Across Europe, the welfare state is a focus of social and political contention. Participating in the democratic process offers a means for the public to voice their preferences. However, not everyone participates in politics. Research shows that there are significant participatory inequalities as those with greater socioeconomic resources are more likely to participate in politics. In light of these participatory inequalities, this thesis examines the representativeness of the welfare state preferences of the politically active. The main hypothesis posits that, if less advantaged socioeconomic groups are less likely to participate in politics, the welfare state preferences of the politically active are unlikely to be representative. The thesis brings together the comparative study of participatory inequality and social differences in welfare state preferences to examine data from the European Social Survey (ESS) 2008-09 for Germany, Spain, Sweden and the UK. Latent Class Analysis examines how preferences about the welfare state vary within Europe. By grouping individuals, the analysis shows that within societies there are different views about what should be the responsibilities of government. Using the latent classes, and considering a range of political actions, multivariate regression models show how social inequality determines conflict over the welfare state and transforms into political inequality. The association between preferences and political activity is examined to establish the representativeness of participant preferences. Finally, models combining welfare state preferences, political activity and social position address how social inequality shapes the link between political activity and welfare state preferences. Based on survey data for four European countries, the thesis finds that the politically active are not always representative in their preferences; however, the preference bias of participation varies in direction across countries and forms of political participation. Participatory inequalities do lead to the under-representation of support for the welfare state among the politically active but not in all cases. Examining the social stratification of preferences and participation, the thesis suggests that cross-national variations in the representativeness of participants may result from how preferences and participation are socially stratified. For instance, significant participatory inequalities can occur in contexts where there is less contention over the welfare state. Conversely, contention over the welfare state can coincide with egalitarian patterns of political activity. A concluding proposition is that the factors inhibiting the political participation of the socio-economically disadvantaged may also cultivate weaker levels of support for the welfare state.

Thesis (PhD. (Social Work)) --University of Limpopo, 1989 / Refer to document

During a time of national and local debate over welfare reform, research is needed to determine the effectiveness of specific welfare programs and the impact on the lives of households participating in these programs. The objective of this study was to determine the effect housing and food expenditures have on the diet quality of low-income families. Participants for the study were drawn from government-subsidized housing rolls and housing assistance waiting lists. Diet quality was measured by 16 variables: percent RDA protein, fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, and calcium consumed; percent calories from protein, carbohydrates, fat, and alcohol; and the number of servings from each food group: bread and cereal, fruit, vegetable, meat and protein, dairy, and fats and sweets food groups. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to analyze the relationship between the percent poverty level of the household and the percent of income spent on housing and food with each diet quality variable. No statistically significant correlations were found. Mann-Whitney U tests and t tests were used to determine if diet quality of participants who received housing assistance was different from participants who did not receive assistance. No statistical significance was found. Participant's diets who received food assistance and diets of participants who do not receive food assistance were also analyzed to determine any differences in diet quality. Again, no statistical significance was found between the two groups. The diets of the sample population were found to be fairly average in comparison to overall food consumption patterns of the United States. Consumption of fiber, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products was low. Increased consumer education programs are recommended to improve overall diet.

This hermeneutic study explores the experience of well-being of eight new mothers who live in the Blue Mountains of N.S.W. The experiences were analysed to illuminate definitions, meanings and practices which create their well being. This study transcends existing notions of health and motherhood. The author argues that mothers resist the social expectations created by the 'ideology of motherhood' by; defining their well-being, redefining and resisting the notion of being the 'good mother' by creating practices to achieve their well-being. Social support is integral to this. The study is grounded in hermeneutics incorporating the Heideggerian ideas of being-in-the-world, co-constitution and the hermeneutic circle and also the Gadamerian idea of fusion of horizons. A post-structuralist feminist perspective is adopted, incorporating Foucault's ideas on power, knowledge, truth and resistance. Eight definitions of these new mothers' well-being are presented. Implications for nursing practice, education and research are discussed / Master of Nursing (Hons)

