Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Asset Building As Social Investment, Michael Sherraden

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Inclusive asset building as a social policy innovation is a relative “newcomer” in policy discussions and research. The context is that since the middle of the 20th century, many countries implemented asset-building policy that is not inclusive, serves mostly the well-off, and is highly

regressive. In the United States, for example, the largest policy mechanisms are in tax benefits for home owning and saving for retirement. Altogether in the United States, such policies transfer about $500 billion dollars per year to the non-poor, most of this to the top 10%. This of course exacerbates inequalities in wealth and social development. …

Dimensions Of Charity Versus Development: The Century-Old Debate In The Profession Of Social Work, Héctor Luis Díaz, Antonio López Peláez

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The social work profession seeks different objectives and utilizes different methodologies and interventions in the countries in which it operates around the world. Furthermore, it operates within drastically different political, economic and cultural contexts. For these reasons, it is difficult to identify an ideal universal method of intervention.For approximately a century, social work practitioners and academicians have debated whether the profession should focus its efforts on providing charity and relief services or promoting socio-economic development and self-sufficiency. This article defines the concepts of charity and socioeconomic development and analyzes the main dimensions of this debate in an effort to deepen …