Introduction: Why?

One semester while teaching Social Welfare Policy History, I got the best question ever after a class discussion about social welfare programs from a student sitting right in the front row: “Why are we (the U.S.) like this?” That’s what this book is about.

Just in the 21st century, we have seen incredible change – unspeakable tragedy, deadly pandemics, costly wars, legalization of same sex marriage, renewed focus on racial justice, expansion of environmental laws, universal access to healthcare, the first African American president and the first female vice president, unprecedented presidential executive orders and challenges to the Constitution. The history of social welfare policy helps us understand not only why these things happened but how they happened. It lets us predict what could happen in the future and how to advocate for more of the positive things and prevent more of the negative things.

The reason for this specific book is two-fold: one, the desire to look at social welfare policy history from a chronological format, specifically answering that question, “Why are we like this?” and two, the small number of Open Educational Resources addressing social welfare policy history.

Open Educational Resources (OER) are freely available materials that can be used by anyone as opposed to material that has been copyrighted or is available behind a paywall. They follow the 5 Rs: they can be reused, redistributed, revised, remixed, and retained. Because OERs provide increased access by being easily available at no cost and incorporate Universal Design Learning so they are usable to diverse learners, they are particularly relevant and appropriate in Social Work education.