Social Policies: Development and Transformation - Research Paper Example

 In the multifaceted spectrum of social practices and ideological transformations, complex changes and social mobility happen as people discover and reconfigure the flaws of the social structures. Through time, many laws and policies have been legislated in order to reframe people’s views and behavior towards different social matters. In the case of child welfare, certain policies and acts have been established in order to solve and eliminate the problems of unequal treatment and discriminatory actions against children. Locally and internationally, it has been accepted that the youth has experienced discrimination and other forms of prejudice through the constructed political functions of the phenomenon of social inequality. Primarily because of their age and innocence, children experience abusive treatment as an effect of the multitude mistaken beliefs about them and their status in the society. Child welfare movements have become popular all over the world as introduction of new perspectives emphasizing the need for laws and convention protecting children was initiated and supported by certain individuals and later, by the majority of the people. Upon the creation of the convention, social policies followed carrying the new concept and conviction for child protection. Looking at the nature of the issues involving the subject matter however, patterns of political and social events clash as the process of defining and determining the significance of the social policies continue to grow. In analyzing social policies for the welfare of the children, several points are highlighted in its relation to the security and wellbeing of the youth and the community as a whole. In this paper, acts and policies in relation to welfare of children will be presented and evaluated. Particular features of children welfare policies will be the focus of the paper namely child poverty, child abuse and issues pertaining to children with special education needs. Drawing from and reflecting upon the children’s rights amended by UNCRC, the analysis of the policies in relation to social practice and governance will be discussed. The discussion will be further contextualized in line with the theoretical and political issues related to the subject matter. In order to substantiate the issues involved, the historical, social, cultural, and economic contexts of the policy formation will be identified and explored. By identifying and examining the key principles of Children Act of 1989 and the revised Children Act of 2004, important points and themes will be studied in order to understand better the policies involved and other underlying issues connected with the matter. The strength and weaknesses of the stated acts will be examined, as well as the impact and influences of the policies in the social and political threshold of public governance and its actual practice. Another focus of this paper is looking at the political shadowing of social policies by way of exploring the New Labour’s policy regarding the subject matter. Also, looking closely at the concept of children welfare and protection efforts, the phenomenon of social construction and its probable contribution to policy formation will be evaluated and analyzed. Child Welfare and Social Implications The welfare of the members of the society is important in the long term development of a community (Sherraden 2003). This view has been well-studied and examined by many scholars and political thinkers. In the process of social development and transformation, social investment by means of securing the wellbeing of the citizens is very important (Sherraden 2003; Zastrow 2009). Consequently, child welfare is also central to this process of development. Conventionally viewed as the future of the society, children’s upbringing—the physical, mental and social development—can be looked at as an important social investment in achieving growth in a society (Conley 2010). Thus, if the events related to child welfare such as child poverty, child abuse and treatment to children with special needs will be addressed; social investment through similar forms of welfare act will be developed. This new perspective on social development strategy transcends the traditional passive form of governance where one-sided political agenda primarily focusing on the economic stability dominated. Looking closely at this perspective, we can see how giving importance to the welfare of people may change certain political standpoint in the government. Notably, this new perspective is similar to what the New Labour policies in the United Kingdom are advocating. However, in this paper, this political standpoint will be further analyzed in line with some underlying repercussions of the trend. Social Policy-Formation, Its Purpose and Implications Social policies are generated primarily because of the multitude social events prior to the policy-formation. In most cases, human rights pertaining to different social statuses and conditions of people were normally initiated by massive movements and international recognitions. In a different spectrum, it is also relevant to emphasize the influence of the transformation of ideological perspectives contemporary to the formation of policies. The influences of new paradigms in academic and public spheres are also essential to the process (Page and Shapiro 1983; Epstein and O'Halloran 1999; Sabatier 1999). In the post-war setting for instance, massive ideological changes had moved people from different walks of life to promote social welfare and security. The concept of securing human life and eliminating all forms of violence and threats was very influential at the time. In the case of child welfare, social events have also become essential to the creation of policies addressing numerous cases of child abuse and other forms of maltreatment and discrimination. As child poverty, abuse and discrimination happened, the need to initiate convention addressing such problems occurred. The Children Act 1989, Children Act 2004 and Every Child Matters agenda are some of the established legislations related to fostering the welfare of young children and the youth in general. Notably, certain political movement have supported, if not used, these social policies related to children welfare as reflected in the way the legislations were formed and reinvented. In here, the discussion of the purpose and objectives of the amendments will be explored in order to see the probable political underpinnings of the policies. Primarily because of the perceived imbalances of the status of children in the local and international society, particular conventions and rights advocate came into being addressing the issues and problems