This paper explores surveillance as a relevant topic that I frequently encountered while accomplishing my internship at Toronto Employment and Social Services (TESS). I’ve chosen to review and discuss how recipients are undergoing a constant surveillance, documentation and scrutiny when applying for Ontario Works and while being on the assistance. There is a considerable body of literature in this area which indicates the complexity of surveillance and its profound detrimental impact on the applicants’ physical, psychological and spiritual well-being. Research indicates that the nature of welfare delivery which initially was recognized as equitable and universal available became less accessible due to the Government’s constant cut of funding allotted to social welfare and to a tedious and bureaucratic process that aims to limit applicant’s eligibility. Under a modern welfare system, financial assistance is conditioned by employment participation; the applicants must partake in work related activities such as resume writing or job search whereas being closely scrutinized and “guided” by the case workers. The ultimate neoliberal purpose is for agency to be able to publish new success stories, where the former recipient became financially independent, recognizing the ongoing support provided by the welfare system.
Research strategy
For my paper I have selected peer review articles, selected from social work, social policy and sociology journals published between 2009 and 2014. The searches were conducted based on keywords such as surveillance, scrutiny, social policy, welfare state, identity and privacy. Articles were selected if they addressed surveillance as a way to make decisions about deserving and non-deserving, as a ...
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...d British Columbia Welfare Policy: Variants on a Neoliberal Theme
Margaret Little, Lynne Marks
From: Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East
Volume 30, Number 2, 2010
pp. 192-203
Lankin, F., & Sheikh, M. A. (2012, Oct 29). Ontario's welfare system is broken. The Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.lib.ryerson.ca/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1124635495?accountid=13631
Dean Herd , Ernie Lightman & Andrew Mitchell (2009) Searching for Local
Solutions: Making Welfare Policy on the Ground in Ontario, Journal of Progressive Human Services,
20:2, 129-151, DOI: 10.1080/10428230902871199
Maki, Krystle. 2011. Neoliberal Deviants and Surveillance: Welfare recipients under the watchful eye of
Ontario Works. Surveillance & Society 9(1/2): 47-63.
http://www.surveillance-and-society.org | ISSN: 1477-7487
When speaking about Welfare we try to avoid it, turning welfare into an unacceptable word. In the Article “One Nation On Welfare. Living Your Life On The Dole” by Michael Grunwald, his point is to not just only show but prove to the readers that the word Welfare is not unacceptable or to avoid it but embrace it and take advantage of it. After reading this essay Americans will see the true way of effectively understanding the word welfare, by absorbing his personal experiences, Facts and Statistics, and the repetition Grunwald conveys.
Porter, A. (2003). Consolidating Neoliberal Reforms: Globalization, Multi-Earner Families, and the Erosion of State Support for the Unemployed. Gendered States: Women, Unemployment Insurance and the Political Economy of the Welfare State in Canada. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Issitt, Micah, L. Flynn. "Welfare: An Overview." Points Of View: Welfare (2013): 1. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 5 Jan. 2014.
Swan, Richelle S., et al. "The Untold Story of Welfare Fraud." Journal of Sociology & Social
There are many social welfare programs designed to provide income support for Canadians, mostly for those with little to no income. Some may criticize these programs as too generous or an incentive to be lazy, however, welfare rates are below the poverty line, and most of the people receiving benefits cannot find permanent employment or are disabled. In fact, 68% of food bank users receive some form of social assistance. Studies done at the University of Manitoba have shown that guaranteed income programs reduce hospital visits caused by work injuries, domestic violence, and mental health issues, which would save billions of dollars in healthcare and prison costs annually. Extending welfare to the bottom 10% of Canadian would cost approximately $10,000 per person (not taking into account savings in the healthcare system a...
Jeff Grogger, Lynn A. Karoly, Jeff Grogger. Welfare Reform: Effects of a Decade of Change. New York: Harvard University Press, 2005.
In today’s America, there are many people who would either be disgusted at the very mention of Welfare or be highly grateful for its existence. I believe that in order for welfare to be more effective in America, there must be reform. From the time of its inceptions in 1935, welfare has lent a helping hand to many in crisis (Constitution Rights Foundation). However, at present many programs within the system are being abused and the people who are in real need are being cheated out of assistance. The year after the creation of welfare unemployment was just about twenty percent (Unemployment Statistics). The need for basic resources to survive was unparallel. Today, many people face the same needs as many did during the 30s. Some issues with
Hasking, Ron. "Work over Welfare: The Inside Story of the 1996 Welfare Reform Law." Brookings Instituteion Press [Wahington, DC] (2006) 364
It is a commonly known fact that a large percentage of Americans are living on and relying on welfare, which is a government program that provides financial aid to individuals or groups of people who cannot support themselves. Welfare began in the 1930’s during the Great Depression. There are several types of assistance offered by the government, which include healthcare, food stamps, child care assistance, unemployment, cash aid, and housing assistance. The type of welfare and amounts given depend on the individual, and how many children they have. There are many people who honestly need the government assistance, but there are also many who abuse the privilege.
Cottle, Michelle. “Reforming Welfare Reform.” Washington Monthly 28.11 (1996): 9. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 27 Feb. 2014.
...ican welfare system has many flaws and I have identified major problems and possible solutions/policy recommendations. We can’t completely dismiss government assistance because we are a land of the equality of all and should be proud to have services that help the less fortunate. However, we must identify people who misuse and people who become too comfortable. We can’t continue to fall deeper into debt by supporting people who are not making an effort to support themselves. Nonetheless, we should help and assist those who are constantly trying to become educated, skilled, and experienced enough to become self-sufficient. I will close with a quote from the article about welfare helping a lady survive while she was studying. Currently she has a degree and a job as a manager. “I had clear goals,” “I wasn’t raised to sit at home expecting a check to come in the mail.”
O?Beirne, Kate. ?The State of Welfare: An old and tricky question resurfaces.? National Review 54.2 (February 11, 2002): 1--2. Online. Information Access Expanded
Blau, J. (2004). The dynamics of social welfare policy. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, Inc.
The world erupted in outrage following revelations by Edward Snowden regarding the extent of surveillance perform by the National Security Agency. Privacy becomes one of the hottest topic of 2013 and was chosen by the world’s most popular online dictionary, Dictionary.com, as the Word of the Year. However, the government is not the only one that conduct data gathering and surveillance. Employers often monitor their employees, and businesses collect data on theirs customer. The morality of these practices is a topic that generates heated debate.
Discuss this statement in the light of the medias recent preoccupation with surveillance and privacy issues. Include government surveillance and social media. For example the young woman who accused Florida state quarterback jameis Winston of rape was identified by football fans on social media and had ugly anonymous things posted about her.