Chapter II: Historical Context of the Social Work Profession

Comprehension Questions

1. What does poverty mean?

Answer: Generally, poverty refers to a condition when people are unable to meet the basic needs of their living and fail to earn a minimum amount of income to meet the necessary basic needs. Poverty is the inability to earn this minimum income.

2. What does the poor law mean?

Answer: Generally, the laws made for the welfare of the poor are called poor laws. The laws which were enacted and implemented in England and America from the fourteenth to the twentieth century are called Poor Laws, mainly to eliminate poverty and prevent begging. Above all, any legal system adopted at the government level to provide economic and social services to the poor, control the poor, or prevent the spread of poverty is called a poor law.

3. What does dependent boys and girls mean?

Answer: Dependent boys and girls, in the general sense, refers to those boys and girls who are dependent on others. In the context of the Elizabethan Poor Law of 1601, it refers to orphans, abandoned children, and children of poor families whose parents have run away or are unable to provide for them. These poor boys and girls were included in this category and were given to any citizen for free adoption or low-cost fostering.

4. What does Panchadaitya mean?

Answer: In the Beveridge Report published in 1942, William Beveridge identified five problems as obstacles to the progress of human society. These are poverty, ignorance, disease, filth or unsanitary dirty environment, and laziness. He called these five problems the Five Giants.

5. What does the disabled poor mean?

Answer: Those who are unable to earn a living by working are called Impotent Poor. The Elizabethan Poor Law of 1601 divided the poor into three categories, one of which was the disabled pauper. Those who are physically and mentally unable to do any work are classified as disabled poor. Examples include the sick, old, blind, deaf, crippled, and mothers with children. The government bore the overall responsibility for the maintenance of the disabled poor.

6. What does social change mean?

Answer: The English equivalent of social change is Social Change. Generally, change refers to a transition from one state to another. Social change is the transition from one state of society to another, encompassing changes in social institutions, social structure, values, behavior, economic life, cultural traditions, religious beliefs, etc. Social change can be positive or negative, planned or unplanned.

7. What does social isolation mean?

Answer: In sociological terms, social isolation refers to the tendency of a person to think of themselves as separate from other people in society or their tribe. The continuous deterioration of human-to-human interaction and relationships over time is called social isolation. Industrialization and urbanization in this mechanized age are increasing social isolation.

8. What does social insurance mean?

Answer: Social insurance is one of the social security programs. It is the assurance of financial security by a government or non-governmental organization to an individual, based on their own ability and foresight, subject to certain conditions in the event of future calamity for themselves and their family. Social insurance includes industrial accident insurance, health insurance, pensions, provident funds, joint insurance, etc.

9. What does profession mean?

Answer: The English equivalent of the word profession is Profession. A profession in general terms refers to a way of earning a living guided by specialized education, skills, craft, disciplined knowledge, values, and particular ethical standards. A profession in the true sense is a scholarship or means of livelihood, where theoretical and practical knowledge in a specific field or subject is acquired and applied through proper skills, craft, and techniques. Examples include Medicine, Teaching, Law, Journalism, etc. Social recognition, public welfare orientation, and professional organization are conditions of becoming a profession.

10. What law has identified the disabled poor? Explain.

Answer: The Elizabethan Poor Law of 1601 specifically identified disabled paupers. The Poor Law divided the poor into three categories, including the disabled poor. Those who were sick, old, crippled, deaf, blind, or widows with children who were unable to work were classified as disabled poor. The government bore the overall responsibility for their maintenance.

11. What is the Beveridge Report?

Answer: After the Second World War, the then Parliament formed the Inter-Departmental Committee on Social Insurance and Related Matters under the leadership of Sir William Beveridge to ensure socio-economic development and social security in England. The committee submitted a report in November 1942, following discussions, suggestions, observations, and reviews with people from various classes and professions in society. This report is known in the history of social work in England as the Beveridge Report.

12. Poor Act 1601 divides beneficiaries into how many classes and what are they?

Answer: The Poor Law of 1601 divided relief recipients into three categories:

• Able Bodied Poor: Able-bodied poor people who could work.
• Impotent Poor: Old, sick, blind, disabled, etc., weak and disabled individuals.
• Dependent Child: Children of orphaned, abandoned, or disabled parents.

13. Describe the first Poor Law in England.

Answer: The first Poor Law in England was enacted in 1349 by King Edward III. His Statute of Laborers of 1349 is considered the first Poor Law in English history. The aim of this act was to compel able laborers to work in their localities under any willing employers, stop vagrancy and begging, and prevent people from giving alms to the able poor.