Searching for Utopia

Abstract

Summary A recurrent theme throughout the history of modern social welfare is dissatisfaction with how services are provided and by whom. This article, using media reports, traces the cycles of public sentiment, as expressed through the media, about the capabilities of public, nonprofit, and for-profit human service providers. An enhanced role for each sector is associated with periods of disillusionment with other sectors, stemming from such factors as poor quality performance, management and accountability failures, and outright wrong doing. Raised expectations, grounded on wishes rather than evidence, it is argued, are likely to result in a cyclical “fall from grace” of each type of service provider. Some of these sector failures in recent years are discussed and their common themes identified. An analysis of thematic patterns reveals that all sectors have been found wanting. Media portrayals reflect perceptions about sector performance “in the moment” and are susceptible to change at the next hint of problems in another sector. Ultimately, access to finances may have more to do with future scenarios than publicity about or the track record of the three sectors.