Understanding the Welfare State: Successes and Failures
Welfare State: Successes, Failures, and Debates
What is the Welfare State?
The welfare state describes a system in which the state takes responsibility for protecting the health and welfare of its citizens and for meeting their social needs. The state does this through its provision of services and benefits.
Types of Welfare Provision
Welfare issues provoke much heated debate among sociologists, politicians, and the media because they involve important questions about how our society tackles inequality and poverty. There are several types of welfare provisions:
- Informal Sector: An important source of welfare provision. Our families, relatives, and friends may help us out in all sorts of ways.
- Private Sector: People operate businesses that may fill gaps in state sector provision. In education, private and independent schools compete with state provision.
- Voluntary Sector: Voluntary agencies provide welfare services.
- State Sector: Local authorities may provide services such as preschool nursery places and play schemes. They also provide public housing and social services. The welfare state provides a range of health and welfare services.
Debates Among Sociologists
Sociologists debate several key issues regarding the welfare state:
- Who should provide welfare services?
- What should the balance be between the state, private, voluntary, and informal sectors as providers?
- Should benefits and services be provided to everyone or targeted only at those in need?
- What level of services and benefits should be provided?
How Successful Has the Welfare State Been?
Some believe that the welfare state has been reasonably successful as a safety net, while others argue that it has been far from successful in tackling poverty and inequality. Others view the welfare state as wasteful and believe it should be slimmed down.
The Welfare State as a Success Story
The welfare state is seen as playing a crucial part in providing equal educational opportunities for all. Optimistic views focus on the positive achievements of the welfare state. Supporters suggest that the welfare state has removed absolute poverty. Through the NHS, everyone has access to medical treatment. Slum housing has been demolished. People have been given the means to train or retrain for jobs.
The Welfare State as a Failure
The welfare state provides neither sufficient money nor support services to those in need. The policy of “care in the community” is a case in point. It involves people with special needs. However, critics suggest that the motivation behind care in the community is financial. The introduction of charges for eye and dental checks is criticized. Equality of educational outcome is a myth. The sale of council houses to tenants has reduced the stock of local authority housing provision. Homelessness appears to be a growing social problem. Unemployment is a far bigger social problem than official statistics suggest.
Other Critical Views of the Welfare State
Some argue that welfare state provisions may actually discourage people from helping themselves. New Right approaches suggest that the welfare state has created a dependency culture. People claim that state benefits present a disincentive to work. New Right approaches suggest that public spending on welfare is wasteful and costly. Critics suggest that the welfare state reduces the importance of families.