children encounter in relation to discrimination and abuse. Notably, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is one of the strong foundations of movement for child welfare. In essence, the convention promotes welfare through awareness programs and government efforts. Patterned to the convention, legislation and related movements have been established to foster child welfare and development. The Children Act 1989 was designed to promote the welfare of children in consideration of the needs and other aspects of their lives. In the Children Act 1989, the role of the family particularly the parents, is considered central to its reflected principles. Generally, the act also encourages support from the government in recognition of children’s need to be guided and be protected from all forms of harm present in the society. The legislation emphasizes the duty of the local government to protect the children within their area of concern by implementing laws reflecting the key principles of children welfare (Sec. 17 Children Act 1989). Some of the government’s duties pertain to their role to investigate the need of the children within their area and assessing the risks the children are encountering (Sec. 17 Children Act 1989). It is then the responsibility of the local government to thoroughly examine the situation of child and make sure that he or she is not exposed to harmful environment, physically and socially (Sec, 47 Children Act 1989). The local authorities should be assisted by other concerned bodies in order to sufficiently address the needs of the child namely, local education authority, local housing authority, health authority or NHS Trust (Sec. 47 Children Act 1989). In summary, the key principles of Children Act 1989 are reflected by the act’s emphasis on concepts such as the responsibility of the parents to their child, local authority’s role to provide services for the child and his or her family, and the local authority’s duty to look after the children and investigate their situation in terms of looking at the presence of risks surrounding them (The Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations 2010). Due to some inadequacy in the implementation of the objectives and principles of Children Act 1989 as reflected by the maladministration of several cases in relation to children’s rights (see The Victoria Climbié Inquiry Report 2003; The Killers and the Victim 2001), Children Act 2004 was amended in November 2004. The act was driven by the purpose of appointing Children’s Commissioner and strengthening the authority of local government in protecting children’s rights and welfare (Part 1 Children Act 2004). In general, the key features of Children Act 2004 are patterned to the former legislations but are redefined and revised in order to emphasize the role and of the government to foster and support family welfare that is relevant to the child’s security and protection. Also related to the series of child abuse and other related cases about children is the legislation of Every Child Matters government initiative. Basically, the agenda of the initiative is to promote awareness about the children’s rights and needs such as to be healthy, stay safe, the right to enjoy and achieve, to make positive contribution and obtain economic wellbeing (Every Child Matters). Similar to the basis of Children Act 1989 and 2004, the Every Child Matters agenda is established prior to the observation and perceived discrimination and violations against children. As implications of these social policies, the rights of the children were flatteringly emphasized. The policies then necessitated the government to put efforts on creating programs and projects fostering and reflecting the key principles stated above. As such, a new perspective of looking at matters in the society has been introduced as the methods of securing members of the community changed. The family and the youth are given much importance in the transformation of society into a more secured and nurturing environment. As policies advocate social change, parents and the local authority themselves were expected to be more responsible and active members of the society. Thus, the amendments become essential to the society’s shift to the dynamic and not one-sided form of development strategies of the government. Moreover, because of the legislation of the said amendments, particular changes in designing programs for social work in public and educational settings have been created in order to reflect the advocacies of the stated children welfare acts (Zastrow 2009; Hendrick 2003). In practice, it is observable that social work organizations and education sectors have changed their way and framework as application of the new designs in teaching and managing children. Thus, changes in policies create tremendous social impact in different levels; namely, within the family and in the larger sectors in the public sphere. Also, looking at these amendments, apparent social events are observed to have modulated the formation of the policies. Emphasizing the trend, the emergence of studies and researches about childhood development has also influenced the reframing of the policies and legislation (Woodhead 2006). In analyzing and exploring child behavior in relation to experiences of abuse and early exposure to criminal acts, new theories are developed which might directly and indirectly affect policy-making. Similarly, certain political ventures helped necessitated the formation and revision of social policies. In this view, it is important to emphasize how new perspectives in viewing social matters like the welfare of the children are being introduced as fitting to certain political framework and advocacy. Social Policies and Politics As implied by the discussion above, it is apparent that policy-making is a complex process of configuring what would be the better framework that will suit the political and social aspects surrounding a community. In the multitude of influences regarding policy-formation, particularly in the instance of the making and revising the acts concerning the welfare of children, we can see how political footprints expound on the contemporary issues involved. In this approach, child welfare movement can be viewed as one of the political tool that New Labour party is trying to put forward (see Hendrick 2003). Viewing child abuse, child poverty and other related matters as almost socially inherent, we can see how the political movement assessed the welfare of children as central to their idea of new form of development. As the main focus of the government policies, poverty and social exclusion can be eliminated through developing reforms that will positively affect the welfare of the poor families (Hills and Stewart 2005). Through