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Module 1
Introduction to Social Welfare Administration

Component-I (A)

Role Name Affiliation

Principal Investigator Dr. Geeta Balakrishnan College of Social Work,

Nirmala Niketan, Mumbai

Paper Coordinator Dr. Lidwin Dias College of Social Work,

Nirmala Niketan, Mumbai

Content Writer / Author (CW) Dr. Lidwin Dias College of Social Work,
Nirmala Niketan, Mumbai

Content Reviewer (CR) Ms. Patsy Khan College of Social Work,

Nirmala Niketan, Mumbai

Language Editor (LE) Ms. Patsy Khan College of Social Work,

Nirmala Niketan, Mumbai

Component-I (B)

Items Description of Module

Subject Name Social Work Education

Paper Name Social Welfare & Development Administration

Paper # 6

Module Name / Title Introduction to Social Welfare Administration

Module # 1

Pre-requisites (Expected to know A Basic understanding of the Social Welfare

before learning this module) Administration – Definitions and concepts,
models of Social Welfare, History of Social
Welfare in India

Objectives (of this module) To help the student gain a basic understanding
of Social Welfare and Social Welfare
Administration and how it is different from

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Social Service, Social Security and Social

Reform.

To understand the difference between Public

administration and Social Welfare
administration

To trace the history of Social Welfare

Administration in India

Key words Social Welfare, Social Welfare Administration,

Social Service, Social Security, Social Reform,
Social Development, Social Legislation, Public
Administration,

Learning Outcome:

This module titled ‘Introduction to Social Welfare Administration’ aims to provide the learner an
understanding of What is Social Welfare Administration and clarify the concepts and give definitions and
meanings to Social Work, Social Welfare, Social Services, Social Reform and Social Security. It will
look into the models of Social Welfare Administration, its History and the difference between Public
administration and Social Welfare administration.

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Quadrant 1

1. Introduction

The aim of Social work has been promoting wellbeing and improvement in the life of individuals in
general and to alleviate the sufferings of the vulnerable and marginalized and improve their social
conditions.

There are six methods in social work practice:

Work with individual

Work with groups
Work with communities
Social action
Social work research
Social welfare administration

(Chowdhry, 2000)

Social work administration is a process by which we apply professional competence to achieve certain
goals. It is also called a process of transforming social policy into social action.

Social welfare is generally confused with social service, social reform and social security. In some
countries, social services are included in social welfare services whereas in others all welfare services
including social services come under the umbrella of social welfare. Thus it is important to clarify the
concept of what is Social welfare.

2. What is Social Welfare?

Social Welfare aims at the well being and improvement of the life of individuals in general, and
alleviating the sufferings and ameliorating the lot of the destitute, deprived disadvantaged and
underprivileged sections of society in particular. In other words Social Welfare comprises income
maintenance and support programmes together with the wide range of social services that have been
developed to meet human needs and respond to social problems.

Though social welfare has come to acquire an identity of its own it has to be considered in relation to
social development a term that is widely used internationally. Social development is linked with
economic development which is material aspect of growth and that the social development refers to
human aspect of growth. In this context social development includes the services of health and nutrition,
education and training, social protection and shelter which are needed to improve the human conditions.

Social and welfare services of a country are the product of its social policies which reflect the social goals
and objectives it aspires to achieve. In short Social Welfare encompasses social services, social
legislation, social work, social security and its two approaches that are social insurance and social
assistance.

To achieve the aims and objectives of social welfare, the Government formulates social policies and in
pursuance thereof enacts social legislation, defines various projects, schemes and programmes, makes

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financial allocations and provides organizational structure and administrative machinery in the form of
ministries, departments, corporations, agencies solicits the support and cooperation of nongovernmental
organizations (voluntary agencies) for implementation of various programmes. The administration of all
the activities undertaken in the sphere of social services, social work, social legislation etc would be
considered to belong to the realm of social welfare administration.

Thus Social Welfare signifies the attempts made by governments and voluntary organizations to help
families and individuals by maintaining incomes at an acceptable level, by providing medical care and
public health services by furthering adequate housing and community development, by providing services
to facilitate social adjustment and by furnishing facilities for recreation. In addition social welfare
includes legislation and facilities designed to protect those who might be subject to exploitation and to
care for those groups considered to be the responsibility of the community.

