Deserving and Undeserving Poor Concepts in Social Development - Essay Example

Application of the Concepts of ‘Deserving’ and ‘Undeserving’ Poor in Social Development Social development is an important aspect within communities and nations that want to grow. Although no society is equal, some societies have high levels of inequalities. It means that poverty levels are high is some societies as compared to others. Every person has a right to basic facilities such as food, clothing, and shelter (Katz 2013, pp. 2-7). Since many people exist across all societies, it is appropriate to find some solutions to their problems in order to reduce, if not alleviate, their problems. Inequality within the society can hinder social interaction and create discrimination if the society does not pull together to help the less fortunate (Jacobs 2010, pp. 61-62). The development of the society will ensure efficiency, quality, productivity, and cohesion within the society. In this respect, poor people are of two main groups namely, the deserving poor and the undeserving poor. Certain policies and programs help in dealing with the deserving poor and the undeserving poor so that the overall society can be uplifted economically, socially, spiritually, and intellectually (Segal 2010, pp. 191-193). In as much as human service organizations regularly engage in social development programs, the concept of ‘deserving and ‘underserving’ poor does not entirely in the development and implementation of social policies and programs. The concept of deserving and undeserving poor has sparked heated debate in various political, social, and economic platforms across the globe. The deserving poor are people who are poor because of circumstances outside their control or unfortunate incidents such as unemployment, accidents, and job layoffs. On the other hand, the undeserving poor, just as the name suggests, are poor people who are entirely responsibly for their poverty perhaps because of drunkenness and laziness (Romano 2014, pp. 23-24). It is difficult to allocate the right resources to the less fortunate because of the mixture of the deserving and undeserving poor within any given society. Some cases truly deserve consideration, for example the elderly and the disabled. Others like the opportunistic poor people do not deserve any help from humanitarian organizations, especially if such people had the chance to make their future (Furnham 2012, pp. 196-198). During the Victorian times, the issue of morality as it appertains to social development was raging, many people wanted to define the concept of ‘undeserving and ‘deserving’ poor in a moral way that did not disenfranchise anyone. The topic emerged primarily because the poor people were increasing in number with most of them falling in various categories. There were the criminals who deserved no pity and the people who were genuinely poor. The issue of social development took center stage with the two categories of the poor becoming a topic of discussion. In essence, there were people who were made poor by circumstances while others made themselves poor intentionally (Jacobs 2010, pp. 61-62). In essence, the deserving poor are people who are less fortunate because of their family background, sickness, accident, or lack of education. They may be educated people who have not been lucky to secure a place in the job market. Other deserving cases include the elderly and the disabled people who have no capacity to generate income. Such people are usually at the mercy of donors and well-wishers, who sometimes may fail to honor their promises (Infanti & Crawford 2009, p. 258). The deserving poor need some legislation or policy that will cushion them from the harsh circumstances that they undergo. Natural causes may make some people to be the ‘deserving poor’, for example calamities such as earthquakes, tornadoes, tsunamis, disease outbreaks, and war (Segal 2010, pp. 191-193). The undeserving poor are primarily to blame for the predicaments that befall them. Such people may have previously been in lucrative positions but they squandered their opportunities. Others are undeserving poor because of their laziness and lack of motivation. Of course, criminals who find themselves in need of help cannot deserve any help. The undeserving poor may use fraudulent means to be considered as deserving poor while in actual sense they are simply swindlers. Therefore, people and organizations that offer such help should be extra cautious in their act of generosity (Katz 2013, pp. 2-7). When it comes to social development, a number of aspects and considerations apply because no single individual or organization can take the huge burden of helping the poor. Whether deserving or undeserving, the poor will need help at some point and social development programs will come in handy in such circumstances (Romano 2014, pp. 23-24). In essence, social development tends to focus on availing resources and education to the less fortunate. The less fortunate comes in various categories and