The Merry-Go-Round of Australian Welfare

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how Australia's often controversial refugee policy can be seen to reflect certain philosophies that determine who is allowed to enter Australia and who is not. It discusses the four main philosophies behind the policy: residualism; selectivity and targeting; "deserving" and "undeserving"; and blaming the victim (cf. structuralism). It also provides an examination of the current refugee laws, including current quotes from leading Australian politicians regarding refugees and Australian law.

Outline
Under the Big Top: Residualism, a "Safety Net", the "Ladder of Opportunity" and One White Monkey
A Volunteer From the Audience Please!: The Politics of Selectivity
Admission Prices: Who Gets In and What Your Ticket Gives You
Eeny Meaney Miney Mo: The Deserving Desirables of a Humanitarian Program
Beggars and Hecklers: The Price of Absent Security
Crowd Control: Moderating the Masses
Memoirs of a Mime: The Day the Crowd Fell Silent
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"The first philosophy regarding welfare in Australia is undoubtedly the concept of residualism versus universalism, as this addresses from the very beginning whether welfare will be targeted only at individuals in need, as in the residualist model, or whether every citizen will be universally provided for regardless of income or standing. Historically, Australia has largely been a residual welfare state in accordance with its tendency to political conservatism emphasizing individual self-reliance. Residualist welfare developed in Australia around the presumption of full employment; wage levels were guaranteed by the Harvester judgment relegating government welfare to the status of a "safety net" for those men who experienced temporary unemployment. The key concept behind this residualist support for unemployed men however was the assumption of limited welfare; it was only intended as a safety net for short periods of time, to "break the fall towards destitution and sustain a man and his family while they help him climb the ladder of opportunity again." "

More papers on The Merry-Go-Round of Australian Welfare:

• Analytical Essay # 45619 : "Cymbeline" and "The Merry Wives of Windsor"
• Book Review # 121936 : "The Sovereignty and Goodness of God"
• Book Review # 96687 : "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County"--A Review"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: