Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Globalization, Precarious Work, And The Food Bank, Ernie S. Lightman, Andrew Mitchell, Dean Herd

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper explores whether people are better off working in the precarious employment associated with a neoliberal globalized economy. Firstly, we show the impacts of globalization on the composition of food bank users in Toronto, Canada. We then compare two groups offood bank users, one with at least one household member working, the other without. Our findings demonstrate that the life experiences of the two groups remain depressingly similar: those employed remained mired in poverty and continued to lead marginalized, precarious lives. The lack of investment in education or training characteristic of 'work-first' welfare reforms leads to unstable, low-paid work …

Family Foster Care For Abandoned Children In Egypt, Hamido A. Megahead

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The profile of Egyptian foster children has changed tremendously since the establishment of Egyptian family foster care in 1959. This is a result of changes in foster family practice and changes in the profile of foster families. The changes in family foster care practice included terminating the use of wet nurses and replacing them with Childhood and Motherhood Care Centers and by determining a specific age that foster children would leave the foster care system. The changes in the foster family profile included the educational qualifications offoster mothers, the jobs offoster mothers and foster fathers, the motivation to be a …

Potential Impact Of Eitc Adjustments On Financial Self-Sufficiency Among Low-Income Families: A Simulation Model, Younghee Lim, Catherine Lemieux

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Policies that help low-income mothers find and keep employment as a means of obtaining self-sufficiency have been a focal point of the welfare reform debate in the past decade. In the midst of this dialogue, the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) has gained popularity as one of the core work support programs for America's low- and moderately low-income families with children. This study compares the estimated effects of EITC when its value deteriorated in the late 1990s with that of a simulated EITC for which the real value kept pace with the actual cost of living on welfare caseload reductions. …

Transforming Caregiving: African American Custodial Grandmothers And The Child Welfare System, S. Yvette Murphy, Andrea G. Hunter, Deborah J. Johnson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Growing numbers of African American grandmothers are raising grandchildren under the auspices of the child welfare system; however, little is known about the manner in which child welfare policies and practices impact custodial grandparenting. Based on focus groups with African American grandmothers who are raising grandchildren as formal kinship caregivers, this study explored the ways in which the new formalized relationship between the child welfare system and African American custodial grandmothers is transforming the meanings and practices related to intergenerational caregiving in African American families. Drawing on cultural and historical traditions, grandmothers forge a transformative partnership with child welfare that …

Documentary Photography In American Social Welfare History: 1897-1943, Peter Szto

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This is a study of documentary photography in American social welfare history. The study examines the emergence of photography as a tool of social policy, and in particular, key practitioners who shaped the perception of American social welfare. Within the social welfare literature, this topic is largely unexamined yet invaluable to an understanding of American social welfare. Photography performed a highly instrumental role by providing visual evidence as an innovative way of seeing and analyzing social problems. This image-based approach to social welfare analysis influenced how society viewed itself and the social environment. The goal of this study is to …

Review Of Good Kids From Bad Neighborhoods: Successful Development In Social Context. Delbert S. Elliott, Scott Menard, Bruce Rankin, Amanda Elliott, William Julius Wilson And David Huizinga. Reviewed By Stephanie Cosner Berzin., Stephanie Cosner Berzin

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Delbert S. Elliot, Scott Menard, Bruce Rankin, Amanda Elliot, William Julius Wilson and David Huizinga. Good Kids from Bad Neighborhoods: Successful Development in Social Context. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006. $80.00 hardcover, $30.99 papercover.

Review Of Biomedicalization Of Alcohol Studies: Ideological Shifts And Institutional Challenges. Lorraine T. Midanik. Reviewed By E. Michael Gorman., E. Michael Gorman

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Lorraine T. Midanik. Biomedicalization of Alcohol Studies: Ideological Shifts and Institutional Challenges. New Brunswick, NJ: Aldine Transaction, 2006. $ 39.95 hardcover.

Review Of Biomedicalization Of Alcohol Studies: Ideological Shifts And Institutional Challenges. Lorraine T. Midanik. Reviewed By E. Michael Gorman., Bart Grossman

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Peter Schrag. California: America's High Stakes Experiment. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2006. $24.95 hardcover, $16.95 papercover.

Restructuring Family Policies: Convergences And Divergences. Maureen Baker., Mary Ager

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Maureen Baker. Restructuring Family Policies: Convergences and Divergences. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2006. $65.00 hardcover, $29.95 papercover.

The State After Statism: New State Activities In The Age Of Liberalization. Jonah D. Levy, Editor., James Midgley

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Jonah D. Levy, Editor. The State after Statism: New State Activities in the Age of Liberalization. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2006. $55.00 hardcover, $24.95 papercover.

