Historical Analysis of Social Welfare Policy

Historical Analysis of Social Welfare Policy

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Historical Analysis of Social Welfare Policy

The study of social welfare examines the growth of charity actions, group work linked with social reform movements, and non-profit or public social services aimed at protecting or benefiting individuals, families, and residents of the greater society. The cornerstone of modern America was laid during the progressive era. Progressiveness refers to various responses to the economic and social changes that occurred due to America's rapid urbanization and industrialization near the end of the nineteenth century. Hundreds of thousands of African Americans traveled to northern cities in the late 1800s, while millions of Americans went west and into metropolitan regions. Furthermore, the United States witnessed unprecedented numbers of immigrants around this period. While these policies had some developmental stages, employment happened to be a key aspect, and these eras majorly enacted several policies to protect the interest of Americans.

The Progressive Era (1890-the 1920s) was a watershed moment in American history, with several significant reforms enacted. At the start of the century, Americans dealt with a slew of societal evils brought on by the 1800s' fast industrialization and urbanization (Aiken, 2019). Though there is some disagreement about the exact dates, most historians agree that the Progressive Era began in 1890 and ended in the 1920s (Shelton, 2019). Child labor, worker exploitation, governmental corruption, and urban poverty were all topics that the public was concerned about at this time. Progressives were reform-minded activists and regular individuals from the educated upper and middle classes who lived in metropolitan areas. These Progressives advocated for political changes and more rights for Americans across the board (Aiken, 2019). The views informed the Progressive Movement's principles and goals of pragmatists William James and John Dewey.

Many vital changes were enacted during this time to defend the rights of workers, children, and women. Political and moral corruption were also targets of reforms. While this period followed the end of slavery, Progressive reformers mostly ignored the rights of African-Americans, who faced significant discrimination in many aspects of life (Aiken, 2019). Nonetheless, Black Progressives founded key racial justice groups and worked for racial equality throughout the era. One of the movement's main aims was to improve working conditions throughout the Progressive Era (Shelton, 2019). The Industrial Revolution (1820-1870) transformed the industry and industrial systems. Additional factories had sprung up throughout the country, with owners looking for millions of new employees to operate machinery and make things at breakneck rates. Based on Frederick W. Taylor's ideas, Henry Ford implemented the assembly line, which enhanced manufacturing efficiency by a factor of ten (Shelton, 2019). These affluent businessmen, dubbed "robber barons" by the public, pursued their money while ignoring their employees and consumers

‘Health and safety.

These entrepreneurs often employed children as young as six to labor long hours for little remuneration. Indeed, twenty percent of American laborers were under sixteen in 1900. Many youngsters wor