Social Welfare, History, Values and Beliefs - Essay Example

Social Welfare, History, Values and Beliefs Tiffany Hayes Edinboro Analysis of culture emphasizes the behaviors that define and describe people’s lifestyles. The world characterizes with diverse econmic, social, cultural and geographical phenomena. For instance, the western culture has for long empathized individualism while the eastern culture emphasizes collectivism. American society defines a collection of different cultural practices that have integrated to a point that there appears to be only one culture in America. The great integration of cultures caused by increased interaction facilitated by social work and social welfare has created a situation that lacks criterion for identifying a superior culture in the world. The most important thing though is the understanding of cultural patterns and orientations of people, their evolution and influence on each other to result to the currently exhibiting culture trends with aim to appreciate world and American diversity in particular. The present day American culture began from as early as the past 10,000 years, upon the arrival of the Paleo-Indian from Europe, Oceania and Asia to establish the current United States. America is an ethically and racially diverse society with unique music, cultural, folklore and social practices. The great diversity of the United States is attributable to the massive immigration of people from different parts of the world during the historic period. As revealed by Luedtke (2002), Europeans including Irish, English, Scotts and Welsh bear great responsibility for influencing the initial shape of the American society. British in particular had greatest impact on American culture due to their close colonial links that fostered widespread use of the English language, use of British legal systems and adoption of general British cultural practices (Axinn & Stern, 2012). American culture is a collection of various elements that include liberal and conservatism ideologies, scientific and religious competitiveness, materialism and morality as well as free expression. Besides the influences of consistent principles and ideologies, American culture is also awash with evolved indigenous Latin, Asian and African-American cultures. Cultural tolerance in the United States proved an uphill goal that only proved achievable in 1960s that paved way for advancement of pluralism and diversity. The seeming neutral nature of the American culture is an indication of integration of many cultures whose compatibility mostly depends on political ideologies, social class and various demographic factors. Wright, Commager and Morris (2002) educate that some immigrants from the British Isles, and who moved to settle in the British American colonies during 17th and 18th have managed to preserve their cultures to modern day United States. Cultural related ideas have had significant impact in the history of American beginning immediately upon the arrival of European settlers. Axinn and Stern (2002) elaborate that early European settlers in American had great hopes and visions of success in what they referred to “New World” without constraints that limited their growth efforts in Europe. Prior to the 19th century that characterized with immigration wave, the white American population consisted majorly of the Protestants and the Northern Europeans. Leadership structure followed the enlightening principles featured in the Bill of Rights. However, application of the principles of the Bill of Rights was selective and mostly favored the white people who owned property in the various colonies. The most significant aspect of the Bill of Rights emphasized protection of human liberties and respect for private initiative from the tyranny of state power. Wright, Commager and Morris (2002) reveal that social issues such as slavery, suffrage and education triggered hot debate within the American society, but government of day tended to ignore and avoided interfering with the underlying factors that maintained the issues. Most political positions in the historic United States were preserves for the white males. The arrival of the Blacks that led to development and expansion of slave trade worked significantly to change the American culture. Wright, Commager and Morris (2002) report that after the first arrival of slave cargo in Virginia in the year 1619, slavery turned to important faction of the American social and economic prosperity. The slaves served in plantation farms owned by the white landowners who grew cash crops traded with European manufacturing and processing industries. As time lapsed, American culture especially of the whites began to grow racist expressed towards the Blacks. Racism in America slowly grew and spread to an extent of being centre of social debate and furry. The Whites and their culture used their dominance to suppress and mistreat the Blacks along racial lines. During the time, the white culture and racism remain stable until the time of civil war when other minority groups joined with the Blacks to counter the influence of the Whites (Pfeiffer, 2010). This threatened the white race and forcing its population to create laws banning social congregations of other people of other races, and even restricting movement of the people of color and Blacks within and outside the American territories. During and after World War II, the American society turned from petty diverse cultural practices, and embraced individualism or what economists may term as capitalism. Interest in professional institutions such as governmental positions and public service reduced as people tended to shift to private enterprises and investments. Okihiro (2014) elucidates that during the 1960s, American society was better with increasing passive cultural beliefs and ideologies. Further neutralization of cultural sensitivity occurred with the adoption of the cultural policy that downplayed existence of any superior culture in the United States of America. However, the enactment of “no superior culture” policy disadvantaged organizations that supported coordinated cultures with aim of preserving indigenous American cultures. The