Week 1 – Assignment History of Human Services

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 video, and reflecting on the quote above, use the outline
below to describe the history of human services in western society.

1. 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?
2. 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.
3. 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.  At least two of these must be scholarly,
peer-reviewed sources that were published within the past five years. 
Your paper and all sources must be formatted according to the APA guidelines
outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used
to evaluate your assignment.