19th Century Welfare Provision History Essay

19th Century Welfare Provision History Essay In what ways was 19th century welfare provision shaped by the socially constructed distinction between the deserving and undeserving poor and with what consequences for these different groups in terms of the type of welfare assistance available to them?. The origins of the Welfare State in the United Kingdom go back to Elizabethan times. The introduction of the Poor Laws was the first legislative attempt to ensure that the poor had the means to live. This method continued until the Industrial Revolution, when provision for the poor changed. The Welfare State in its modern form began with the introduction of reforms between 1906 and 1914 by the Liberal Government. These reforms included the introduction of National Insurance, Old Age Pensions and Free School Meals. In the increasingly complex society that emerged in the 19th century industrialised Britain, there was , and has continued t be, a need to support people who are unable to cope without state social welfare provision and br ing order to social life. The Second World War then led to the development of welfare legislation designed to ensure that everybody in the United Kingdom had access to quality healthcare. This resulted in the introduction of the National Health Service and a range of health education and disease prevention measures being introduced in post war Britain. In the period between the fall of the Roman Empire and the enactment of the first Elizabethan Poor Law in 1601 philanthropy was characterized by various hierarchical relationships within the feudal structure.   Help for others was pre-eminently a matter of royal contributions, but was also greatly supplemented by personal charity on the part of the wealthy.   Religion and concerns about life after death drove many to charitable works.   Churches continually increased their position in society and began to take a prominent role in philanthropic endeavours. Over time the church’s role evolved, becoming one of the main instr uments of charitable actions.   A historical perspective is important in understanding british social policy development. Loking at the influence of 19th century social, economic and political change, particularly the A wide range of personal motivations contributed to philanthropic participation, as helping others was seen as emotionally and socially stimulating. While much was accomplished in this period, charity was often erratic and did not always fully meet the needs of the recipients. Robert Morris (1986) Philanthropy can be defined as the provision of financial, material, and ideal resources for cultural, social, and educational institutions.   During the course the 19th century these aims increasingly came to fruition through foundations, limited dividend companies, membership organizations, or by bequests and donations, and were generally facilitated by middle to upper class people. Thomas Adam (2001) Charity organization movements were one of the key characteristics of Victorian era philanthropists. With the emergence of nation states prior to and during this period, poverty and social welfare gradually became embodied in law. State advocated reform was often frenzied, highly bureaucratic, and humiliating to the poor who received aid.   However, as the duties of governments increased, aid societies and philanthropists also expanded their organizational efforts.