Seminario Interuniversitario de Pedagogía Social (29è : 2016 : Girona) ; Llibre d'actes del Congrés Internacional XXIX Seminari Interuniversitari de Pedagogia Social, celebrat a Girona els dies 14 al 16 de setembre de 2016
The text focuses on the analysis of the social policies of the Bolivarian Revolution, which have been developed as Social Missions, framing them in the philosophy of the political left and its conception of equality. Since 2003, the Social Missions brought a new way of understanding the notions of social policy and social inclusion, moved the bureaucracy of the State and were built based on the notion of urgency to combat poverty and inequality. They focus mainly on the principles of equality and social justice. The missions express an access to the social policy that has an emotional ingredient, its response to social demands is produced by non-institutional mechanisms, which try to strengthen or create a personal bond between the complainants and the political leaders together with their officials closest. ; El texto se centra en el análisis de las políticas sociales de la Revolución Bolivariana, que se han desarrollado como Misiones Sociales, enmarcándolas en la filosofía de la izquierda política y su concepción de igualdad. Desde 2003, las Misiones Sociales trajeron una nueva manera de entender las nociones de política social e inclusión social, conmovieron la burocracia del Estado y se construyeron con base en la noción de urgencia para combatir la pobreza y la inequidad. Se enfocan principalmente en los principios de igualdad y justicia social. Las misiones expresan un acceso a la política social que tiene un ingrediente emocional, su respuesta a las demandas sociales se produce por mecanismos no institucionales, que intentan fortalecer o crear un vínculo personal entre las y los sujetos demandantes y los líderes políticos junto con sus funcionarios más cercanos. Summary The text focuses on the analysis of the social policies of the Bolivarian Revolution, which have developed as Social Missions, framing them in the philosophy of the political left andits conception of equality. Since 2003, the Social Missions brought a new way of understanding the notions of social policy and social inclusion, moved the state bureaucracy and were built based on the notion of urgency to combat poverty and inequality. They focus primarily on the principles of equality and social justice. The missions express access to social policy that has an emotional ingredient, its response to social demands is produced by non-institutional mechanisms that try to strengthen or create a personal link between the plaintiffs subjects and political leaders along with his closest officials.
This paper proposes a reflection on the concept of social network in three dimensions: as an intersubjective binding process, as practices of cooperation and support for those making social advocacy, and as a way to interweave meanings that interpret and explain the daily life of individuals, groups and organizations. Likewise, we present the political dimension of social networks within the framework of participative democracy from which Social Work clarifies and sustains the notion of network as an interpretative framework for some methodologies of social intervention. ; Este artículo propone una reflexión sobre el concepto de red social en tres dimensiones: como proceso vincular intersubjetivo, como prácticas de colaboración y apoyo a quienes hacen gestión social, y como entrelazamiento de los significados que interpretan y explican la cotidianidad de individuos, grupos y organizaciones. Así mismo, presenta la dimensión política de las redes sociales en el marco de la democracia participativa a partir de la cual el trabajo social esclarece y sustenta la noción de red como marco interpretativo de algunas metodologías de intervención social.
Abstract: "To begin this editorial we would like to mention some concepts related to the purpose of this viewpoint. In 1948 Rudolph Virchow, the eminent author of cell pathology, launched the revolutionary concept of Social Medicine: "Medicine is a social science whose politics is nothing more than medicine on grand scale." Referring to physicians he wrote, "Physicians are the natural advocates of the poor and the social problems fall for the most part under their jurisdiction". Regarding these thoughts, I will like to add the following words: "If the disease is a social evil, medicine must be a social good". To day these notions about medicine and social security should be evaluated in relation to the innovative practice of organ transplantation, medical achievement actively developed since 1960."
In complex systems, disorder and order are interrelated, so that disorder can be an inevitable consequence of ordering. Often this disorder can be disruptive, but sometimes it can be beneficial. Different social groups will argue over what they consider to be disordered, so that naming of something as 'disorder' is often a political action. However, although people may not agree on what disorder is, almost everyone agrees that it is bad. This primarily theoretical sketch explores the inevitability of disorder arising from ordering systems and argues that a representative democracy has to tolerate disorder so as to function.
