Political Ideology and Social Work - Essay Example

Running head: POLITICAL Political Ideology and Social Work You're This research focuses on the aspects of liberalism and how this type of political mentality can affect many areas of social work in today's time. Within this body of work the literature will show that through the decades historians have defined the nature of liberalism in a variety of ways. Some feel liberalism is a cultural attitude; others believe it is the ideology of the rising bourgeoisie, many explaining it as opposition to excessive state power and a coherent body of principles based upon the idea of individual freedom. However, the concept of social liberalism locates middle ground between uninhibited classical liberalism and more extreme ideologies. More a fusion of individual rights and active government, it consists of two main parts. Firstly, the social-welfare component prescribes significant social and economic functions to alleviate the effects of capitalism. The philosophy's second major component, liberalism, reaffirms classical liberalism's central values. This work goes into greater detail about this political prose within the main body of the work. It also goes on to orchestrate how the variations in liberalist attitudes and perceptions have an impact on the type of social work and services that are offered and rendered to people in society. The conclusion of the work illustrates that in a democratic society, social-liberalism can, in a sense, add stability while sustaining individual liberty. Likewise, in the areas of individual rights, freedoms and economic equality, the social-liberals are vindicated in their quest for reinterpretation. Through welfare, some liberty will be sacrificed, but in this way, equality imposed in the right amount can strike a satisfying balance in social work and in the social life of all people. Political Ideology and Social Work Introduction There are quite a number of citizens in various parts of the UK who have no idea what the true implications of liberalism really are and how these types of political beliefs can affect others in life directly, such as with the profession of social work. First and foremost there are two main forms of liberalism and these are Classical, and Social or Conservative liberalism, both with varying traits and ideas, but following a seemingly congruent path in a political sense. The concept of social liberalism locates middle ground between uninhibited classical liberalism and more extreme ideologies (Bresser & Luiz 2004, pg. 103). More a fusion of individual rights and active government, it consists of two main parts. Firstly, the social-welfare component prescribes significant social and economic functions to alleviate the effects of capitalism. The philosophy's second major component, liberalism, reaffirms classical liberalism's central values. Nevertheless, social liberalists argue that such values are not best interpreted through the tenets of laissez-faire, but rather are beneficial to the greater part of society if translated in a different tongue: that of positive liberty (Armstrong 2001, pg. 17). In many respects one could argue that the nature of classical liberalism or "negative" liberty is less effective than its "positive" counterpart: social-liberalism, and hence the latter is justified in amending certain elements of the classical-liberal tradition, specifically high restriction on state intervention in matters of economic and individual subsistence. It is first very important to understand the fundamental distinction between the two different kinds of liberty and consequently the origins of such. In 1690 John Locke wrote the essay, Two Treatises of Government, where he redefined the relationship between government and the people, proclaiming that the state was founded and erected in order to "preserve the natural rights of it's citizens," and that if it failed to do so, the people had the responsibility to rebel in order to improve their conditions (Ashcraft 1987, pg. 14). In the pre-industrial days of Europe and America, the poor had a relationship with the upper class that was characterized by deference towards a fraternity which wanted little or nothing do with them. Thomas Jefferson, the main proponent for the laissez-faire policy in the framing of the United States' Constitution, believed that the government would only prevent the people from living their lives freely, imposing regulations which would deteriorate the liberty on which the country was founded (Katz 2003, pg. 1). This idea was coined negative liberty, because the negative or absent role of the government, would ensure the liberty of the people. At the beginning of industrialization, liberalist attitudes were taking higher and higher precedence in governmental positions and other seats in social organizations, such as in the concept of welfare which is now coined "social services" in the societal atmosphere. Capital and the need for labor were growing at an unparalleled rate as well and mass production was supported by the bourgeoisie, which undoubtedly lead to the development of a new self-made class of men (Gordon 1996, pg. 115). The mentality of capitalism had shifted dramatically from a method of subsistence, to an enterprise of surplus and profits. The rise in industrialization and the need for maximum capital, led to a cruel neglect of the lower classes, and the conditions of their lives were deteriorating rapidly. Unrestricted capitalism acted as a restraining force in the lives of many poor around England, as opposed to a liberating one. Rampant capitalism needed to be controlled, and the people began to look to the government for help. An era of reform commenced during the nineteenth century with Reform Bill Acts in 1832, 1867, and 1884. Each of these acts tried to bring more representation to the lower and underprivileged classes of England, thus providing them with the means of creating effective legislation to help their condition. This policy was called Positive Liberty, explaining the positive or interjecting influence of the government supplying and protecting the liberty of the people. Herein lies how the interactions of social organizations are affected by the concepts of liberalism, in the past and in current present day as well. The idea is to try and improve life and break away from an abundant amount of capitalism, even today though this political element does not have as much power over poor people's lives like it did in the mid 1800's and early 1900's. Conservative or Social Liberalism and Social Work Social liberalism is imminently apparent in any field or profession that directly works with the general public, specifically a profession like social services. Conservative or social liberalism recognizes yet another means of oppressive power that also threatens an individual's freedom: economic power (Eucken-Oswalt 1994, pg. 38). Living