this strategy, the New Labour movement sees that reforms (e.g. tax and benefit reforms) can alleviate poverty and exclusion patterns among children. By developing family welfare policies, the New Labour was able to design new trend of social development strategy. However, several issues emerge questioning the apparent mobilization of the New Labour party with reference to the family policy and child welfare goals. The New Labour’s emphasis on education among children consequently affects the Youth Justice System penalizing parents who fail to send their children to schools (Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000). Other related extreme cases that were influenced by the New Labour government are in connection with curfews among the youth, giving power to the authority to send children to prison. Looking at this trend, it suggests that the concept of child welfare may differ depending on what political or social background the concept is springing from given the example of the way New Labour agenda looked at it. The construction of the meaning of the concept is significant to the future implications it will acquire. Since the idea is abstract and socially patterned, child welfare as an abstract concept can be viewed differently by different judging lenses. Basically, the New Labour’s platform patterned allegedly to United States Democratic Party (Smith 1997) viewed welfare of the children and the family in different light. The New Labour based their actions in their evaluation suggesting that poverty, crimes, and other major problems in the society will be eliminated if the state welfare and security will be addressed. In essence, they argue that providing ‘sufficient’ help and security programs among youth and their families would be of great help to the development of the nation. As with the UNCRC, several articles (see UNCRC Article 4, 5, 6, 16, 19 ) referring to child welfare in terms of declaring the illegality of all forms of abuse and discrimination and the right of the government to interfere are addressed. However, we can say that the New Labour has framed the convention using different political formula. Child abuse and discrimination are somewhat viewed to be permanent risks all children are facing. Thus, instead of addressing the welfare of children in terms of looking and evaluating their needs, the New Labour structured their programs prior to the risks. Arguably, the New Labour has made constructions of the existence and permanence of the problem of abuse and delinquency (Smith 1997); that is, to some extent, they ‘overdo’ the evaluation of the problems (the ‘risks’). By influencing the formation of laws, the New Labour constantly introduces the ‘discourse’ on Child Protection by emphasizing the need to do such in accordance with their objective stated above. Thus, in here we see how politics and government power can affect the processes in the society through the creation of policies and legislating new amendments. Several patterns of the political influences can be observed to affect programs and legal laws concerning child welfare. Looking at the issues, we see that the concepts of child abuse in contrast with the child’s need are remarkably altered. Indeed, reflecting on these ideas and observations, the whole spectrum of the themes articulating the welfare of children and the entire humanity is complexly enmeshed in different social and political threads. Child Welfare and Social Policy Social policies are essential components of social development and transformation. Being part of the society and other interacting spheres like the family and school community, children are vulnerable to the implementation of the policies created by the government. Problems and issues associated with child welfare such as poverty, child abuse, and discrimination must be carefully analyzed in relation to its deeper implication on the welfare of the entire society. Social policies concerning their security and welfare affect not only the children but also other members of the society such as the parents and family members, social workers handling children, teachers, and ultimately everyone. Politics aside, it is important to consider that the idea of welfare among children suggests different meanings because of the natural possibility of the construction and re-construction of the concept. Social policies affect child welfare in many ways. As articulated in this paper, the contemporary policies concerning children and family security and protection convey complex associations with the social and political trends in the society. Works Cited Conley, A. (2010). Social Development, Social Investment, and Child Welfare. In Social Work and development. Oxford Scholarship Online Monographs, pp. 31-55. Epstein, D. and O'Halloran, S. (1999) Delegating Powers A transaction Cost Politics Approach to Policy Making under Separate Powers. Cambridge: The Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge. Every Child Matters. General Article. Retrieved from http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/sen/earlysupport/esinpractice/a0067409/every-child-matters Hendrick, H. (2003). Child Welfare Historical Dimensions, Contemporary Debate. Bristol:The Policy Press. Page, B. and Shapiro, R. (1983). Effects of Public Opinion on Policy. The American Political Science Review, Vol. 77, No. 1, pp. 175-190. Sabatier, P. (ed) (1999). Theories of Policy Process. Colorado: Westview Press. Sherraden, M. (2003). From the Social Welfare State to the Social Investment State. Retrieved from http://www.nhi.org/online/issues/128/socialinvest.html. Smith, Joan. (1997). The Ideology of ‘Family and Community New Labour Abandons the Welfare State. Retrieved from http://socialistregister.com/index.php/srv/article/view/5688/2585 The Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations. (2010). Volume 2: Care Planning Placement and case Review. Retrieved from http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/c/care%20planning%20placements%20and%20case%20review%20regulations%20england%202010.pdf The Children Act 2004. Retrieved from http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2004/31/contents/enacted The Killers and the Victims. (2001). Retrieved from http://edition.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/europe/06/21/bulger.profiles/ The House of Commons Health Committee.(2003) The Victoria Climbie Inquiry Report. London: The Stationer Office Limited. United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/crc/. Woodhead, M. (2006). Changing Perspectives on Early Childhood: theory, Research and Policy. Education for All Global Monitoring Report. Zastrow, C. (2009). Introduction to Social Work and Social Welfare Empowering People. Canada: Cengage Learning. Read More