Synopses & Reviews
The welfare state is a pervasive and controversial aspect of contemporary society. Samuel Mencher provides a historical and philosophical background on the growth of welfare policy through its sources, concepts, and specific programs. He covers a period from the English Poor Law of the sixteenth century through contemporary times-viewing changing attitudes toward poverty, new concepts on the nature of man and the influence of scientific thought-and also discusses mercantilism, laissez-faire, utilitarianism, liberalism, socialism, romanticism, social Darwinism, and modern capitalism as major influences on the growth of economic security policy.
Review
“Eminently readable, it offers one of the most comprehensive studies of the evolution of welfare policy currently available. Its scope ranges from sixteenth-century England, poverty in the age of laissez-faire, to nineteenth-century poor law 'reforms.' . . . Mencher's incisive review of liberalism, socialism, romanticism, and Social Darwinism, as well as other interpretations of social policy, offers an essential backdrop for understanding the evolution of measures dealing with the poor.”
—Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science
Synopsis
Mencher provides a historical and philosophical background on the growth of welfare policy through its sources, concepts, and specific programs. He covers a period from the English Poor Law of the sixteenth century through contemporary times.
About the Author
Samuel Mencher was professor of social work at the University of Pittsburgh.