When Responding to question below ,considering how the economy influenced the development of social welfare policy then and now.  

Discussion Question

?Though the Elizabethan Poor Laws are extinct, they still influence current social welfare policies by providing supplemental assistance to those in need. The poor laws were used as a safety net and with the social norms at the time, they were not generally used by a majority of the public (Stern & Axinn, p.18). This is still effective today as the social norm for an individual is to care for themselves and request help only if they need it by today’s standards. With current policies in the SNAP and TANF programs, a person who does not meet criteria that generally would classify them as needy are only giving supplemental help and are also given time limits to how long they can receive assistance before having to provide for themselves.

The NASW code of ethics states that social workers should strive to ensure equality of opportunity (National Association of Social Workers, 2021). However, the Elizabethan poor laws had premises based on oppression. The needy were classified as ill, disabled, elderly, orphans, and widows with young children. If one did not fit in these categories such as unwed mothers or those of different races they were not deemed worthy of assistance.

National Association of Social Workers. (2021). Code of Ethics. Retrieved from National Association of Social Workers: https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of…

Stern, M. J., & Axinn, J. (n.d.). Social Welfare: A History of the American Response to Need (Vol. 9th). New York: Pearson.