SOCW 2003 Walden University Poor Laws and Unworthy Poor Discussions
1. (A)Discussion : Influence of Elizabethan Poor Laws
Imagine that you are a child growing up in 18th century England. Your parents have recently died due to illness. None of your extended family can take you in, so the government has placed you in an orphanage. From there, you are sent to a textile factory to work 16 hours a day. You do not get to play with friends, go to school, or even rest.
Such was the case for many during this period. Then, with the Elizabethan Poor Laws, the English government assumed responsibility for orphaned and abandoned children. However, the treatment was questionable by today’s standards.
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In this Discussion, you examine the Elizabethan Poor Laws more closely and compare the treatment of children earlier in history with their treatment now.
BY DAY 3
Post a response to the following:
- Describe the Elizabethan Poor Laws of 1601 and how the laws affected the treatment of children.
- Identify two ways the treatment of children has changed since the Elizabethan Poor Laws.
- View the Hernandez Family video, located in the Learning Resources, and explain how the responsibility of the social worker to protect the rights of the child can be applied to this case.
- Explain how a socual worker may advocate differently for children today.
1 (B)Discussion: The Worthy and Unworthy Poor
Imagine you are standing in a line of people seeking social support. As each person comes to the front of the line, an official places them in one of two categories: worthy or unworthy. When your time comes, you are told that you are unworthy. How does this designation make you feel?
As you have read this week, those in poverty in the American Colonies were categorized broadly as the worthy poor or the unworthy poor. Are these perspectives on who deserves aid outdated—or do they continue in the public consciousness and the welfare system today?
For this Discussion, you consider a population viewed as unworthy and how you might work with such populations to reduce the effect of perceived unworthiness.
BY DAY 3
Post a response to the following:
- Define the terms worthy poor and unworthy poor.
- Identify an example of a population that may be viewed as worthy and one that may be viewed as unworthy.
- Analyze the effect of being designated unworthy on the populations that are viewed as such.