WORD COUNT: 2001 words
Introduction
Poverty evolves. What we are not aware of is that the changes in the concept of poverty allow a societal disparity that is rooted long before the concept is documented. Poverty was recorded at its worst during the 1500’s into the 1700s wherein the situation was forced interests groups to take unnecessary conditions like coercibly accepting a status as independent laborers, paupers or well-offs, worse as beggars, vagrants and tramps.
Social problems always pose solutions, alternatives and strategies that require the role of the government and some concern groups. Poverty, often than not, is commonly placed at the middle of the laboring class and the State. Although, the role of poverty in the prevailing condition of this class is at maximum, the role of the State is always inevitably at its greatest in combating and administering the phenomenon known as poverty.
The concept of poverty
A) During the 15th – 17th centuries
During industrialization in the 16th century, the feudal system, a set of social and political alliances between the workers and landowners, was the dominant social and political order. Since peasants were tied to the lands and its owners, work was the only way to survive. Few incentives were to accumulate wealth; hence, poverty meant to starve and threatened everyone in time of duress. But poverty held little stigma and remained separated from judgments regarding morality. Some programs available were designed to help the genuinely destitute and were commonly funded by private donations and are managed by the church (CSWE Millennium Project). .
In the early 1500s, the Western Europeans converged into mercantilism wherein trade materialized, which, subsequently created more wealth (1917). Enlightenment followed mercantilism. This order took the form of value change and encouraged accumulation of wealth and private property while changing the attitudes towards poverty. The value shift introduced the concept of individualism and personal responsibility (CSWE Millennium Project).
The influential thinkers emphasized hardwork, individual initiative, liberty and the power of reason. Arguably, poverty suggested that the root cause of poverty purports those who are lazy, sexually loose and generally immoral. The correlation of the economic status and the (im)morality serves as the basis of development of welfare programs. Poignantly, the system reflects dependency, laziness and personal irresponsibility (CSWE Millennium Project).
Economic instability placed a great pressure on the society during the Enclosure Movement. As a result tramps, vagrants and beggars grew in number. The attempt to restore the social order led to the passing of poor laws. The English Poor Law (1601-1834) echoed the voice of the less well-offs. The law reflected attitudes and values regarding poverty and it serve as an instrument of social control. The elements of the EPL were the local administration, less eligibility, classification of the poor, relative responsibility and residence requirements (CSWE Millennium Project).
The concept of local administrations reflected general suspicion towards the poor. Less eligibility stated that relief should not be more than the available lowest wages. Furthermore, poor are classified based on two kinds of relief, indoor and outdoor. The relative responsibility focused on the role of the family. Public relief will only be available if the family cannot provide for the person. The context of residence requirement was responsible for those who are legitimate members of the local community (CSWE Millennium Project).
B) During the 18th century onwards
The modern concept of poverty was coined by (2003). According to Franco, ‘poverty has multiple dimensions and policy-makers must consider such dimensions in effectively assessing poverty’ (). Franco defined poverty based on four domains: monetary, capability, social exclusion and participatory.
Monetary poverty deals with the imbalance between the socio-economic characteristics of individuals and households. Capability poverty considers the measure of literacy including the completion for primary and secondary educations. Health poverty is indicated by individuals: who are suffering from illness, who are affected by an illness and whose illness was so severe that s/he can no longer work. In connection, some individuals may and may not report regarding their health conditions. Moreover, employment, insurance, pension, credit, savings, social programmes and land ownership are the indicators of social exclusion poverty (). These constructs might overlap and combine. The degree of overlap may further be regarded due to dependency ratio and the education and employment of the household heads ().
The concept of independent laborers
Civil society was a concept of natural and self-regulating order of independent laborers. However, the concept was increasingly damaged by the inequality and domination (1998). The condition of the pauper class is elevated above the condition of the laboring class, thus, the condition of the independent laborers is depressed, their industry is impaired and their employment becomes unstable and their remuneration in wages is diminished (1834).
Hence, independent laborers are subjected to extensive inducements to quit the less eligible class and enter a more eligible class of paupers. The standard regarding those who are to be maintained by the public, therefore, refers to the condition of those who can be maintained by their own exertions. Meaning, the poverty invokes people to accept a pauper life or else they must strive in order to survive ( 1834).
This circumstance depicts a loose and imperfect situation the independent laborer has been forced into. Evidences also show that those who award and distribute relief knew very little or nothing at all about the conditions of the independent laborers. Other conditions which prevail during this period proved that their situation limits the supply of commodities, the diet of the workhouses exceeded that of the cottage and the diet of the goal is more profuse than that of the workhouses (Poor Law Report, 1834).
