Introduction

This chapter puts social welfare practice in the wider context of:

• • the politicians who shape social welfare practice through legislation and policy;

• • the current and future role of ICT in the democratic process;

• • the role of ICT in developing and supporting the whole community;

• • the use of ICT by the voluntary sector in campaigning for change;

• • the potential risk of ICT in terms of the invasion of privacy and excessive government control.

It goes on to explore what the future might hold and translates this into practice for social welfare practitioners.

Democracy is the foundation of social welfare, and elected politicians are pivotal in this process – so it makes sense to start with politicians and their likely perspectives on ICT.

Politicians and ICT

A recurring theme of this book has been the lessons that can be drawn from societal responses to new technologies. One conclusion is that politicians like to be associated with new technology. Victorian politicians identified themselves with the growth of the railway (Hardy, 2003). A century later, Harold Wilson is remembered for his ‘white heat of technology’ speech:

A similar situation has developed between New Labour and ICT:

The concept of the ‘certainty trough’ was introduced in Chapter Six. This model described the idea that ‘a little knowledge is a dangerous thing’. It seems likely, then, that for the immediate future – despite the scale of the problems described in Chapter Six – ICT will continue to be seen as a panacea for managing the problems of social welfare.