they all want some assistance to get out of predicaments. In the pursuit of social development, social and humanitarian organization ought to make a clear distinction between the deserving and the undeserving cases (Jacobs 2010, pp. 61-62). Despite the fact that Social development forms an essential component of every community and nation, a big question lingers as to whether the concept of ‘deserving’ and ‘undeserving’ poor still apply in the development and implementation of social policies and programs. For many decades, humanitarian organizations have endeavored to help the needy, especially the deserving cases. With time, such organizations have developed into full-fledged institutions that can deliver humanitarian assistance based on their policies. In most cases, the deserving and the undeserving poor get equal treatment irrespective of the circumstances that led to their misfortune (Segal 2010, pp. 191-193). Over the years, humanitarian organizations have teamed up with concerned governments in order to advance social development in affected areas. Social development primarily helps the poor to cross the bridge to a better life. It may also lessen a worse situation so that the less fortunate are able to cope with a difficult life (Infanti & Crawford 2009, p. 258). Both the deserving and the undeserving stay within the same locality and therefore it is difficult to distinguish which ones among them are genuinely poor. It is unethical to support a person who, through laziness and outrageous behavior, has plunged into difficulties. Those who are poor because of natural circumstances deserve every help from the government and well-wishers (Katz 2013, pp. 2-7). Social policies and programs have been lenient to every poor person for a long time, regardless of their background. Nonetheless, some people have taken advantages of the generosity that they receive when they fall into trouble (Singh, Kapoor, & Bhattacharyya 2009, p 34). Others, who have intentionally wasted their resources, also expect the same leniency as those who had nothing at all. It means that the existing policies have suffered under the manipulation by fraudulent people or unmotivated people who expect to benefit without doing any work. It is high time for the policies and programs regarding charity work and other social development programs to change so that only the deserving cases receive the due benefit (Jacobs 2010, pp. 61-62). The development and implementation of social policy and programs have been having loopholes for a long time. Subsequently, the concept of ‘deserving’ and ‘undeserving’ poor has been diluted because of the infiltration of corruption, nepotism, and racism. Owing to the prevalence of discriminatory acts in some parts of the world, including the U.S. and Australia, the concept of ‘deserving’ and ‘undeserving’ poor has not really succeeded in the way it was intended to work (Furnham 2012, pp. 196-198). Primarily, social policies and programs aim to develop the whole society without discrimination. However, regions with highly discriminative policies may distort the very essence of social development. It could mean that the deserving become the undeserving and vice versa (Segal 2010, pp. 191-193). The concept of ‘deserving’ and ‘undeserving’ cannot coexist without a proper welfare reform. All of the concepts require same consideration so that they can have greater significance. States that formulate social policies and programs have an uphill task in convincing the society of their intention. It is so because of the varied scales with which the poor are treated. Some clearly deserving poor may be classified as undeserving simply because they are immigrants. This kind of discrimination transcends across many societies in the world, Australia included. Many formulators of social policies have decried the manner of categorization of the poor as either deserving or undeserving (Furnham 2012, pp. 196-198). When it comes to the implementation of social policies and programs, it is worth noting that the ‘deserving’ and ‘undeserving’ concept has flopped a great deal. Social policies are meant to uplift the less fortunate the level where they can be able to fend for themselves of to alleviate a tragedy that has befallen them (Chunn & Gavigan 2004, p.236). Many organizations that engage in social development programs have tested the concept but they have not succeeded in their objectives. More often than not, such organizations end up giving aid to the wrong and undeserving persons rather that the deserving cases. Since the society is heterogeneous, it is almost impossible to separate the deserving poor from the undeserving poor (Katz 2013, pp. 2-7). Human service organizations, together with their clients, have suffered great consequences because of the concept of the deserving and undeserving poor. Humanitarian organizations like to operate independently or under little supervision from the host government (Gilens 2002, p. 67). In many cases, such organizations prefer to form their