Deck 2: The Historical Context: Basic Concepts and Early Influences

Question 1

The origin of U.S. social welfare policy is best characterized as:

A) an extension of the obligation to charity found within dominant religious traditions
B) an ambivalent melding of charitable obligation and Protestant work ethic
C) a complex classification that divides those in need between the 'worthy' and 'unworthy'
D) all the above

Answer 1

D

Question 2

What made being poor less stigmatizing at the beginning of Western society than it is in the U.S. today?

A) people lacked communication and media, so no one found out that one was poor
B) instability due to crop failures and illness, combined with the fact that most of the society lived at close to subsistence levels, created a context where everyone knew that they could become poor themselves
C) people were more compassionate and moral back then
D) poverty did not become stigmatizing until the creation of formal 'welfare' programs

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which of the following was NOT a central feature of the English Poor Law of 1601?

A) abolished the distinction between 'worthy' and 'unworthy' poor
B) provided outdoor relief in non-institutional settings
C) created workhouses for unemployed laborers
D) embodied the principle of local responsibility for those in poverty

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Our Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program today parallels the concept of __________________ from the English Poor Law of 1601:

A) almshouses
B) workhouses
C) outdoor relief
D) a sliding scale to index benefits to the cost of essential items, such as food

Question 5

An approach to social policy which asserts that government should assure basic needs as a right of citizenship in advanced economies is called:

A) residual
B) institutional
C) localized
D) socialist

Question 6

Which of the following was NOT an original goal of the U.S. Constitution?

A) increase the power of the central government
B) protect state and individual rights
C) establish the framework of government for the new nation
D) extend voting rights beyond white males, in a rejection of the policies of the British colonial government

Question 7

A strengths perspective views which of the following as a legacy of slavery within African-American communities?

A) fragmented families
B) lower levels of formal education
C) a strong tradition of self-help organizations and mutual aid
D) fear of white people

Question 8

In response to claims of sovereignty by Native American tribes, in 1830 Congress:

A) granted reparations to Native people whose lands had been taken by white settlers
B) gave Native tribes more control over their child welfare systems
C) described the treatment of Native peoples in the new nation a 'genocide'
D) passed legislation forcing most tribes to abandon their lands and settle on reservations west of the Mississippi River

Question 9

Which group of new immigrants has NOT faced significant discrimination and hostility upon settling in the U.S.?

A) Irish
B) Italian
C) Mexican
D) none of the above

Question 10

The period in U.S. history known as Reconstruction was:

A) the final end to legal discrimination of African Americans in the United States
B) the beginning of decades of constant struggle between the federal government, firmly supporting minority rights, and Southern states opposed to suffrage for African Americans
C) a temporary improvement in the rights of African Americans, followed by a long period of segregation, legalized oppression, and economic deprivation
D) a complete failure; no real assistance was afforded to former slaves

Question 11

Which of the following causes are NOT strongly identified with the U.S. settlement house movement, itself part of the foundation of the social work profession?

A) the origin of the juvenile court system
B) attention to the needs of African Americans in urban areas
C) abolition of child labor
D) emphasis on social reform rather than individual casework

Question 12

The programs created out of society's recognition of the normal risks of living and the need to pool money to help in the event of misfortune like unemployment or injury are called:

A) social insurance
B) Social Darwinism
C) residual assistance
D) risk management

Question 13

Mothers' pensions were originally designed to aid primarily:

A) never-married women, because they were often the most disadvantaged
B) African-American women, because they were usually poorer than white women
C) women who were divorced, because the stigma associated with divorce at the time made it hard for these women to find work
D) widows, who met society's imposed morals test

Question 14

Mothers' pensions represent a ______________ approach to family support:

A) paternalistic
B) institutional
C) maternalistic
D) materialistic

Question 15

Some argue that, because the U.S. social welfare system originated in the context of localized support to the needy, provided through religious institutions, a private, faith-based approach would work best today. What factors suggest that this may not, in fact, be the case?

Question 16

Imagine that you are a social work advocate for individuals who are homeless. You have a meeting with a state legislator who is known to be a devout Jew. How might you integrate what you know about the role of Judaism in the foundation of our social welfare tradition to frame your argument for their support?

Question 17

Religious traditions are not the only historical value systems that influence social policy today. Explain how discussions of poverty and economic inequality evidence the influence of Social Darwinism; further, how do these beliefs contribute to the policy responses proposed, and what are the implications for people's outcomes?

Question 18

Explain your understanding of Frederick Douglass' critique of the new nation's claims of equality and liberty and compare the except in the chapter to current protests against racial injustice.

Question 19

What elements of the historical policy approach to social welfare are seen in modern programs such as Temporary Assistance to Needy Families?

Question 20

Why is it important for social workers practicing in child welfare to know the history of Native boarding schools? How might you, as a social worker, educate yourself for this area of practice?

Question 21

Describe the influence of the origins of our profession on the profession's modern identity.

Question 22

What are three contributions of African-American social workers to our profession/our society?

Question 23

Name three accomplishments of the Progressive Era that are significant today.