Social Welfare

What is Social Welfare?

Social welfare is a system of laws and institutions through which a government attempts to protect and promote its citizens’ economic and social welfare. In other words, social welfare aims at providing services to the underprivileged section of the population by providing them various forms of social insurance against poverty, unemployment, disability, and old age.

The question ‘what is social welfare’ is aptly answered by Walter Friedlander. He says, “social welfare is an organised system of social services and institutions designed to aid individuals and groups in attaining basic human requirements such as food, shelter, health, and education.”

Social Welfare Administration

Social welfare administration refers to the formulation and implementation of social policies related to the well-being of weaker and vulnerable citizens of society. Generally, it is the process of transforming social policy into social services. A body like a social welfare department helps in facilitating social administration.

In the words of Dunham, we can define social welfare administration as supporting and facilitating necessary or incidental activities to the giving of direct services by a social agency.

Objectives of Social Welfare Administration

Following are the objectives of social welfare administration:

• To create awareness of the diverse organisations providing social welfare services among the prospective beneficiaries.

• To identify the weaknesses or problems in rendering services and find out their causes to avoid future repetitions.

• To acquaint the service providers with the intended beneficiaries’ needs, requirements, and expectations.

• To keep a close watch on the methods and procedures with the help of which social welfare service providers are providing the services.

• To create cooperation and coordination among the social welfare service providers to prevent repetitions resulting in the unnecessary misuse of valuable resources. 

• To encourage social welfare service providers by introducing innovative methods and techniques to maximise the effective rendering of social welfare services.

Social Welfare Organizations

Social welfare organisations refer to organisations established by individuals with a specific purpose. These organisations are held together by models of procedure and behaviour engaged in formulating and implementing programmes, benefits and services for the people in need.

The emergence of Social Welfare Organisations in India

In the 18th century, many social welfare organisations developed in India. These social welfare organisations were established in Calcutta, Madras and Bombay. Some of the major social welfare organisations were Brahmo Samaj, Arya Samaj, RamaKrishna Mission etc. In this context, one such noteworthy organisation was Rashtriya SwayamSevak Sangh, an organisation of radical Hindus who envisaged a Hindu Raj in India.

The religion-based organisations exist for Muslims and Christians etc., in those areas where these particular groups are numerically significant. Some of these organisations operated by people expressing collective interests, while others were geared to uplift and reform their respective communities.

Other social welfare organisations include youth clubs, women clubs and co-operative credit organisations. These social organisations are usually initiated and financed by the government as organisational innovations. An inventory of the objectives of these clubs shows that they try to accelerate the process of economic development and social change already set in motion by India’s five-year plans.

Types of Social Welfare Organisations

Following are the different types of social welfare organisations:

Formal Organisations

Formal organisations refer to a structure of well-defined jobs, each bearing a definitive measure of authority, responsibility and accountability. The formal organisation lays down the relationships between individuals and rules and regulations that guide individuals’ behaviour.

Informal Organisations

Informal organisations result from social interaction between individuals in a formal organisation, where people work together and evolve into informal groups bound together by social, economic and technological interests. The informal organisation comes into existence because of the limitations of the formal organisation.

Structured Organisations

Structured organisations are formed and operate with a clear structure or relationship framework, whether formal or informal. For example, registered social service organisations and social welfare departments fall under structured organisations.

Unstructured Organisations

Unstructured organisations do not have a clear structure or framework and may not be long-lasting. These organisations may be formed as per the requirement or purpose to achieve specific goals and objectives. The people involved in these organisations work in an unstructured manner as all of them are equal in their roles and duties.

Conclusion

To conclude, social welfare encompasses the well-being of all the members of human society, including their physical, mental, social, economic and spiritual welfare. It can also be described as an institution consisting of laws and policies operationalised by organised activities of private or public agencies, by which adequate social services are distributed to individuals and groups.

It is advisable to read about similar terms like social work, social assistance and social insurance to understand the topic in-depth. Getting a solid grip on these topics would help in comprehending the concept of social welfare.