All parts of human communication existence has been improved through the use of new media technologies and especially through the use of social media which is reflected directly and indirectly on social innovations sui generis. Social innovation should be the game of ideas of equal interaction of different subject using the special life within the life that exists in the virtual world of new technologies. To able to use social media in proper way within social innovation process we have to take into the account that social media are: cheapest form of interaction; accessibility – everybody can be involved within social innovation through social media networks – previously it was reserved only for the organizations well equipped with equipment and personnel. Social media can be used for producing opportunities for creative construction of a new model of citizen participation through education within social innovation process while, in the same time, journalists becomes a mediators of democratic participations of citizens. Social networks have emerged as a critical factor in information dissemination, search, marketing and influence discovery. The capacity of any society to create of steady flow of social innovations depends on a huge amount of presumptions even to be able to link and interact, in proper way, of social media and social innovation, but it is very difficult to control social media, regardless how skilled individuals are involved as a starting point of social innovation dissemination. So, where is the solution? Within the society as the whole, having in mind that manipulation should be replaced with transparency and responsibility of each step of social innovation process through social media. Why? The one word is the answer – it creates TRUST. Creation of transparency and responsibility is both, direct and indirect creation of the most important issues for the proper existence of society – TRUST in the existence system. The most important for connecting people, ideas and resources, within the field of the use of digital technology, are the intermediaries. Namely, those are the social networks which will connect people, ideas and resources for the social innovations, through social media and interacting with them. Of course, within Social media and Social innovations the most important intermediaries are the people, depending on their wishes and capabilities to do the change and to be a change – for the benefit of the society as the whole.
All parts of human communication existence has been improved through the use of new media technologies and especially through the use of social media which is reflected directly and indirectly on social innovations sui generis. Social innovation should be the game of ideas of equal interaction of different subject using the special life within the life that exists in the virtual world of new technologies. To able to use social media in proper way within social innovation process we have to take into the account that social media are: cheapest form of interaction; accessibility – everybody can be involved within social innovation through social media networks – previously it was reserved only for the organizations well equipped with equipment and personnel. Social media can be used for producing opportunities for creative construction of a new model of citizen participation through education within social innovation process while, in the same time, journalists becomes a mediators of democratic participations of citizens. Social networks have emerged as a critical factor in information dissemination, search, marketing and influence discovery. The capacity of any society to create of steady flow of social innovations depends on a huge amount of presumptions even to be able to link and interact, in proper way, of social media and social innovation, but it is very difficult to control social media, regardless how skilled individuals are involved as a starting point of social innovation dissemination. So, where is the solution? Within the society as the whole, having in mind that manipulation should be replaced with transparency and responsibility of each step of social innovation process through social media. Why? The one word is the answer – it creates TRUST. Creation of transparency and responsibility is both, direct and indirect creation of the most important issues for the proper existence of society – TRUST in the existence system. The most important for connecting people, ideas and resources, within the field of the use of digital technology, are the intermediaries. Namely, those are the social networks which will connect people, ideas and resources for the social innovations, through social media and interacting with them. Of course, within Social media and Social innovations the most important intermediaries are the people, depending on their wishes and capabilities to do the change and to be a change – for the benefit of the society as the whole.
By the year 2030 there will be twice as many retirees in the United States as today but only 18 percent more workers. This aging of the population will place considerable financial strain on the United States social security system; relatively few workers will be taxes to pay the benefits of relatively many retirees. Because of this change in demographics, the Social Security Administration will not be able to pay scheduled social security benefits as outlined by current law. Therefore, it is imperative that the government act soon to address the looming fiscal imbalance of the social security program. The Senate Aging Committee and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) both encourage Congress to take a Rawlsian perspective when evaluating social security reform measures that are intended to cope with changing demo- graphics. In their estimation, a desirable reform should not only balance the budget, but it should also protect benefits for the economically vulnerable. In this paper, I examine the relationship between John Rawls theory of social justice and the US social security system. I then provide fifteen possible social security reforms that are consistent with Rawls theory. I conclude with an analysis of the political feasibility of the various reforms considered. As a special example, the mathematical model used to generate the results for three of the reforms is included at the end of the paper.
Background: The social and economic woes that have inflicted many countries around the world are testimony to the inadequacy of current institutional makeup of societies where individualism and market forces by and large have taken the leading role in directing societies' choices and resources. Problems of inequities in health and wealth, the widening gaps between the rich and the poor, employment insecurities, the growing social exclusion of the marginalized, and the looming environmental concerns are acute as ever. At the same time, the progressive social forces and the counter-balancing capacity of governments are being undermined by the prevailing neo-liberal forces. This sobering state of affairs can only lead to more problems and a growing frustration on the part of those who seek alternatives to the status quo, which have actually produced better results in certain countries. Objective: This study takes the position that the involvement of democratic collective institutions (e.g., local organizations and governments at all levels) in setting societal priorities and directing resources towards achieving those priorities would avoid or mitigate many of the socioeconomic problems facing us today. It aims to show that comprehensive social policy could prevent the emergence of such problems and contain the problems that remain, effectively working as a social vaccine. Methods: The study uses macroeconomic panel data and socioeconomic indicators from OECD countries to empirically examine the relationships between indicators of social wellbeing on the one hand, and measures of social policy on the other, while controlling for relevant macroeconomic covariates. Results: The empirical results indicate that better population health outcomes are consistently associated with stronger social policies, including social spending on health and non-health services. Also, they show lower poverty rate is associated with higher social spending. Lower crime rate is also associated with higher social spending, but it is strongly country-specific. Conclusion: Although improving social wellbeing and social protection are morally justified in their own right, the evidence presented in this study suggests that even a purely rational view concerned with the societal costs and benefits of public policy should find social policy an effective tool or vaccine against population ill-health, poverty, and crime.
