HISTORY OF SOCIAL WELFARE IN EUROPE
The history of social welfare in Europe begins in the 19 thcentury in Germany, under theimpetus of Chancellor Otto von Bismarck (1815 –1898). –1898).
At the time, workers faced extremelydifficult extremelydiffi cult and dangerous working conditions resulting from the industrial revolution. Disease,work-related accidents and the need for a replacement income when one could not workencouraged Bismarck to set up a social welfare system to cover this very destitute part of thepopulation. He set up three basic laws: 1. the 1883 law on health insurance; 2. the 1884law on work-relatedaccidents, and finally; 3. the1889 law on disability-retirement insurance.
The system was financed by the payment of dues that were proportional to salaries and shared by the employer and the worker. As such, the system guaranteed compensatory income in case of loss of income linked to work-related accidents, unemployment, illness or disability. The benefits paid out were calculated based on what proportion of the salary was paid in dues, as well as on the number of years insurance dues had been paid. Several European countries modeled their systems on the Bismarckian approach: France as early as 1945, but also Austria, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and Spain. HISTORY (EUROPE) Social work has its roots in society to deal with poverty (relative poverty). There are many influences. Therefore, social work is intricately linked with the idea of charity work; but must be understood in broader terms. The concept of charity goes back to ancient times, and the practice of providing for the poor has roots in all major world religions.
Social work, as a profession, originated in the 19th century. The movement began primarily in the United States and England. After the end of feudalism the poor were
seen as a more direct threat to the social order and so the state formed an organized system to care for them. In England, the Poor Law served this purpose. This system of laws sorted the poor into different categories, such as the 1. able bodied poor ( unable to find work.) 2. the impotent poor (could not look after themselves or go to work) 3. the idle poor ( poor who refused to work because of laziness)
This system developed different responses to these different groups. different categories English History The growth of social work in England as a discipline had similar parallels to the American experience of mass migration and social upheaval. The Industrial Revolution (transition to new manufacturing processes) was a major cause of these changes, as social and economic conditions changed, resulting in the massive growth of cities.
The first social workers were called hospital almoners, and were based in medical institutions. The Royal Free Hospital hired Mary Stewart as the first almoner in 1895. Her role was to assess people requesting treatment at the hospital to ensure that they were considered "deserving enough" of the free treatment. The role soon developed to cover the provision of other social programs, and by 1905 other hospitals had created similar roles. By this time, the Hospital Almoners Council had been formed to oversee the new profession. Industrialization and the Origins of Modern Social Work
In the half century after the Civil War, rapid industrial expansion produced a dramatic increase in individual and community needs. The most notable social changes of this period included a series of economic depressions (known then as "panics") and their consequences; new manifestations of racism following the end of Reconstruction in 1876; and a dramatic increase in immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe.
In the 1940s, Great Britain took a different direction, choosing another form of social welfare, which followed the precepts of the British economist and politician Lord William Henry Beveridge (1879 –1963).
He described his doctrine as follows: “the
role of government is to fight squalor (poverty), idleness and disease”. As a result, it is the state’s responsibility to cover the expenses of setting up a social security system. Various taxes and duties made it possible to finance this innovative structure.
So in 1941 –1942, under the influence of his welfare policy, the British National Health Service was born. This free social system guarantees British citizens access to social services without having to pay social dues in exchange, or with only very minimal due
The expression used to describe this system is “universal welfare system”. A large number of the social welfare systems in northern European countries (Ireland, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden) have universal characteristics.
“The different systems provide qualitatively different benefits. The universal system provides exclusively fixed-rate benefits. British or Irish managers and workers find themselves granted the same basic fixed-rate pension (State pension), whereas French managers and workers receive pensions proportional to the number of years insurance dues were paid, making them much more g enerous.”
With the growth of religion, PRIEST assumed responsibility for disadvantaged groups. DISADVANTAGED GROUPS
RELIGIOUS ORDERS devoted their time: collecting alms and distributing them to the sick and the poor
The MENDICANCY (begging) in EUROPE soon caused conflict with the state which continued towards the end of middle Ages.
Monasteries and similar institutions were replaced by hospitals.
This was through the donations from members of royal and aristocratic families in Europe. REFORMERS
16th century: Period of Reformation
Church leaders--- leading role in the administration of the needy
Efforts were started to make local authoritiesassume their responsibility Started by Martin Luther (1520) Appealed to the nobility forbid begging---- but instead, to organize “common chest” in all parishes to receive donations to the needy from citizens.
Juan Luis Vives, a Spanish philosopher called attention to the need to look into social conditions of the needy in society.
He developed program of poor relief, by dividing the city into parish quarters with a team assigned to each quarter to investigate the social condition of every pauper (very poor person) family.
Father Vincent de Paul of France
was an important reformer of charities who organized: “Ladies of Charity” -whose members visited poor in their homes, distributing food and clothes “Daughters of Charity”
composed of young women from peasant class--nursing the sick and the handicapped and attending the poor. -the group is considered as the forerunners of modern social worker.
1817 Elizabeth Fry “Angel of the prisons
”
Elizabeth Gurney Fry (1780-1845) is best known for her achievements in the reform of the British prison system. The most important innovation of this period was the building of the prototype house of correction, the London Bridewell. Houses of correction were originally part of the machinery of the Poor Law, intended to instil habits of industry through prison labour. Most of those held in them were petty offenders, vagrants and the disorderly local poor. For a woman to undertake this kind of work was completely new and Fry became known as `the angel of the prisons. Elizabeth Fry first entered Newgate prison in London in 1813. She was shocked by the inhuman circumstances in which women and children were imprisoned. The reports of her conversations with the women in Newgate prison are impressive records of what she encountered and of her determination to improve their conditions. In order to further her campaign, she invited influential people to come and visit the prison to see the poor living conditions for themselves. In particular, Fry opposed solitary imprisonment, She argued it was a practice that was bad for the health and mental sanity of the prisoners. Fry became the first prison reformer to focus on the moral improvement of prisoners through personal contact, conversations, education and work. To accomplish this work, she introduced another innovation: voluntary committees of women to arrange prison visits and to organize support following the discharge of the prisoners back into the community. This became the forerunner of professional probation services. The reforms advocated by Elizabeth Fry had three core ingredients: 1. Male and female prisoners had to be accommodated separately and guards had to be of the same gender as the prisoners. This has since become standard international practice.. 2. Arrangements for regular visits to female prisoners were established and, in addition, the volunteers had to take care of education, paid work and support after their clients left prison.
3. Prisoners were to have opportunities for education and paid work. Fry visited many prisons across the UK. Her methods were so effective that in 1823 much of her approach was incorporated into British prison law. Wherein she is the reformer of Law. She was consulted by Queen Victoria and Parliament, and became a source of inspiration for nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale.
Florence Nightingale, also known as the 'Lady with the Lamp,' was a founder of modern nursing and social reformer. Thomas Chalmers `To help the poor to help themselves` What was needed was an active link to the community that, according to Chalmers, aims to address problems through local solidarity (UNITY). Included in the community, the poor could work and be modest while enlarging their own responsibility. Whenever financial help was needed, this should come from the religious community. Charity had to be preferred, as it generated altruism from the giver.
To the present day, Chalmers` concepts are relevant to social work. Key elements of his approach can be found in community care and the current policy developments.
Cadbury, Dame 1858 –1951, English social worker and philanthropist, working for improvement in education, housing, and peace.
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