The scope of social welfare varies from country to country. Social welfare in the United States is
identified with the term welfare state. Britain has developed a comprehensive social welfare package to
fight against exploiting situations. It gives priority to family allowances comprehensive health services
national income support insurance etc. In the United States social welfare encompasses the network of
social legislation policies programs institution resources and services that exist in the modern societies to
enable accessibility of services. The Scandinavian countries have the reputation of developing the best
social welfare systems and it is based on the principle that citizen has the right to effective protection by
the state.

3. Concept of Social Welfare

According to the encyclopedia Britannica Social Welfare has been defined as a system of laws and
institutions which a government attempts to protect and promote the economic and social welfare of its
citizens usually based on various forms of social insurance against unemployment accident illness and old
age. The UN declaration on human rights also advocates that every individual has the right to secured
livelihood.

According to Friedlander ‘Social welfare is organized system of social services and institutions designed
to aid individuals and groups to attain satisfying standard of life and health and personal and social
relationships which permit them to develop to their full capacities and to promote their well being in
harmony with the needs of the families and the communities.

From the Indian perspective social welfare signifies the provision of social welfare services for the
socially underprivileged group, schedule castes, tribes, denotified tribes, orphans, widows, unmarried
mothers, aged, women and children, socially maladjusted individuals, commercial sex workers physically
and mentally challenged and the economically underpriviledged.

4. Definition of Social Welfare

According to S. Rengasamy Social Welfare is an institution, comprising policies and laws , that are
operationalized by organized activities of voluntary (private) and / or government (public) agencies, By
which a defined minimum of social services, money and other consumption rights are distributed to
individuals, families and groups, by criteria other than those of the marketplace or those prevailing in the
family system , for the purpose of preventing, alleviating or contributing to solution of recognized social
problems so as to improve the well being of the individuals, groups and communities directly
(www.scribd.com/doc/15017715)

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Ralph Dolgoff defines Social Welfare as all social interventions that are intended to enhance or maintain
the social functioning of human beings may be defined as social welfare.

According to Richard Titmuss “All collective interventions to meet certain needs of the individual and /
or to serve the wider interests of society is called as social welfare”

Social Welfare includes all programs whose explicit purpose is to protect adults and children from the
degradation and insecurity of ignorance, illness, disability, unemployment and poverty --Amy Gutmann

5. Concept of Administration

In order to carry on the welfare activities administration plays an important role.

The term Administration may be defined as the sum total of all activities which relate to
1. Determination of objectives, plans, policies and programs.
2. Securing resources –human, materials and machinery.
3. Putting all these resources in to operation –through sound organization.
4. Controlling their performance – to ensure achievement of ends
5. Providing sense of achievement to the workers in the operation through financial and non-financial
incentives

6. What is Social Welfare Administration?

Social Welfare Administration is the process of efficiently providing resources and services to meet the
needs of the individuals, families, groups and communities to facilitate social relationship and adjustment
necessary to social functioning.

A comprehensive definition of Social Welfare Administration, however, is given in the curriculum study
of the American Council of Social Work Education in the following words: “Administration is the
process of transforming community resources into a programme of community service, in accordance
with goals, policies and standards which have been agreed by those involved in the enterprise. It is
creative in that it structures roles and relationships in such a way as to alter and enhance the total product.
It involves the problem solving process of study, diagnosis and treatment solution, or action and
evaluation of results.”(Sirohi, 2012)

In the following section we will try to understand trace the evolution of Social Welfare Administration
from the ancient, medieval, pre Independence and Post Independence.

7. Social welfare-a bird’s eye view-on the evolution of social welfare in India

The terms Social services, social reform and social security have come to be prominently used in the 20 TH
century but social welfare did exist even in primitive societies. All religions imbibe the spirit of
compassion and concern for the others specially those in distress and deprivation and help by giving a
portion of their earning in charity.