organizations for coordinated cultures argued that there was no sufficient reason for the public to focus on cultural realms as the move would interfere with cultural development of the nation (Okihiro, 2014). Many complex historical events influenced to shape the American culture to its contemporary state. To begin with, the move by the British to colonize Americans and the church made the country’s dominant religious culture to be Protestantism. This worked to reinforce the American individualism to enable the society to be self-organizing. One of the problems with the reinforcement related to the fact that dependence shifted to larger organizations and centralized institutions like the church, while weakening independent civil organizations such as civil societies (Pfeiffer, 2010). In just the same manner, Northern and Southern Europe that collectively struggled for colonization of America make institutions work and be subject to religious heritage and cultural traditions. The uniqueness of the United States of America relates to its ability to integrate formal and strong institutions with cultures as supportive elements for smooth running of the institutions. This is manifest through integration of tolerance and individualism ideologies within institutions, which has worked to champion cultural diversity. Other events that contributed towards shaping of the American culture to its contemporary condition related to cultural and social revolutions that transpired during 1950s and 1970s. Different names emerged to identify this period of rapid social and cultural change in America. Academicians described the period as post materialistic and used individualism as new philosophical label. Among the changes that occurred included feminism, multi-culturalism, rejection of the idea of moral relativism, increased focus on child and childcare, and new forms of spiritual expressions. During 1950s, the American individualism became a phenomenon mostly used in political discussions and field. Popular political discussion of the time concentrated on agitation for freedom of individuals to choose religion, speech and lives in any place within the USA. During 1960s, individualism expanded beyond political limits to encompass social prospects. The idea of individualism gained further attention during 1960s owing to enormous social changes that diversified the application of the ideology (Arrow, 2004). The period also witnessed the beginning of civil rights revolution sparked by African-Americans to counter abusive treatments despite assurance by the American Constitution for protection of citizens’ rights and expressive defense for happiness. Arrow (2004) adds that feminism or women movement developed but championed besides women’s rights for other social balance and respect. Currently, intellectual consensus would define the preferred way of resolving the challenges faced during 1960s. The concepts of individualism slightly changed from its historical form of 1960s, to encompass morality in 1980s. Struggles of 1960s have are credible for the successful challenge of legal segregation, increased equality especially for women and social tolerance for diverse groups such as homosexuals, lesbians and gays (Arrow, 2004) in addition, struggles of 1960s are also responsible for the increased respect and acceptance of non-white cultural practices. The period of 1960s also saw advancement on war on poverty through introduction of programs such as ADC and AFDC by President Lyndon Johnson. Public structured helps programs increased significantly through social welfare programs that benefited the Black and poor populations. The expansion of the welfare programs worked to ensure that blacks received their full legal rights and access to national resources. In the late 1960s, conservatism ideologies spurred by racism advanced by leaders from the Southern front and later by Republicans worked to overturn the achievements brought by social welfare programs established by President Lyndon Johnson. Instead, the Republicans shifted focus to individualism and promotion of humanitarianism for the general American public but not select few. It is worth noting that the opposition between egalitarianism and individualism suppressed efforts to expand American welfare state. Establishment of legal structures later saw development and public support for social welfare such as Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare and other policies that balance between individualism and humanitarianism. Americans have notably expressed different views about the social welfare programs. Some have argued that the government could create programs for to suite privileged and underprivileged members of the society. This would ensure provision of proper and adequate help for genuinely poor population. Some Americans also viewed social welfare programs as likely to encourage laziness and dependences as people will relax from fending for their financial needs due to assurance about government incentives (Axinn & Stern, 2012). American citizens have continued debating about public welfare, with majority seemingly supporting welfare programs for genuinely poor populations but not for offering incentives to the public irrespective of individuals’ social and economic capabilities (Rojek, 2012). The culture of individualism has faced particular challenges that have compromised its purity. One challenging facts relates to the bundled nature of communities considering sharing of important norms, values and experiences. Other challenges are due to social and moral values that are hard to assume in any social setting. Some of the values compromise personal choices that would encourage independence at the expense of social good. Zastrow (2010) warns that a society that constantly imposes rules and regulations to its members to an extent of compromising freedom is likely to suffer isolation and become lose cultural taste. Societies such as American that encourage cultural practices though conducted in humanitarian manner are the ones that can survive and thrive (Zastrow, 2010). Actually, America does not restrict technological innovations or harmless personal behaviors. American