THE WELFARE STATE
PERSPECTIVES
Social Democratic Reformist Approach
- Welfare developed in post war Britain by first majority Labour government. To battle the five giant evils identified in the 1942 Beveridge Report:
- poverty
- disease
- squalor
- ignorance
- idleness
- Townsend said we all have rights to basic levels of expectations, which should be provided universally.
The New Right Approach
- Market Liberal Approach. State intervention and public spending are the main focus. It says that redistribution of income and wealth are not a legitimate role and condems a culture of dependency. Market forces introduced:
- Local authorities privatised, private providers of care.
- Schools compete for pupils, more independent of authorities (lea).
Evaluation of the Role of the Welfare State
- New right critical of high public spending.
Increased life expectency means the principle of universal benefits is being abandoned. - Care in the community failed.
- Feminists see welfare state and tax support existing patriarchal family.
- Some reforms helped, eg child benefit now paid to women, and tax allowances for childcare.
- Social Democrats say free markets creates inequality, and fails to deal with problems.
- Marxists say the welfare state does not redistribute income. State spending on educatio benefit middle classes and those in work.
VOLUNTARY ORGANIZATIONS
Provide services, eg housing and care
Act as pressure groups.
Good
- Pressure (the government)
- Innovative
- Encourage self-help
- Less stigmatization
- Reduce public spending
Bad
- Disguise problems
- Allows government to shed universal provision
- Staff may be untrained.
INFORMAL WELFARE PROVISION
- Women within the family. Costs to women disguised.
Extra Information
left/right division no longer applies since 1997
Selective benefits, as opposed to universal, are means-tested.