I. In the Ancient period we see that all religious scriptures of India the Vedas, the
Dharmashashtras proclaim the duties of the kings to protect their subjects and promote
their welfare. The Maurian regime also presented the model of a welfare state. King
Ashoka the great has inscribed on his law that ‘all men are my children whose welfare

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and happiness in the world and the next must promote. Accordingly lots of public utility
services were introduced by him.’ Kautilya in his famous arthashashtra portrays the
ingredients of a welfare state, which says that the state itself provided protections to the
disadvantaged sections. Lastly the period of Gupta Empire was rightly known as the
golden age because the prosperity and happiness the subjects enjoyed is evident in the
analysis of the Indian history.

II. The Medieval period represents the Rajput governments, sultan’s regime and Mughal
administration. Most of the Afghan sultans were more interested in their present well
being than the state, they resisted the development of education and charity. Sher shah
Suri is acclaimed for his great contribution in the field of social service. The
contributions of Akbar need credibility.

III. The British period can be split into two sagas.

a. The East India's company's rule and the Assumption of responsibility of Administration by the
British crown.
b. The East Indian companies’ primary role was to consolidate its conquered territories and maintain
law and order; other contributions include public health and reform activities.

The British period is also categorized by social services social legislation social security and social
reforms these are briefly explained below:

A. Social services activities are seen as follows

Expansion and extension of public utility and social services. Through the Hunter commission
appointed in 1882 which focused on primary, secondary and technical education in the field of
public health. Secondly the Royal commission looked into the health conditions of the Indian
army. The plaque commission 1904 recommended the enhancement of public health services and
the Government of India Act 1935 granted autonomy to provinces to provide for and administer
public health and medical services

B. Social reforms
The Indian reformers and the reform movements were born during the British period that fought
for the equality of rights for women and the abolition of institutions like untouchability, sati,
child marriage and restriction on widow re-marriage.

C. Social Security
Social security was provided in the form of compensation due to disability caused by accidents,
death, old age, employment etc. Many reformers urged the government to provide security and
labor welfare resulting in the factories act 1922 Indian trade unions act1926, the Trade dispute act
1929 and the state government also passed the maternity benefit act.

D. Social Welfare

The government was prompted to provide the social welfare measures in various forms due to
various factors like, urbanization industrialization labor exploitation etc. However the British
government had done very little by way of providing social welfare benefits for the disadvantaged
underprivileged sections like SC’s and ST’s and Backward Classes except for the provision of
educational facilities in1944 by the central govt.

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IV. Development of social welfare in the Post Independent era

It was only after independence the government realized the role of state in promoting peoples welfare.
The aims of the welfare state are clearly highlighted in the preamble of the constitution, fundamental
rights, directive principles of the state policy, provisions for the welfare of the schedule castes and tribes
and the backward castes. Article 41 of the Constitution provides that the State shall direct its policy
towards securing the rights to work, to education, to public assistance in case of employment, old age,
sickness, disablement. Thus Social Welfare in India meant, the development of human and other
resources to promote better standard of living, to establish a social order in which all section of the
population will be given uniform consideration in their quest of security and equality both in rural and
urban.

Planning commission and social welfare: Planning commission is the chief instrument for translating into
practice the constitutional provisions it was set up in 1950, giving concrete shape to the aspiration
expressed in the directive principles of the state policy by incorporating it in the various five year.
The different sectors taken care in the five year plans are:
 Health and family welfare
 Social welfare
 Nutrition
 Backward classes
 Education
 Housing
 Urban development
 Water supply
 Rural development
 Small industries

As the social structures became more complex the State had to respond to increase its role in
providing services. The central Government governing bodies had to ensure minimum administration
to deal with the problem.
 Thus in 1953 Central Social Welfare Board was set up. The Major objective of the board was to
foster growth of voluntary social service agencies through well planned and directed financial aid.
 In 1964 – Administrative structure for social welfare was started to bring all the departments
together.
 In 1972 – It was re designated as the department of social welfare and put under the control of the
ministry of education and welfare.
 In 1985 – Social Welfare department was established as a separate ministry, and the areas of
focus included welfare of the schedule castes and tribes, minorities etc. The Ministry is also
supported by subordinate organizations like National Institute of Social defense, Institute for the
visually, orthopedically handicapped, and hearing impaired. national commission for the schedule
castes and tribes etc.
 In 1998 – Social Welfare Department was named as ‘Ministry of Social Justice and
Empowerment’.