has been experiencing influx in the number of uninsured population, which has caused serious healthcare crisis in USA. This has necessitated the need to expand welfare programs to provide cover for the poor and low-income families. Many legislatures and professionals have also recommended for expansion of the Medicaid program to enable coverage of uninsured individuals as part of the efforts to address the scorching healthcare insurance crisis. Stuber and Kronebusch (2004) elaborate that success of such a recommendation relies on the positive response of eligible low-income families to register for the program. The challenge facing effective implementation of the Medicaid program relates with widespread public stigma towards the beneficiaries of the programs due to marginal difference from the past welfare programs. The stigma has greatly concentrated around children care program called the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) established in 1997 to support states in funding and administering subsidized health insurance program for the uninsured children from low-income families. Segal (2010) mentions that implementation of SCHIP may be happen in three forms. One way is as an expansion of the Medicaid program, another way is as a separate and independent program and lastly, as both an expansion of Medicaid and as an independent program. According to Segal (2010), by the spring of 2000, thirty states managed to implement the SCHIP as a separate and independent program. The main reasons cited for implantation of the program as a separate entity relates to the stigma. However, states have to observe the “screen-and-enroll” policy that prevents enrolment to SCHIP until accurate determination of a child’s ineligibility to register for Medicaid. The reason for the screening of children relates with rising concern among lawmakers that new funds allocated for SCHIP would supplement the Medicaid program, and disadvantage eligible and genuinely needy children (Rojek, 2012). Another reason for screening was to prevent referral of children having all qualifications for SCHIP to Medicaid program that would be of great disadvantage. Despite the laudability of the reasons for the enactment of the “screen-and-enroll,” parents have shown tendency to ignore the SCHIP and favor enrolment for Medicaid irrespective of the related stigma. Since the move by most parents relates to fear for screening as demanded by SCHIP, there is sufficient need to review the “screen-and-enroll” policy. In fact, many states have accused the ‘screen-and-enroll’ requirements as the reasons for low enrolment to SCHIP program. Studies to determine whether stigma is responsible for the low enrolment to SCHIP and Medicaid have proved otherwise (Levinson & Rahardja, 2004). However, the studies have found that the low enrolment to SCHIP and Medicaid program among low-income families relate to non-stigma factors such complex process involved in application and inability to find translators. Levinson and Rahardja (2004) report that recent studies targeting American families have shown that many people value and apply for Medicaid program despite of the discouraging barriers. However, stigma remains to be a serious barrier towards large-scale enrolment to Medicaid, and as such requires thorough investigation. This view relates to inherent complexity in measurement and definition of stigma in healthcare insurance. The concept of stigma as regarding social welfare is a serious issue in America because of the negative perception that people have about governmental assistances such as food stamps. Stigma also grows due to improper interaction of behaviors and attitudes of the recipients of governmental supports and persons responsible for the distribution of the given assistances. Even as America continues to evolve, the society characterizes with complex cultural systems but with elaborate standards and behaviors that define the true nature of the society. In simplistic terms, culture is a system of beliefs, values, behaviors and customs that are transferable from preceding generation to another. Every community and person has or subscribe to certain values that are unique in one way or the other when compared with others. some of values held by individuals and that make then unique can change with variation of certain environmental factors. Interaction championed through advancement in technology, travelling, political and economic systems has great potential of changing inherent values of individuals. As centuries, come and go human interactions through various systems earlier listed work to enhance and harmonize social systems. Since we cannot prevent social growth, we need to analyze past mistakes that have caused social disabilities and forge ahead into harmonizing incompatible social systems to ensure protection and advancement of social welfare. References Arrow, K. J. (2004). Methodological individualism and social knowledge. The American Economic Review, 1-9 Axinn, J., & Stern, M. J. (2012). Social Welfare. A History of the American Response to Need. Pearson Education, Inc. Levinson, A., & Rahardja, S. (2004). Medicaid stigma. accessed on October, 17, 2004. Luedtke, L. S. (2002). Making America: The society & culture of the United States. Chapel Hill u.a: Univ. of North Carolina Press. Okihiro, G. Y. (2014). Margins and mainstreams: Asians in American history and culture. University of Washington Press. Pfeiffer, K. (2010). Race passing and American individualism. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press. Rojek, C. (2012). Social Work & Received Ideas. Routledge. Segal, E. A. (2010). Social welfare policy and social programs: A values perspective. Australia: Thomson Brooks/Cole. Stuber, J., & Kronebusch, K. (2004). Stigma and other determinants of participation in TANF and Medicaid. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 23(3), 509-530. Wright, L. B., Commager, H. S., & Morris, R. B. (2002). The cultural life of the American colonies. Mineola, N.Y: Dover. Zastrow, C. (2010). Introduction to social work and social welfare: Empowering people. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole. Read More