Such standard seemingly referred to the exaction of labor wherein the work required from the paupers proves inferior to that performed by the laborers. These defects I the existing system led to different actions by both the paupers and the independent laborers (, 1834). Given the situation, poor relief and the establishment of workhouses was set as the primary anti-poverty strategy of the government.
The concept of State intervention in welfare
The evolution of welfare is a dynamic process which adjusts in theory and practice towards historical changes in political, social and individuals constructs. The exercise of power to promote welfare depended on the attitudes regarding the extent of intervention, the areas to intervene and State’s definition of “welfare”. Nonetheless, the State intervention on welfare was founded on the philosophies of ultimate goals, the degree of intervention and the elements of coercion or restriction of the rights of the individual (1989). Evidently, as believed, there is a great continuity.
Social welfare in the 20th century depict romanticism – “sentimental melancholy towards dignity and rights of the individual”, humanism – “ultimate ethical premise of the greatest happiness for the greatest number” and functionalism – “assurance of society’s survival, stability and well-being” ( 2002, ). These elements were used to justify State’s intervention efforts.
Conversely, state intervention should also promote social cohesion, integration and inclusion by virtue of equality, freedom and security. Pensions and insurance programs flooded the period along with workmen wages and compensation. The following years contributed to the re-conceptualization of social welfare programs due to massive destruction and high cost of human life lost brought by the First World War (opere citato).
Explanation: The correlation of poverty and independent laborers
Poverty evolves as new social, political and economic changes arise. Dominant political and social orders within a specific period connote different treatment towards the laboring class. Whether regarded as laborers, workers or peasants, the attitudes and judgments of the elites and the well-offs regarding this individuals dictates the condition of the society somehow which lead in the formulation and implementation of poor laws.
The fear of losing wealth and social position made the situation even worse. The punitive measures are manifested in the creation of poor reliefs, workhouses, alms-houses and other institutions. For these laborers, the only way to survive, get away with paupers and elevate themselves from poverty is to work.
Such poverty strategies mirrored the concept that poverty is an moral virtue. Impliedly, this concept triggered needs to be realized including social inclusion. The independent laborers thrive towards social acceptance through obeying the rules which they later found that certain loopholes are in the system. Essentially, having a good grasp of what poverty is from the independent laborers’ point of view can lead to the understanding of independent laborers’ whereabouts, sentiments, concerns and issues.
As (2002) puts it, the patterns of greater (inequality in income and wealth pursued a range of policies which “effectively took money from the poor and gave it to the rich” ). Such increase in the social gap strengthened human costs causing them to live an unhealthy life and the society became a more divided society. The United Kingdom was in its wealthiest status during the 1980s and the early 1980s but this fact did not compensate that there remain people who suffered from unemployment, low income, ill health and difficulties in reading and writing ( 2002).
Evidently, the reactions of the independent class or laborers per se largely depend on the amount of poverty they are immersed in. The laws proved also that in appropriate conditions will not and never be perfect more specially for those who experienced deprivation in whichever way. The condition of the independent laborers from the 15th to 17th centuries was triggering them to exert extra effort to elevate their social status and position.
Assessment: The importance of concept change in understanding the State intervention in welfare
Social, political and economic changes drive welfare changes and State intervention. These can be elaborated through the manner and measures of state intervention, the degree of intervention and center of intervention. specified that when the environment is changing, the authorities initiate radical changes in public policy. The primary role of the government is to build consensus among different interest groups and factions and depict not only economic but also political processes. The motivation is, perhaps, the protectionism through social programs (1997.
As believed by , social programs should contribute to the economic development. The modern social programs are more concern on remedial and maintenance activities (1997) where, in fact, the purpose of these social interventions is to provide and sustain individual and communal development. He even stated that programs should generate rates of return to government social expenditures. Productivist programs have been introduced as a coherent approach in social welfare.
The four elements of poverty (, 2003) does not fully satisfy the economic development of the people instead human development also covers the standard of living and low income which are indices of deprivation (see diagram below). Such aspect of standard living also includes the measures: personal, physical and mental conditions, local and environmental facilities, social activities and customs ( 2002).
The degree and levels of state intervention largely depend on the perception of certain areas regarding poverty. And the amount/levels of intervention will also depend on the domain which a specific group of people is considered poor in one aspect but rather not in another. To wit, we cannot consider a jobless man poor if he is in a good state of health. There are also social programs applicable in certain geographic areas like the productivity program in Third World countries but will prove to be insufficient to the developed countries.
Conclusion
A review of literature proves that the concept of poverty, understanding the concept of independent laborers, the changes in concept and the relationship of the two concepts are directly correlated to the degree of State intervention in welfare. However, the social problems experiences from the past are still the social problems haunting the governments, agencies, states, federals and authorities of today. Continuously, the disparity between the rich and the poor widens and, thus, consistency in poor laws and social welfare initiatives must be also widened.
Bibliography
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