SWLF 1005 - Week 3 The history of Canadian social welfare

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SWLF 1005 - Week 3The history of Canadian
social welfare

• Two important thoughts as we begin (relevant to
  social welfare history)
• Those who do not learn from history are doomed
  to repeat it.
• - George Santayana
• Whose history are you reading?

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Agenda for this week

• Analysis of course readings (Hick 2004 31-54)
• Final thoughts on writing and your first paper.

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Recall writing - my expectations

• Research You must demonstrate your grasp of the
  course material. This research must be conducted
  professionally and documented closely.
• Writing style a clear argument (thesis), formal
  language, thorough editing, and a coherent
  presentation of ideas. Note a thorough editing
  process is the only way to successfully
  accomplish this.
• Critical thinking this assignment is merely
  about describing your favourite approach but
  analyzing the most persuasive arguments against
  taking up the work you describe. Neglecting to
  do this will result in a poor grade.

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And

• Have fun!!!
• If you find writing a boring task, grading your
  work will likely yield a similar experience
• Push the limits of your usual thresholds
• for editing and creativity.

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Recall components of a good paper

• Introduction aimed at peaking your readers
  interest, providing some context to your paper
• Thesis your argument, stated plainly and
  succintly
• Road map following on your thesis, details about
  where you intend to go

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Components of a good paper (continued)

• Body the bulk of your paper, proceeding from
  point to point
• Moment of critical reflection critique your
  case
• Conclusion tying the threads together, summarize
  your journey.

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Small group activity our roles reversed!

• AWK - awkward phrasing, run-on sentence
• One of the key arguments that Hick raises is in
  regards to his notion that social welfare is
  important and crucial to the functioning of
  society.
• If there is a compelling perspective out there
  that makes sense its the economic theories
  approach, one that comes across in a really and
  truly convincing way.

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Small group activity (continued)

• REP - repetitive use of certain words
• Most often there is a tendency among most
  students to concentrate on those sentences most
  effective for certain situations.
• There children are our future, when can we
  really talk about children and the future, and
  talk about issues that people really care about.

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Small group activity (continued)

• SP lack of a signal phrase.
• It would be difficult to underestimate the
  importance of Keynesian ideas. Keynesian ideas
  have reshaped the terrain of social welfare
  studies. (Hick 2004 65).
• It is also crucial to grasp why Keynesian
  economics emerged in the aftermath of the Second
  World War. Keynesian economics emerges, for the
  most part, during the early postwar era. (Hick
  2002 32)

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What is capitalism? Why is it significant for
social welfare?

• There are quite a few academic words that get
  lobbed at undergraduates, perhaps one of the most
  loaded of these is capitalism.
• What does this word mean to you?
• To get a clearer idea of what capitalism is, an
  historical approach is crucial.

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Questions for today (continued)

• Return of more dead white guys (Adam Smith and
  David Ricardo)
• Why were these guys significant for the origins
  of capitalist society?

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Week 3 questions for today

• The origins of capitalist society (Hick 2004
  31-32)
• What were feudal societies? How did they work?
• Why were feudal societies transformed by the rise
  of capitalism?
• What is capitalism? What makes capitalist
  society different from earlier societies?

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Week 3 questions for today

• Capitalism in theory
• Liberation from the rule of aristocratic regimes,
  creation of free labour for peasants
• Entrepreneurialism to be rewarded through
  effective competition
• Technological dynamism at the heart of the
  capitalist system, constant innovation for new
  markets.

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Week 3 questions for today

• What was the role of early British social welfare
  policy with respect to capitalist economic
  development? (2004 30-33)
• Did this approach change over time? Why? (2004
  33-37)

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Small group activity from craft to industrial
production

• Imagine that you are the leaders of Thompson
  Educational Publishing at the turn of the 20th
  century.
• You run a factory staffed by print workers who
  are involved a great deal in all stages of book
  production.
• How will you re-engineer the production process
  to yield higher profits for the company?

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Week 3 questions for today

• The development of Canadian social welfare (Hick
  2004 39-54)
• What were the predominant features of the
  Canadian social welfare system during the
  Colonial Period?
• What terminology (that we have already reviewed)
  helps captures the design of Canadian social
  welfare at this time?
• What was the early relationship between
  French/English settlers and aboriginal peoples in
  Canada? Did this relationship change over time?
  Why?

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Week 3 questions for today

• The Second Phase of Canadian social welfare was
  characterized by shifts in certain directions in
  the provision of social welfare. What were
  these? (43-46)
• What prompted these changes? Why, in your
  opinion, was this legislation introduced in the
  first place?

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Week 3 questions for today

• What gets entrenched during the so-called 3rd
  Phase of the Canadian welfare state (2004
  46-50)
• What kind of social programs and income security
  programs emerge in this period? Is everyone
  living in Canada included?
• What was the significance of the Canada
  Assistance Plan? (2004 49)

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Questions for today

• What gets abandoned during the 4th phase of
  Canadian social welfare?
• What federal legislation is introduced during
  this period that facilitates drastic changes in
  Canadas welfare state?
• Why does Hick believe that a new vision of
  social welfare now needs to assert itself ? (54)

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For next week

• Readings Week 4.
• Bring along at least one thing you have read that
  you think represents good writing at the
  university level.
• Enjoy the great Fall colours