At a time when welfare regimes in Anglophone countries are being reshaped to reflect neoliberal ideology, there is little by way of empirical, qualitative research which directly addresses the question of how jobless families live or are affected by their circumstances, particularly in regional Australia. This study combines a consideration of questions of social structure as they pertain to jobless families at the theoretical level with an ethnographic journey into their life worlds. It aims to understand the impact of long-term joblessness upon the families and to explore the interconnections between system and life world.I adopt Layder’s (1997, 1998) theoretical and methodological formulations as the most appropriate means to underpin an investigation of this nature. The study is comprehensively situated within a structural context which examines discourses and events that have exerted an influence on our present social arrangements, including an analysis of relevant social policy. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with two non-purposive samples and analysed using a modified Grounded Theory approach as advocated by Layder (1998).It was found that the current welfare regime helps to stabilise the capitalist global economy and does at least provide a precarious stability for those excluded from the labour market. Whilst families receiving long-term income support are not a homogeneous group, they are subject to hidden injuries in common. The linkages between system and life world are theorised in terms of the displacement principle, which holds that the displacement of a problem does not solve it, but merely relocates it elsewhere. It is used to explain both large-scale displacements as well as micro processes occurring within jobless families. Long-term joblessness is found often to have destructive consequences for intimacy, though family structure may remain intact. This is partly due to a welfare regime which disrespects its beneficiaries. I argue that social policy must be informed by an alternative discourse which includes social or welfare rights as a part of human rights, based upon recognition of mutual interdependency and an ethic of care. This is vital if future policy directions are to accord equal respect to all citizens.

Thesis (M.S.W.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2005. / Bibliography: leaves 77-80.