SOCIAL LEGISLATION was another step towards social welfare and a few legislations enacted by
the government of India since 1950 to promote welfare of the disadvantaged group can be understood
from the few legislations illustrated below:

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 Protection of civil rights act 1955

 The schedule caste and schedule tribe act 1989
 Equal remuneration act 1976
 Hindu marriage act 1955
 Special marriage act 1955
 Child marriage and restraint act1978
 Dowry prohibition act1961 -1984
 SITA 1956-1978
 The commission of sati prevention act 1987
 Juvenile justice act,1986
 Child labor prohibition and regulation act 1986
 Workmen's compensation act1923
 Factory amendment act 1976
 Maternity benefit act 1961------1976

Another area were launching of important committees, commissions, Policies to look into the issues of
different groups and sections of populations. These are

 National committee on the status of women1974

 National expert committee on women1988
 Committee for the preparation of programme for children1968
 Committee for child care 1962
 Evaluation committee on family and child welfare projects
 National commission on self employed women and women in the informal sector 1987
 National commission on women’s bill 1990
 National commission on unorganised labor 1990
 National commission on urbanisation 1988
 Working group on the dev of schedule castes 1986
 Working group on the employment of children1976
 National policy on health 1983
 National education policy 1986
 National policy on the child1974
 National youth policy 1988
 National housing policy1991
 Introduction of the 20 point program

Other strategies initiated by the government towards social welfare are training research and
evaluation. Involvement of national organizations and universities and involvement of international
organizations

8. There are four Models of Social Welfare Administration which are as follows

THE FAMILIAL MODEL:

Families are considered as the most important system to provide social support, providing support for
economic security especially of the unemployed, children and the older people.

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THE RESIDUAL WELFARE MODEL:

According to this model assistance should be offered only when the normal means by which people get
income is not provided and when the family welfare mechanism fails.

THE ACHIEVEMENT- PERFORMANCE MODEL:

The society accepts some responsibility for provision of social services in the areas of health, education
and social security. But the philosophy is that the individual should pay for the contribution of security
schemes.

THE INSTITUTIONAL MODEL:

This Model provides services universally to all as also on a selective basis to those in special need. This
approach to social and welfare services seeks distributive justice through State supported institutions and
programmes.

9. PUBLIC AND SOCIAL WELFARE ADMINISTRATION:

Public administration refers to that part of administration which pertains to the administrative activities of
the government. Public administration is the non political bureaucratic machinery of the government for
implementing its laws and policies in action e.g. collection of revenue, maintaining law and order,
functioning of the railways and the postal services, maintaining the army etc.

Kidneigh defines social welfare administration as the process of transforming social policy into social
services and the use of experience in recommending modification of policy

Social welfare administration and public administration are branches of political sciences. Public
Administration had its beginning in1857 Woodrow Wilson is rightly called as the father of public
administration. Social welfare administration in1946.

10. Distinction between Social Welfare Administration and Public Administration is as follows

• Public Administration is well established as a • Social Welfare administration has to go along way to
profession. be established as a profession. it is recent in its origin

• Public Administration emphasizes on rules

• Social Welfare administration emphasizes on the art
and regulation of handling human relationship.

• A Public Administrator requires more of • A Social Welfare administrator should imbibe the
managerial skills. qualities of dedication, sincerity, devotion.

• The Public Administration personnel observe • The code of ethics for Social Welfare personnel
their code of conduct more in breach than in embodies certain standard of behavior in their
compliance. professional relationships

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• Public Administration is non participatory in • Social welfare administration is participatory in

nature. nature. The role of voluntary agencies is highly
recognized in social welfare administration. It brings
• Public Administration activities are directed out increasing association in a variety of ways to
towards revenue expansion. translate social policies into social services.
• Public Administration implies formulating • Social Welfare administration is carried out with
developmental plan at a broader level noble objective of rendering service without any
profit

• Based on the specific needs of particular communities

programs and services are formulated.

This Module we have tried to see the various concepts related to Social Welfare, its history and the
difference between public and welfare administration. The modules that follow will focus on both Social
Welfare administration and Development Administration.

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