Social Science/Social Policy ECA - Essay Example

these concepts may be explored on the basis of their theoretical foundations as well as on their distinct effects on the construction of social policy and the experiences of the individual in the dynamic context of modern life (Lewis and Fink, 2004, P18). Social policy may be defined as comprising those aspects of publicly structured legislation, guidelines or commonly accepted ideas that deal with promoting societal conditions beneficial to human welfare (Lewis and Fink, 2004, P19). The assessment of social policy involves theoretical perspectives and empirical analysis as they relate to social constructionism (Lewis and Fink, P19) As such, social policy may take the form of government policies designed to promote social well-being as understood by society.

The term “social” as it relates to social policy is also a complex phenomenon, as it pertains to important issues of society in at any given historical moment and also the everyday lifestyles and personal experiences that constitute the core of the social environment (Lewis and Fink, P21). The study of the mutual constitution of social policy and personal life requires an assessment of personal behaviour, lifestyle, instutionalised or legislated policies that affect personal life and the theoretical foundations that form the basis of this interconnection.

The term personal deals with both the concrete elements of everyday life and the intangibles of human existence. The relationship between personal life and social policy intersects at points in which elements of policy are experienced by individuals in the course of their lives (Lewis and Fink, 2004, P20). These contact points become the basis of the dynamic relationship between the personal and the larger values of society as formulated in social policy. This is the context in which mutual constitution occurs, such that one component (the personal) affects the other (social policy) in a mutualistic and dynamic fashion The elements of mutual