L’objectiu d’aquesta tesi és avaluar i discutir l’aplicació pràctica, la validesa i la repetibilitat d’un sistema d’avaluació del benestar en granges comercials de porcs d’engreix. La capacitat d’aplicació, la sensibilitat, selectivitat, validesa contextual i repetibilitat al llarg del temps de les mesures basades en l'animal incloses al protocol Welfare Quality® es van avaluar mitjançant cinc estudis. A més a més, al llarg de la tesi es va considerar la utilització del protocol com a eina d’assessorament per resoldre problemes de benestar. En el primer estudi es presenta una anàlisi descriptiva de les mesures basades en l’animal incloses al protocol d’avaluació del benestar. En aquest treball es va avaluar tant l’aplicació pràctica del protocol en 30 granges intensives com la seva capacitat per discriminar-les entre sí. Tanmateix, el treball proposa una metodologia pràctica per identificar granges que presenten algun problema de benestar. Al segon i tercer estudi, es van avaluar un total de 11,647 porcs allotjats en 91 explotacions comercials provinents de tres sistemes intensius (convencional a França i Espanya, sobre palla a França, i Ibèric intensiu a Espanya) així com dos sistemes extensius (Ibèric en extensiu, Porc Negre Mallorquí) mitjançant el protocol Welfare Quality®. Tot dos estudis descriuen dades sobre la prevalença i distribució de diversos indicadors de benestar en una gran varietat d’explotacions amb la finalitat d’identificar una sèrie de factors causals. Els resultats corresponents als principis de bona alimentació i bon allotjament es presenten en el segon estudi mentre que els de salut es descriuen en el tercer. El quart estudi es centra en l’avaluació del benestar mitjançant mesures de comportament en porcs Ibèrics en condicions intensives i extensives. En aquest treball, el quart principi del Welfare Quality®, titulat “comportament adequat”, es va avaluar en 21 granges (11 extensives i 10 intensives), les quals allotjaven una totalitat de 25,856 porcs Ibèrics. Finalment, el cinquè estudi avalua, en una mostra de 15 granges intensives convencionals, la repetibilitat després d'un temps perllongat de les mesures basades en l’animal incloses en el protocol Welfare Quality®. Els resultats es van discutir des d’un punt de vista discriminatiu i avaluatiu. Com a comentari general, el protocol Welfare Quality® per porcs d’engreix es pot aplicar fàcilment en una gran varietat d’explotacions comercials. Tot i així, la durada total del protocol pot ser percebuda com a massa llarga per part d’alguns dels agents implicats (com ara ramaders, industria o empreses certificadores). La sensibilitat dels indicadors de salut és aparentment massa baixa. La interpretació d’alguns resultats en termes de benestar animal, especialment els de comportament, s’ha de realitzar amb molta cura sobretot quan es comparen explotacions provinents de sistemes de cria molt diversos. Una interpretació equivocada d’un resultat pot erròniament afavorir o perjudicar un ramader o un sistema. Finalment, el protocol Welfare Quality® pot tenir enfocaments diversos que poden ser pràctics i complementaris com a eina d’assessorament, tot i que es va dissenyar com una eina per auditar. / The objective of the present thesis is to evaluate and discuss the feasibility, validity and repeatability of a welfare assessment system for growing pigs on commercial farms. The feasibility, sensitivity, selectivity, contextual validity and repeatability over time of several animal-based measures of the Welfare Quality® (WQ®) protocol were evaluated in five studies. Furthermore, across the thesis, the use of the protocol as an advisory tool is considered. The first study presents a descriptive analysis of several animal-based measures of the welfare assessment protocol for pigs kept under intensive conventional conditions on 30 farms in Spain. It evaluates the feasibility of the protocol on intensive farms and its capacity to discriminate among intensive conventional farms. It also aims to propose a practical methodology to identify farms with a particular welfare problem. On the second and third studies, a total of 11,647 pigs housed on 91 commercial farms of three intensive systems (conventional in France and Spain, straw bedded in France, and Iberian intensive in Spain) as well as two extensive systems (Iberian extensive, Mallorcan Black pig) were assessed applying the overall WQ® protocol. Both studies yielded data about the prevalence and distribution of several welfare outcomes on a wide variety of commercial farms with the aim to identify possible causal factors. The results from the good feeding and housing principles are presented in the second study whereas those of health are given in the third study. The fourth study focused on the assessment of welfare through behavioural measures in Iberian pigs in intensive and extensive conditions. The fourth principle of the WQ® protocol, labelled “Appropriate behaviour”, was assessed on 21 farms (11 extensive and 10 intensive) housing a total of 25,856 Iberian pigs. Changes in occurrence of behaviour and qualitative measures were evaluated and discussed when comparing Iberian pigs either in intensive or extensive rearing conditions. Finally, the fifth study evaluated the test-retest repeatability over a long period of time of the mean prevalence of several measures from the WQ® protocol on a sample of 15 intensive conventional farms of growing pigs. The results were discussed from a discriminative approach and from an evaluative approach. As a general comment, the WQ® protocol for growing pigs is feasible in a wide range of commercial conditions even though the overall duration may be perceived as too long by stakeholders. The sensitivity of health indicators appears to be low. Interpretation of several outcomes, especially behavioural ones, in terms of animal welfare, must be cautious, especially when comparing farm units from diverse rearing systems. An erroneous interpretation of an outcome can wrongly favour or prejudice a farmer. Several approaches of the WQ® protocol can be practical and complementary to be used for advisory purposes.

Abstract The study aims to understand the policy development of elderly welfare subsidy. This issue was firstly proposed at end of 1991 during the election of Parliament Representatives. After 10 years development, by conducting propaganda, publishing reports and sharing experiences with local governments, the Legislative Yuan has finally established the Temporary Provision of Elderly Welfare Subsidy in May 2002 and the act is then legalized and nationalized. The related amendment has been continuing till today. Since 1991 the researcher has started the long and coherent observation; in between the history and literature analysis were applied in order to collect relevant documents. After ascertaining its historical periods and generalization, the esearch concluded that there¡¦s significant correlation between this policy development and the democratic election. As a result, simple democratic mold is taken as the theoretic foundation and the framework is then built up. The study result shows that the election plays an important role for the formation and development of elderly welfare subsidy. The mplementation guarantees certain economic safety for the silver citizens but some ¡§free-cost¡¨ measure did cause some fair and financial burden to the authority. It also gives a cognitive bias against social welfare. Yet the increasing silver citizens may cause financial burden to the government, the distribution of social welfare should then be well considered. A complete system of national pension has to be set up soon.

Thesis (M.P.A.)--Kutztown University, 1996. / Abstract precedes thesis as [4] preliminary leaves. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 45-06, page: 2936. Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 77-83).

Thesis (M. Soc. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1982. / Cover title.