In this article, the author "argues that the structure and weight of social policy affect at least as much: a) the possibility of acknowledging as common goods social benefits such as health, education, social security; and b) the presence of public discourse arenas about these goods, where the daily life of democracy is carried out". Further, she illustrates why social policy holds great importance even for the building of European democracy, and for Europe's socio-political integration in itself.
The return of social pacts in the context of the current economic crisis, as seen in southern European countries, invites the revival of the discussion about the development of social dialogue practice in its specific context. Based on a longitudinal analysis we examine the agenda of Spanish tripartite social pacts. We do this by assessing their priorities and the actors' strategies for their involvement in social dialogue by taking the overall political, legal and social context into account. The results are then used to discuss the future implications for Spanish social partners. Challenges regarding the future role of the social partners in collective bargaining, their political exchange and their dependence on political allies are observed.
Information plays an important role in the individual lives of people, and social media as an aspect of online information phenomenon is an exciting topic to explore in terms of its impact on social entrepreneurship. Many theoretical fields have contributed to the development of social entrepreneurship, looking in particular at the financial, political, and psychological impacts. This chapter is unique since it focuses on social enterprises and the impact of evolving technologies on social entrepreneurship. This chapter contributes to the literature on social media usage in social enterprises and offers a better understanding of the issues in the specific context of developing countries.
In: Powell, Jason L. and Khan, Hafiz T.A. orcid:0000-0002-1817-3730 (2012) Foucault, social theory and social work. Romanian Journal of Sociology, IX (1). pp. 131-147. ISSN 1220-3688
The philosopher Michel Foucault's theoretical work provides fertile ground for an analysis of areas of significant concern in researching of social work through his development of the ideas of discourse, power/knowledge, surveillance and governmentality. His development of these concepts allows an insight into the function of policy not always apparent in mainstream and contemporary social policy analysis which has been based on the sociological triumvirate of social class, gender and 'race'. In this article, we can explore how and why these conceptual gifts from Foucault are pertinent to understanding how service users are constructed as objects of social work, particularly with respect to contemporary discourses of social welfare and social exclusion. The paper argues that the use of these ideas challenges some of the less obvious assumptions permeating current developments in social policy and social work provision, whilst also enabling an ability to respond more contextually to shifting frameworks of power and knowledge. There is an acknowledgement of power and its potential positive impact on subjective sense of self and social work has a part to play in this. At the same time, the paper concludes with a warning of 'risk' and professional surveillance and its restriction in facilitating empowerment of vulnerable groups.
To address the conditions of poverty and underdevelopment in the country, the SouthAfrican government has accepted the social development approach as policy fordelivery of social services. Social welfare organisations and other similar social serviceproviders, such as faith-based organisations (FBOs), have attempted to implement thispolicy with varying degrees of enthusiasm and success. It has been stated that thetransformation of service delivery requires a "…comprehensive reshaping of socialwork practice" (Green, 1999:29) to bring about the changes that people andcommunities need to escape the degrading conditions of poverty. In this regard socialdevelopment encompasses the broad multi-dimensional concepts of planned changetowards social and economic well-being, and the improvement of the quality of life forindividuals, groups and communities (Billups, 1994; Pandey, 1981; Midgley, 1994).
As global integration process creates changes and new problem areas around individuals, people try to apply new ways for resilience. One of the methods used in this frame is social organization. Also, one of the most important tools of social organization in today's world is social media which emerge as a result of new communication technologies. The aim of this study is to reveal the role of social media in organizing society. In this context, social organization and social media were primarily defined. Some examples of the use of social media in social action and social organization have been emphasized. Data for the study was collected by using an online questionnaire. Research population of the study was Facebook users in Turkey. The sample of the study uses the convenience incidental sampling. The opinions about the role of social media in the social organization of Facebook users were examined. According to the results of the study, 72% of the participants agree that social media is a powerful tool in organizing social actions. 40% of the respondents think that social media contributes in strengthening democracy. It might be said that participants believe in the power of social media, but they never thought that this power will remain permanent.