Elizabethan Poor Laws and the Unworthy Poor free essay sample

Elizabethan Poor Laws and the Unworthy Poor Tara McFadden Indiana University School of Social Work Abstract Beginning in the Elizabethan Era, unworthy poor was a label placed on able bodied people that appeared to choose to not work. They were often treated harshly and in extreme cases, put to death (Shelly, 2011). In today’s society such treatment would be unheard of. The act of even labeling this group of people or other groups is discouraged and even against the NASW’s The Code of Ethics (2008). When faced with the multi billion dollar price tag of welfare, we need to make a distinction of who is worthy or unworthy to receive government assistance. The question arises on how this can be done without impeding the rights of the poor. Elizabethan Laws and the Unworthy Poor Over Four hundred years ago the citizens of England developed one of the first versions of our modern social welfare system. We will write a custom essay sample on Elizabethan Poor Laws and the Unworthy Poor or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page During this time, the poor were labeled as either worthy or unworthy. Elderly, widows, orphans and disabled were considered worthy poor, while unworthy poor included those that physically could work, but chose not to do so. They were often severely punished for their refusal to follow the expected social norms. (Shelly, 2011). The label of worthy and unworthy poor and controversy over welfare abuse is alive and well today. How many of our unworthy poor are draining our tax dollars for housing, health care and food when they simply choose not to even attempt to support their families? One government agency that assists the country’s poor is Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). In 2010, in the United States there were over 40 million people that received assistance. That is an increase of 29% from 2009 with a total price tag of over 65 billion dollars of tax payer money. How many of these poor were truly in ‘need’ of government assistance? And how do we as a society determine who is worthy or unworthy poor? Describe During this first month in S501, I had the opportunity of expanding my knowledge in many areas of social work through various readings, lectures and videos. The main sources for this reflection paper have been; classroom lectures and skit, The Code of Ethics (National Association of Social Workers, 2008), and the section of the Encyclopedia of Social Work on Social Policy History. The classroom experience that stood out for me was the privilege of being included in an audience participation skit presented by Professors Vernon and Glassburn Larimer It was based an actual town meeting in the Elizabethan period and included in it was how they dealt with their unworthy poor (2011). In addition to these educational experiences, I have my own personal experience of living off of the government for over two years along with my two children. Hindsight now leads me to label myself unworthy poor since I was able bodied, yet unwilling to work. Examine The audience participation skit allowed the class to have a unique learning experience on how a town dealt with managing its citizens including the unworthy poor. It appeared the town leaders kept the problems and solutions simple, if a person didn’t work and was able to, the person was punished. (R. Vernon, S. Glassburn Larimer, classroom skit, September 3, 2011). Curiosity leads me to question if the town officials took into account any other issues that may have interfered with a citizen’s desire to work such as various mental health concerns; depression, anxiety, PTSD, etc. When I printed off The Code of Ethics (National Association of Social Workers, 2008), I was surprised to see that it took 18 pages for it to completely print. The contributors obviously took time and effort in addressing ethics and conduct of social work involvement with the poor. This completely differs from the black and white perspective in the Elizabethan time period. Within my own personal experience, I had spent thousands upon thousands of tax payers’ money because I choose not to work to support my family. I was indulging myself with a life of drinking, drugging and partying. I thought that since I had been a tax payer for over 15 years, I deserved the right to ‘cash in’ on all the tax money I had paid. I made up numerous excuses to caseworkers why I was unemployed, but I simply didn’t want the responsibility of paying my expenses. I simply jumped through the paperwork hoops to receive my benefits. I was never forced to show proof of job seeking or questioned about my substance use. Articulate Learning What did I learn? I learned that placing our country’s poor in either a category of worthy or unworthy isn’t an easy task with all the variables involved. Elizabethan Poor Laws didn’t appear to delve into other explanations for an unworthy poor person not working. In today’s society, it is almost too easy to get government aid if a person does not wish to work especially if the person has dependents. Not enough time is taken to fully screen people and the reasons why they are not working. How did I learn it? The literature assigned, classroom lectures and skit and personal experience provided me with an understanding of trying to compare worthy and unworthy poor. My personal journey gave me first hand experience in being an unworthy person living off of government assistance. I did not want to address my substance abuse issues so that I could find a job and be a productive member of society. Why does it matter? The United States has budgeted $495. 6 billion in total welfare benefits for this fiscal year (Chantrill, 2011). Who knows how many billions are wasted in welfare fraud by those who are taking advantage of benefits, but are able to work. Another concern is that are we truly helping people to overcome their obstacles by simply giving them benefits? Should we focus more on assisting people with substance abuse, depression or whatever may impede their desire to work? What will I do in the future, in light of the learning? Since I had previously abused welfare benefits, I am more easily aped to quickly judge a person who is also receiving assistance. Even in the line at the grocery store, I instinctively tend to look down on someone who is paying for their groceries with an EBT card. In the future, I will remember to not jump to conclusions on a person’s character based if they are currently receiving welfare benefits. As a social worker, I will challenge and assist my clients to conquer their life’s obstacles and fears so that they may become a self sufficient. A brief summary According to the Encyclopedia of Social Work, ‘unworthy poor’ was a label placed on able bodied individuals that choose not to work and follow social norms. It began over 400 years ago with the Elizabethan Poor Laws (2008). This label has continued in our society today, but no longer are these individuals severely punished, imprisoned or put to death. Currently, one problem lies in how do we correctly identify people who would happen to fall into this category without violating their rights.