Introduction to Shaping Social Policy: Governments, Organizations, the International Community and the Individual

Social policy involves more than the development of the welfare state or social programs. It encompasses a larger debate on the responsibilities of citizens and governments to meet basic human needs and promote equality and justice. The study of social policy requires thoughtful consideration of the following fundamental questions: What are basic human needs? How can individuals, organizations, and governments best meet those needs? Who, if anyone, is responsible for the welfare of others? What social ills can be addressed through policy? Who has the most resources, skill, and ability to address social ills? Who is most in need of aid? What kinds of aid should be given to individuals in need? Should aid be given to whole populations or nations in need? Who should give aid? Who should social policy most benefit? These basic questions underscore the elemental principles and tensions of all modern social policy.

Social policy is based on relationships among individuals, organizations, and governments. This chapter introduces the major actors in social policy movements, entities that form our collective response to social problems. Profiled in this chapter are the efforts of international agencies, national governments, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and private individuals to respond to social problems. Organizations under the umbrella of the United Nations often lead cooperative efforts to address broad, global issues such as hunger and access to medical care. Profiles of nongovernmental organizations such as the International Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity demonstrate the commitment of organizations providing basic human needs. Articles such as "How Not to Help Our Poorer Brothers," "The Role of the State in Citizen's Lives," and "Civic Cooperation" frame a still controversial and timelycentury-old debate over the social policy responsibilities of national governments and individuals. This chapter also provides a brief introduction to some of the social policy issues that arise throughout the volume— hunger, healthcare, pensions and social security, housing, government welfare programs, legal aid, peace and security, property ownership, civil liberties, and discrimination.

Subsequent chapters of this volume are divided by time period, with the last two chapters covering current social policy issues. Implied in each chapter division is a shift—sometimes subtle, sometimes radical—in United States and international social policy. The editors encourage readers to approach material throughout this volume using the fundamental questions and concepts proposed here as a framework for critical analysis of social policy.