service, some governments prefer to fund a social service than provide a cash benefit

Question 14

What is the difference between universal and targeted programs?

Answer 14

• targeted programs; limited to narrowly defined segments of the population who are considered vulnerable or at risk for a certain social and/or economic hardship, must demonstrate a need of some sort (through income (OSAP), needs (ODSP, transitional housing), or assets (assets and income, ex. savings) test)
• universal programs; comprehensive, available to broad segments of the population (usually based on age or residency, ex. all children under the age of six), regardless of need, based on philosophy that benefits should be available as a matter of citizen’s rights rather than need/risk, every beneficiary receives an equal quality of service and amount of money, ex. OHIP as long as you’re and Ontario resident you get health care

Question 15

Benefits and consequences of universal social welfare programs?

Answer 15

• benefits: less intrusive/costly to administer due to less bureaucracy needed to asses need, less stigma attached to using the service, seen as a human right, eliminates class divisions
• consequences: not tailored to individual needs, can become too costly due to becoming overused by people who really could do without and then ends up hurting those who need it the most, long wait times due to ease of accessibility

Question 16

Define: progressive universalism

Answer 16

approach that gives a benefit to all persons that meet some basic criteria, larger proportion of the benefit goes to those who need it most, ex. Quebec’s ECE and care

Question 17

Difference between private troubles and public issues?

Answer 17

• private troubles; a human need/condition/situation that can be resolved by the person who is immediately affected, rather than by government
• public issues (aka social problems); a human need/condition/situation that government assumes responsibility for, ex. social problems that if left unaddressed could negatively impact large segments of the population

Question 18

Define: political ideology

Answer 18

• a set of beliefs/assumptions that shape people’s views of society, how that society should function, and what should be done to achieve the ideal society, the role of the state in society
• influence social policies by shaping how one sees society, what constitutes a social need/problem, and how to address it

Question 19

The main political ideologies in Canada?

Answer 19

• conservatism
• new right: neoliberalism/neo-conservatism
• liberalism
• social democracy

Question 20

Other social institutions that affect social policy?

Answer 20

• the economy also influences government policies (in times of recession we cut social spending though there is usually more demand, and we spend more in time of surplus)
• religious institutions also influence social welfare policies, some expect constituents to give/stress charity, ex. tithe, some religions might also view poverty as punishment for a sin (ex. not working hard enough)

Question 21

-conservatism;

Answer 21

• adheres to a laissez-faire philosophy (government shouldn’t interfere in the economy)
• social traditions/status-quo, meritocracy, and individualism
• don’t want people to be dependent on the state, or to lose motivation to work
• often poor classified between deserving (widows, orphans) and non-deserving (unemployed/able-bodied, addictions, unwed mothers, immigrants/refugees)
• prefers residual approach to social welfare

Question 22

Define: liberalism

Answer 22

• competitiveness, equal opportunity and individualism, equal rights/freedoms for individuals and groups
• more open to changing social traditions, believe in a meritocracy but acknowledge that people have trouble in their lives not in their control (problems created by capitalism) and the state should interfere in those times
• social investment approach to social welfare; usually temporary, to help reintegrate, long term approach, believe in investing to reintegrating people into society
• don’t distinguish between deserving and underserving poor

Question 23

Define: socialism

Answer 23

belief in collective interests and responsibility, egalitarianism to redistribute wealth, poverty seen as a consequence of inequities, social programs necessary, a right as citizens
-institutional approach to social welfare

Question 24

Define: neoliberalism

Answer 24

shift to the right, emphasis on free trade, free market, welfare reform (less social spending, less amount and more short term), fiscal restraint, and privatization of state enterprises

Question 25

Define: new right

Answer 25

combination of neo-conservatism and neoliberalism, lines are blurred, an overall shift that can be found across all political parties

Question 26

Define: neo-conservatism

Answer 26

emphasis on order, traditions, reaction to social liberalism, with move to right wing policies, and to a moral conservatism, emphasis on free trade, reduction of state’s intervention in economic sphere, in favor of business

Question 27

How does Carniol suggest those working in social services can best help those affected by effects of globalization and other social problems?

Answer 27

• anti oppressive radical perspectives; aim to create critical consciousness about roots of social problems and inequities in Canada, it argues these are structural in nature, and linked to power differences
• believe that social workers and others in social service fields must be allies to those marginalized, assist them to empower themselves

Question 28

3 Main Approaches to Social Welfare Provision:

Answer 28

1. The Residual Approach to Social Welfare Provision
   - see government assistance as a last resort for those who have exhausted all possible help from family, church, and other private resources, and who can demonstrate true need
   - assumes that the demand for government aid will always exceed supply, and therefore deters people who are not truly needy from seeking public assistance OR makes the conditions of receiving benefits so adverse that people seek alternate forms of assistance
   - aid given is targeted, meagre and short-term
   - uses stigmatization to limit the use of government assistance to those who really need it, reflected in current day stereotypes about the poor
2. Institutional Approach to Welfare
   - maintains that social welfare is a primary institution of society, and has a normal, legitimate, necessary function in in a civilized, modern society
   - people should not pay full market prices for goods and services that are essential for well-being
   - human rights based
   - aid given is universal, not stigmatized
3. Social Investment Approach to Social Welfare Provision
   - view that social welfare programs should yield long-term benefits by fostering self-sufficiency and social inclusion/participation, takes a proactive stance, before problems arise, ex. ECE focused, adult workforce training

Question 29

Define: social inclusion

Answer 29

• acheived when citizens gain full and equal participation in the social, economic, cultural and political dimensions of society
• achieved by removing barriers to participation in society and recognizing the unique contributions of all individuals and groups

Question 30

Define: Keynesian economics

Answer 30

economic theory that emphasizes the role of government in stabilizing society by taking income tax from high/middle-income earners and giving it to low-income earners

Question 31

Define: income redistribution

Answer 31

when government uses taxes to shift income from high/middle-income earners to low-income earners

Question 32

3 Aims of Welfare States:

Answer 32

• 1. Provide a minimum income to all citizens
• 2. Protect people from economic insecurity
• 3. Provide all citizens with a range of social services

Question 33

Who are the deserving poor? undeserving poor?

Answer 33

• deserving poor; sick, aged, disabled, or otherwise unable to support themselves through work
• undeserving poor; able-bodied unemployed adults who were capable of working

Question 34

Define: welfare state

Answer 34

-an industrial capitalist nation whose government uses its power to intervene in the workings of the market to correct income inequality (unequal gap between incomes of richest and poorest citizens in capitalist systems)

Question 35

Define: stern charity

Answer 35

-charity designed to be as uncomfortable and demeaning as possible

Question 36

Define: scientific charity

Answer 36

• 19thC London England, a coordinated and suspicious/investigative approach to handing out welfare, imposing efficiency on the process
• believed in providing friendship over financial aid, “Not alms, but a friend”, assistance as moral advice on how to be better individuals