ABSTRACT
This chapter presents two complementary frameworks for thinking about society; together they provide a context for appreciating and understanding the diverse social welfare institutions that have appeared in the course of Western history. The first framework is analytical. It identifies the principal elements of any society. The second framework is historical. It provides a brief, schematic overview of the development of Western society. A society distributes honor to its members as a benefit. The lives of all of us are shaped by institutions that have developed over long periods of time, and it is necessary to have an overview of some of the major historical periods and their distinctive characteristics in order to appreciate the ways in which social welfare institutions have taken shape. Medieval society in western Europe developed out of the ruins of the Roman Empire. The decline of the Roman Empire had left western Europe transformed into an almost totally agricultural society.