own policies that they are comfortable with in certain regions. They are unable to cope with the social policies that come with the concept. People who are in need should always be genuine in their concerns so that they receive appropriate care and assistance. For instance, the United States prioritizes medi-care to the deserving poor so that the entire nation can be healthy. Other health organizations such as the World health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have come in handy in times of disaster, especially during tornadoes (Katz 2013, pp. 2-7). The theory of social development dictates that the deserving poor should get the first priority before the undeserving poor can be considered. However, the trend has been different in many humanitarian areas. Since social development involves a number of stakeholders, the probabilities of messing up the programs are very high (Furnham 2012, pp. 196-198). The implications for humanitarian organizations are that they have to content with unfair policies that deny the genuine people their rights to life and basic needs. Humanitarian organizations always look for the neediest people who cannot do anything out of their situation. The clients of such humanitarian organizations suffer hugely because other undeserving people take up their places and privileges (Segal 2010, pp. 191-193). Contemporary social policies and programs do not meet the intended needs because they do not state with clarity the difference between the deserving needy and the undeserving needy. In this respect, the whole concept of undeserving and deserving poor is lost because the policies do not follow the recommended procedure. In the modern world, especially in the developed nations, the concept of deserving and undeserving poor does not take the center stage. A good example is that the United States has a uniform policy that treats all the poor people equally. It does not consider the circumstances of the poor, whether the poor deserve help or not (Jacobs 2010, pp. 61-62). The primary factors that determine policy formulation include the level of need within the society, the number of people in need, and the available resources to alleviate the situation. In both policy formulation and implementation, few humanitarian organizations consider the theory of social development. The deserving and the undeserving poor are bundled into one category (Zatz 2011, p. 550). It is indeed an unfair way of helping those in need because different people have different levels of needs. Besides, people who consciously invite predicaments do not deserve any help from a humanitarian agency. Individuals who have offered to support help the deserving poor normally face numerous challenges when it comes to choosing the deserving poor (Segal 2010, pp. 191-193). In as much as social development is a welcome idea in many societies, there is need to reformulate the policies and programs used to spur social development. It will help in identifying the neediest cases and eliminate any mishap within the humanitarian aid sector. Evidently, the concepts of ‘deserving’ and ‘undeserving’ poor does not apply in the development and implementation of social policies and programs (Gilens 2002, p. 67). It is so because social policies and programs have ceased to take into account the fundamentals of social development. People are no longer receiving aid according to their level of need and the circumstances that led to their state of poverty. The undeserving poor receive better care and attention in some circumstances because of unfair social policies and programs (Furnham 2012, pp. 196-198). Reference List Chunn, D E, & Gavigan, S A 2004, ‘Welfare law, welfare fraud, and the moral regulation of the ‘never deserving poor,’ Social & legal studies, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 219-243. Furnham, A 2012, The engaging manager the joy of management and being managed, Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke. Gilens, M 2002, Why Americans hate welfare race, media, and the politics of antipoverty policy, University of Chicago Press, Chicago. Infanti, A C, & Crawford, B J 2009, Critical tax theory: an introduction, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Jacobs, J 2010, There shall be no needy: pursuing social justice through Jewish law & tradition, Jewish Lights Pub, Woodstock, Vt. Katz, M B 2013, The undeserving poor: Americas enduring confrontation with poverty, Jewish Lights Pub, Woodstock, Vt. Romano, S 2014, The political and social construction of poverty: Central and Eastern European countries in transition, University of Chicago Press, Chicago. Segal, E A 2010, Social welfare policy and social programs: a values perspective, Thomson Brooks, Australia. Singh, A., Kapoor, K., & Bhattacharyya, R 2009, Governance and poverty reduction: beyond the cage of best practices, PHI Learning, New Delhi. Zatz, N D 2011, ‘Poverty Unmodified: Critical Reflections on the Deserving/Undeserving Distinction,’ UCLA L. Rev., 59, 550. Read More