Sociology Assignment: Human Services in the US - Analysis and Report

This report provides an analysis of human services in the United States, examining the influence of philosophies like individualism, laissez-faire, and Social Darwinism on their development. It explores the impact of these ideologies, particularly focusing on the negative effects of mass production and the prioritization of big businesses. The report also investigates the role of the U.S. government in shaping human services, highlighting key actions during the 20th century, such as initiatives in public health and child welfare. The impact of government policies on children and families is also discussed, along with the establishment of the Administration for Children and Families and its role in promoting economic and social welfare. The report references relevant academic sources to support its findings, providing a comprehensive overview of the evolution of human services in the US.

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Briefly, what effect did the philosophies of individualism, laissez-faire, and Social
Darwinism have on the delivery of human services in the United States during the 19th
century?
The policies of Social Darwinism, laissez-faire, and individualism have impacted the
human services in the US profoundly. The effects have been both positive and negative. As
for the companies, they made more and more profit as their business gained heights but it was
a loss for the employees. Cheap work and construction of assembly lines allowed mass
production. The major focus was on big businesses and that made people lose jobs and
livelihood (Versen, 2009). The social Darwinism of America found the social classes not to
have any duty to fight for survival to those without or under-equipped.
What actions of the U.S. government during the 20th century do you believe most
supported the development of human services in the U.S., and explain your reasoning?
The big epidemics of the late 18th and early 19th centuries started to involve the state
and local governments in public health. The first, the yellow fever outbreak in Philadelphia in
1793, and the next 50 years were recurrent with epidemics of cholera, smallpox, and yellow
fever. For a large part, social and economic causes of these epidemics were. An increasingly
growing and rapidly shifting population was among them (Fielding, 1999). Based upon the
theory that tax cuts would stimulate so much inflation that tax revenues would eventually
increase, the government vowed to reverse the trend of big government and rejuvenate the
economy.
What influences did these changes have on children and families?
The American people benefited in the early decades of the 20th century from
industrial development and also from its negative effects. The introduction of child welfare
services took place in the 20th century. The government took initiatives to ensure child safety

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and protection. In collaboration with States, tribes and local organizations, the Administration
for Children and Families (established in 1991) promotes the economic and social welfare of
families, infants, citizens and communities through a variety of educational and supportive
services (Huston, 2011).

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References
Fielding, J. (1999). Public Health in the Twentieth Century: Advances and
Challenges. Annual Review of Public Health, 20(1), xiii-xxx.
https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.publhealth.20.1.0
Huston A. C. (2011). Children in poverty: Can public policy alleviate the
consequences?. Family matters (Melbourne, Vic.), (87), 13–26.
Versen, C. (2009). What's Wrong with a Little Social Darwinism (In Our
Historiography)? The History Teacher, 42(4), 403-423. Retrieved April 3, 2020, from
www.jstor.org/stable/40543493