Improving Social Well-Being and Social Equity

Abstract

Protecting and enhancing the well-being of citizens is a central goal of modern governments. The specific social programs adopted in various countries reflect their local political and economic contexts. The range of problems considered is very extensive-such as public health services, education and training, social support services, crime and corrections and issues concerned with discrimination in relation to age, gender, ethnicity and religion. The core pillars of social policy-especially income support, health, education, social services and civil rights-broadly constitute the modern 'welfare state'. All the social reforms were controversial when first proposed in earlier times. As public expectations gradually increased, so political ambitions correspondingly shifted. In most democracies, the problem of deep and enduring poverty, along with gender-based discrimination, came to be seen as unacceptable features of advanced societies. But many programs have remained controversial. Thus, the key dimensions of wicked problems-complexity, disagreement and uncertainty-have permeated social policy debates. The chapter includes a brief discussion of two case studies of wicked problems in action-policies to tackle homelessness and policies regulating drug use.