Van sociale planning naar democra tische planning

FROM SOCIAL PLANNING TO DEMOCRATIC PLANNING: THE DECENTRALISATION OF SOCIAL-CULTURAL POLICY IN THE NETHERLANDS: The conditions of labourers in particular during the last century and the first decades of this century resulted in social movements and uprisings inspired by socialism and related CUTTents. In many countries labour and social laws were introduced establishing a system of social security and fringe benefits for the labourer. This process was continued by means of social and economic planning in order to preserve the acquired conditions — not only for the benefit of labourers in particular, but for society as such. Various care rendering institutions came to the fore and obtained state provincial and municipal subsidies at a later stage. In the Netherlands many institutions and associations outside the field of direct social and medical care were subsidised. In this process the compartmentalisation of institutions (Roman Catholic, Protestant and non-religious) resulted in doubling of services and, because of the variety in kinds, a chaos in subsidy relations. The Government of the Netherlands, in an attempt to solve this problem, instructed a state commission to write a “problem-book” in which proposals were presented which could lead to a better systematic organisation of the whole complex of institutions operating in the field of wellbeing. The concept of “social planning” was to be changed into “democratic planning” and the planning of well-being was to be transferred to the municipalities. Each municipality was to draw up a plan to cover “care” (social-medical help), “education” (i.e. non primary and non secondary education, for example courses for adults, music schools), and “recreation”. The underlying philosophy aimed to supply to every cituen the opportunity to attain a reasonable and responsible place in society. Those who are in a “situation of deprivation” should be assisted to better themselves. It is difficult to decide on a universal feeling of “well-being”. The well known Dutch psychologist, prof. A.D. de Groot remarked: “I decide myself whether I feel happy or not”. This phrase questions the efforts of authorities to set up social plans or “plans of well-being”

Decentralization · Economic growth · Economics · Political science · Social policy · Sociology · Dutch Social and Cultural Studies · Law · Public Administration