History of Human Services
"The kind of relationships that society expects from its citizens and the way it organizes its important institutions - the family, the system of governance and control - can either nurture or stunt people's impulses to give help to relatives, friends, and needy strangers" (Mandell and Schram, 2012, p. 28).
After watching the Meaning of Human Services (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. video, and reflecting on the quote above, use the outline below to describe the history of human services in western society.
History of Human Services. Discuss the history of helping behavior and human services in western culture. What factors have influenced our ability and willingness to help society members?
Changing Nature of Helping. Describe how societal circumstances shape helping behavior. Explain the principle of reciprocity and its relation to western cycles of giving and helping. Be sure to include such philosophies as means tested vs. universal programs, culture of poverty vs. opportunity theory, etc.
Cycles of Helping. Discuss the cycles of helping in the American society as they relate to welfare, juvenile justice, mental illness, and criminal justice. In your opinion, are we doing enough in these areas? If not, why not?
Your assignment should be two- to three-pages in length (excluding title and reference pages), and must include a minimum of three scholarly sources to substantiate your argument.
Society Shapes Helping Behavior
Human beings are social animals who have always helped each other (and, of course, also hurt each other). The kind of relationships that a society expects from its citizens and the way it organizes its important institutions-the family, the system of governance and control-can either nurture or stunt people's impulses to give help to relatives, friends, and needy strangers.
Anthropologists have shown that behavior varies widely among cultures. It is shaped by the food supply, the kinship system, the system of production, and relationships with other societies. It is easier to be loving and helpful in some societies than in others. Yet, if a modern society is to stay intact, it must encourage some form of mutual help.
This is what the anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss (1974) called the principle of reciprocity, which he considered the basic glue that holds together a society. That principle points to people's mutual obligations toward each other, based on caring and a sense of justice.