Social Policy

Social policies are policies that are designed to address social issues. The word policy can be taken to refer to the principles that govern action directed towards given ends. Some social issues can be described as welfare reform, poverty and social exclusion, crime and punishment, housing and urban change, health and ageing. Social policy is unique in addressing as its core concern the well-being of people in general, both as individuals and members of society. It is an interdisciplinary subject drawing on aspects of sociology, economics, geography, political science, history, law and philosophy. One important factor about social policy is that it considers basic human needs and how society organizes itself and responds to these needs. It can be referred to as public policy or public administration. It also analyses and challenges policy practices in contemporary society, informs dissent, and encourages critical thinking. It can be used in determining and examining the policy process such as how policy is shaped, made, and implemented within both historical and current contexts. It debates the future of welfare and the theories and ideologies that drive its provision such as social justice, citizenship, needs, risk, and inequality. The idea behind social policy is that taking steps to benefit human welfare is a generally good idea. The immediate effect of social policies can be economic and social improvement in a nation, but many people also feel that benefiting other humans is good even if there are no immediate benefits. In fact, research on social policies seems to suggest that attempts at equalization do benefit society in both the short and long term. The organization that I volunteer with is a public health AIDS/HIV agency called New Beginnings. New Beginnings has a program called ADAP which stands for AIDS Drug Assistance Programs. ADAP’s are state administered programs that provide HIV/AIDS medications to low-income individuals living...