6 Social Welfare Administration: Concept, Nature and Scope

1 104 Social Work Intervention with Communities and Institutions6 Social Welfare Administration: concept , Nature and Scope * Ramesh BharadwajIntroductionIn early times, Social Welfare functions were performedby a few individuals or groups of individuals motivatedby compassion and concern for the poor, the needyand the destitute. These people were laymen, embodiedwith the qualities of humanism and selfless serviceto the community. But in modern times, most ofthe countries have adopted the concept of a welfarestate instead of a police state. The Encyclopaediaof Social Sciences describes a Welfare state as astate which takes up the responsibility to providea minimum standard of subsistence to its Kent remarked that by a Welfare state wemean a state which provides extensive services tothe people.

2 Thus, in a Welfare state, the administrationenters into economic, political, Social and educationallife of individuals. And it provides services toindividuals, right from an individual s birth to state is to serve the old, sick, orphans, widows,helpless, oppressed and the disabled people wheneverthey are in need of the context of the present day Social problems,the size of Welfare services provided by an increasinglylarge number of organisations make administrationvery important. Social Welfare services, schemes,projects and programmes, are becoming increasinglycomplex. Since it is no longer accepted that anynormally intelligent person with good intentions can* Dr. Ramesh Bharadwaj, Kurukshetra University, KurukshetraSocial Welfare Administration: concept , Nature and Scope105administer the Welfare work, a sound administrationis vital.

3 It is increasingly realised that Social welfareprogrammes require qualified and trained Social welfarepersonnel to perform Social Welfare functions it is argued that for serving the people effectivelyit is necessary to professionalise, as professionalisationcan increase the ability of Social Welfare personnelto solve the pressing Social problems confrontingour discussing the meaning of Social welfareadministration, it is necessary to know the meaningof the term administration. Administration is a co-operative human effort towards achieving some commongoals. Thus every group activity involves administration,whether in a family, factory, hospital, university,or a government department. Whenever two or morepeople cooperate in view of doing a thing that cannotbe taken up alone, the concept of word administration has been derived from theLatin words ad and ministrate which means toserve.

4 In simple language, it means the managementof affairs or looking after the people . To administeris to manage, direct and White (1948) views that the art of administrationis the direction, coordination and control of manypersons to achieve some purpose or objective. Nigro (1951) defines administration as theorganisation and use of men and materials toaccomplish a purpose. According to Herbert A. Simon (1960) In its broadestsense, administration can be defined as the activitiesof groups co-operative to accomplish common goals. 106 Social Work Intervention with Communities and InstitutionsPfiffner defines administration as the organisationand direction of human and material resources toachieve desired ends.

5 Thus, it is clear from above definitions thatadministration is concerned with proper organisationof men and material to achieve desired ends. Itconsists of doing the work or getting the work doneby AdministrationTo achieve the aims and objectives of Social Welfare ,the government formulates Social policies andprogrammes and in pursuance thereof enacts sociallegislation, allocates financial assistance and providesorganisational and administrative linkages in theform of ministries and departments. It also seeksthe partnership of non-governmental organisationsfor the effective implementation of various socialwelfare programmes. Administration of all theseactivities being undertaken in the sphere of socialservices and Social Welfare is considered as fallingin the realm of Social Welfare to Richard M.

6 Titmus, 1948, Socialadministration may broadly be defined as the studyof Social services whose object is the improvementof conditions of life of the individual in the settingof family and group relations. Donnison, 1961 defines Social administration as the study of development, structure and practicesof Social services. According to Forder (1974) Social administration isconcerned with study of the Welfare system, andparticularly the government sponsored Social services .Thus, Social administration is concerned with thestudy of Welfare system of government s sponsoredsocial Welfare Administration: concept , Nature and Scope107 Definitional Issues: Social Welfareand Its Related ConceptsA number of terms are used in Social Welfare withsubtle differences in their meanings.

7 Some of theimportant terms are explained as Service: Helping the helpless is Social is service rendered to any person on the basisof desire to serve which is inspired by the feelingof helping others. Thus the term Social service isused to denote help given by a volunteer to anindividual or group at the time of need or to enhancethe Welfare of individual or the community throughpersonal efforts or by collective action. Social servicedoes not require training in Social work or skill inprofessional the Indian context Social services are those services,which are provided on an extensive scale to theneedy population; they serve to meet the basic needsof the people and include such services as health,education, housing etc.

8 Providing drinking water duringsummer, helping the blind to cross a road, rescuingpeople from a house under fire, donate blood some of the examples of Social Welfare Services: Thus Social services arethe services, meant for the normal , Social Welfare services are designed forthe weaker sections of society or services for particulargroups of people. The aim of Social services on theother hand is to enhance human quality of resourcesin general. Social Welfare services are also enablingservices provided to the weaker sections of thecommunity so as to help them to reach the mainstream of society. Thus both these services aresupplementary and complementary to each Security: Social security is the security thatsociety furnishes through provision of appropriate108 Social Work Intervention with Communities and Institutionsservices against violation of certain rights to whichits members are exposed.

9 These risks are essentiallycontingencies of life which the individuals of smallmeans cannot effectively provide for by their ownability or foresight alone or even with the helps oftheir fellow human , Social security is an effort on the part of thestate or the employer or any other related agency,to provide an individual all possible helpduring periods of physical distress or illness or injuryand also at the time of economic distress causeddue to reduction or loss of earning on account ofsickness, disablement, maternity, unemployment,old age or death of the work of Social security is done through socialassistance, Social insurance, health and Social welfareservices etc.

10 Thus Social security is a wider conceptof Social Work: Help the helpless to help themselves . Social work is a method or process based on scientificknowledge and skill to assist the individuals, groupand communities, with the view to enhance theirsocial functioning to grow in accordance with theirknowledge, capacities and capabilities. Therefore, Social Welfare has been used as an end and socialwork, as a means for the provision of Social Welfare : Social Welfare is an organised systemof Social services and institutions, designed to aidindividuals and groups, to attain satisfying standardsof life and health. Social Welfare therefore, aimsat providing services to weaker sections of thepopulation who because of various handicaps suchas physical, mental, economic and Social , are unableto make use of Social services provided by societyor have been traditionally deprived of these Welfare Administration: concept , Nature and Scope109 According to Wayne Vasey (1958) Social welfareincluded two main characteristics: The utilisation of Welfare measures to supportor strengthen the family as a basic Social institutionthrough which needs are met.