Abstract

Social welfare refers to the well-being of an entire society. Society, seen from a sociological functionalist perspective, is compromised by several co-operating parts, glued together by social cohesion (the result of common aspirations and beliefs between citizens and government). If a society is a well functioning organism, it must take into account the economic and spiritual goals of its citizens alongside providing education, access to clean drinkable water, non-toxic air, benefits system for the disabled or underprivileged as well as a volume of rights which protect the civil liberties of societies.
This thesis is about social welfare in terms of a transition from an individual concept to federal responsibility. This thesis is divided into three parts. Firstly, we have to make sure that what the social background of the Great Depression is. Besides, this thesis talks about the social background through the timeline of World War II. The second part of this thesis is about what problems that the Great Depression brought to individuals and the whole society in America. The last part of this thesis stresses on the impact of the Great Depression on American social welfare. This thesis also analyses the topic of the war between social welfare and corporate welfare and how they affect each other synchronistically. In conclusion, the Great Depression brought more negative effects rather than positive effects to USA on social welfare after WWII.

Key words: social welfare; the Great Depression; impact; corporate welfare
 
摘 要
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社会福利是指整个社会的福祉，从社会学的角度看,社会由社会凝聚力将几个协作的部分粘合成而成。如果社会是一个良好运转的有机体, 它必须与教育机构一起考虑公民经济和精神的目标，获得干净的饮用水、无毒的空气和各种公共设施，针对残疾人和弱势群体的福利系统以及保护公民自由的许多权利。
文章论述了社会福利从个体的概念过渡到联邦政府的责任，之后就三个方面展开论述，首先，我们需要分析引发经济大萧条的社会背景。本文以第二次世界大战为时间轴介绍了经济大萧条的社会背景。本文的第二部分探讨了经济大萧条给美国个人和整个社会带来的问题。本文的第三部分着重分析了经济大萧条对美国的社会福利带来的消极影响, 就社会福利和公司福利之间的战争及互相影响的话题进行重点分析。本文得出的结论是经济大萧条对二战后美国的社会福利体系带来的更多的是消极影响。

关键词：社会福利；大萧条；影响；公司福利