in poverty constitutes the loss of any freedom to choose, while wealth gives the individual an opportunity to have power to exert oppression over others. Social services is supposed to work through issues such as these and provide equality for all people so there will not be feelings of inequality which lead some to economic suffrage. In the past, Social liberals have recognized that the "invisible hand" of the classical marketplace that was relied on to ensure fair trade was more nonexistent than invisible. Without the publics sentinel patrolling the marketplace, free traders conspired, and formed alliances, allowing the rich to become a permanent, truistic class. Social liberalism hence relies on government to police and maintain a fair marketplace (Diesing 1998). Not authoritative government, where an elite rules, or even republican forms of government where a self-selected class makes the rules for all others, but a democratic form of government, as liberals believe that all humans are equally entitled to participate in their government. Liberals trust that a democratic government, together with majority rule and constitutional protections for the minority is the least flawed of generally imperfect forms of government (Diesing 1998). Overtime it has come to be realized that forms of liberalism, specifically classical liberalism are basically instilled within the human consciousness. Human nature in fact has been expressed to be the basis for the emergence of classical liberalism decades ago and perhaps this is why expressed ideas of liberalism seem to be evident in forms of social work. For instance, many of the general ideas that have taken shape over the years have developed from the virtuous and the rationality of human nature which would appear to be essential to the image that the enlightened public wants from social organizations and the government in particular (Dunbar 1991). People want their freedom, they want the right to choose and when they need help it is something that they hope for and expect. This is a form of liberalism without question. In fact, it is clear that the right of individuals to be independent is the cornerstone of liberalism. This combined with the right to resist encroachments on this independence make up the legitimacy behind many of the causes that people take up today in order to get assistance from social organizations and gain understanding about their economic struggles from their government. No other document more so than "The Declaration of Independence" promotes these types of thoughts more thoroughly, and gives ground for liberalists to stand on more accurately. It helps the cause of the people and has for many years; it is precisely what is supposed to motivate those who work in social organizations such as social services. When Thomas Jefferson wrote about the 'inalienable rights... life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness' he was speaking of the inherent rights of man and went further to declare that any government that chooses to dispel these rights is subject to overthrow by the governed. In short Jefferson was saying that the right of the government to rule is derived from the people's ability to utilize and approve of their level of independence. England, and America as well have people that embrace these ideals openly and they expect their social organizations to accept and tolerate them, and even promote them for the wellbeing of the people of these countries. This leaves modern liberalism with the chore of expanding these rights. The focus has now shifted from the attainment of these rights to the perfection of them. The following quote shows clearly how liberalism and groups of liberalists affect the social aid that is given to the people and how the body of liberalism itself has shifted the concept of social services over the years as well: A man who was poor, uneducated, ill-housed, and subject to the fluctuations of the economic cycle could not be considered free though he lived in a nation whose government abided by the tenets of laissez-faire. True liberty, liberals began to contend required the ability of man to use his talents and energies in a constructive fashion-it meant the positive freedom to achieve and accomplish (Mansfield 1978). Conclusion In considering all of these factors and through development of my own insights, I have come to the conclusion that many of the countries that make up the UK and in fact, even in America it can be said liberalism has not abandoned it's classical ideals. Rather than abandonment, study has shown me that English liberalism in particular, is a general progression of goals, events, outcomes and reactive changes. An example of this is in the discussion about freedom and rights of the people. On the surface it had originally appeared that liberalism had gone from anti-government to big government, a 180 degree turn. While this statement is not entirely false, it does leave out various particulars. I find that when the original goals such as religious freedom and liberation from oppression had been attained, the liberal school of thought moved to further expand these objectives. Even social organizations have changed some of their tactics over time to appease the people and to try and attempt to meet the poorer classes of people's needs due to liberalist thought and contemplation. Liberalism with social work is indeed a dynamic political ideology which is at times difficult to define but because it's goals are especially reactive to change it promotes many forms of positivism in societal atmospheres and in governmental policies. The constant endeavor to perfect liberty produces change that liberalism in turn reacts to. This interrelationship helps ensure liberalism's role in bringing about change in the future. References Armstrong, Nancy. (2001, April). Who's Afraid of the Cultural Turn A Journal of Feminist Cultural Studies, 12, 17-49. Ashcraft, Richard. (1987). Locke's Two Treaties of Government. (New York: Allen and Unwin Publishing). Bresser, Pereira & Luiz, Carlos. (2004, August). The Social Liberal State. Democracy and Public Management Reform, 13, 103-115. Diesing, Paul. (1998, November). Liberal Economics and Democracy: Keynes, Galbraith, Thurow, and Reich. Journal of Economic Issues, 32. Dunbar, Leslie. (1991). Reclaiming Liberalism. (New York: Norton & CO Publishing). Eucken-Oswalt, Irene. (1994, August). Freedom and Economic Power: Neglected Aspects of Walter Eucken's Work. Journal of Economic Studies, 4, 38-45. Gordon, Robert. (1996, January). Liberalism and Social Reform: Industrial Growth and Progressiste Politics in France in 1880-1914. (London: Greenwood Press Publishing): 115-125. Katz, Claudio. (2003, January). Thomas Jefferson's Liberal Anticapitalism. American Journal of Political Science, 47, 1. Mansfield, Harvey. (1978). The Spirit of Liberalism. (Cambridge: Harvard University Press). Read More