Contesting Communities: The Transformation Of Workplace Charity. Emily Barman., Sara E. Kimberlin

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Emily Barman. Contesting Communities: The Transformation of Workplace Charity. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2006. $53.00 hardcover, $20.95 papercover.

Child Soldiers: From Violence To Protection. Michael Wessells., David K. Androff

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Michael Wessells, Child Soldiers: From Violence to Protection. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2006. $45.00 hardcover.

Paradigm Wars: Indigenous Peoples' Resistance To Globalization. Jerry Mander And Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, Editors.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Jerry Mander and Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, Editors. Paradigm Wars: Indigenous Peoples'Resistance to Globalization. Berkeley, CA: Sierra Club Books, 2006. $19.95 papercover.

Review Of Working Mothers And The Welfare State: Religion And The Politics Of Work-Family Policies In Western Europe And The United States. Kimberly J. Morgan. Reviewed By Katherine Van Wormer., Katherine Van Wormer

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Kimberly J. Morgan. Working Mothers and the Welfare State: Religion and the Politics of Working-Family Policies in Western Europe and the United States. Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press, 2006. $22.95 papercover.

When Does Public Opinion Matter?, Jennifer L. Christian

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The landmark 1996 reform to Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) provides an opportunity to study processes of welfare reform in the United States. A potential factor behind the transformation of AFDC is public opinion, possibly in the form of changes in attitudes among politically relevant groups. This study will evaluate this thesis, focusing on attitudinal changes between partisan identifiers. Most data suggest the American public may have been critical of welfare programs prior to the 1996 reform. However, the extent of these criticisms generally varies depending on who is asked, how questions are worded and the type of …

Political Economy, Moral Economy And The Medicare Modernization Act Of 2003, Judie Svihula

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Through the lens of political and moral economy, I examined the dominant values and actors in the legislative process of the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003. In my content analysis of federal hearings, I found that witnesses from government agencies, Congress and think tanks had almost equal presence at the hearings. Witnesses who were invited by Congress to testify at the hearings expressed twice as much support for private interests than for the general Medicare population or low-income beneficiaries. Few expressed concern for the uninsured population. Witnesses offered almost four times as many expressions of support for market rationalism than …

Social Welfare Policy And Public Assistance For Low-Income Substance Abusers: The Impact Of 1996 Welfare Reform Legislation On The Economic Security Of Former Supplemental Security Income Drug Addiction And Alcoholism Beneficiaries, Sean R. Hogan, George J. Unick, Richard Speiglman, Jean C. Norris

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Prior to January 1, 1997, individuals with drug- or alcohol-related disabilities could qualify for federal public assistance through the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. During the welfare reforms of the Clinton administration, this policy was changed, resulting in lost income and health care benefits for many lowincome substance abusers. This paper examines the historical underpinnings to the elimination of drug addiction and alcoholism (DA&A) as qualifjing impairments for SSI disability payments. Following this, empirical evidence is presented on the effect this policy change had on the subsequent economic security of former SSI DA&A beneficiaries. Findings indicate that study participants who …

The Illusion Of Change, The Politics Of Illusion: Evolution Of The Family Support Act Of 1988, Luisa S. Deprez

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The enactment of the Family Support Act was the outcome of a six-year legislative and administrative review of, and debate about, welfare policy and programs. Heralded as the opportunity of the century, it did little, however, to alter existing policy. This article examines the evolution of the Family Support Act within the United States Congress, spotlighting two important time periods leading up to its enactment: 1981 to 1985 and 1986 to 1988. Original documentsfroin the files of the late Senator Moynihan, legislative sponsor of the Family Support Act, as well as a comprehensive investigation of Congressional records of hearings and …

Social Security Privatization: An Ideologically Structured Movement, Judie Svihula, Carroll L. Estes

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

We document the cumulative change in expressions of support for Social Security's social insurance ideals to privatization,from the late 1970s through 2007. Social Security's basic structure and principles generally were supported by the United States government and in amendments to the original Act of 1935. However, in the 1980s market arguments began to proliferate in government alongside pension privatization projects by international governmental organizations and conservative think tanks. Although in 1983 Commission members concluded "the Social Security system is sound in principle.. and... structure," four members wrote a supplemental statement that emphasized market rationalism. By 1994 dissension in Congress was …

A Decent Home For Every Family? Housing Policy Initiatives Since The 1980s, Sondra J. Fogel, Marc T. Smith, Anne R. Williamson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

A fundamental economic and social principle embedded in the American psyche remains the value of shelter. However, housing policy is the result of a complex exchange among economic, political, and social agendas competing for attention within the multiple levels of local, state, and federal governments. This article intends to capture what we consider afea of the significant initiatives since 1980 that reflect these tensions and comprise our current housing policies and directions. Furthermore, we suggest additional housing issues that may need to be addressed by the next presidential administration.

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 35, No. 1 (March 2008)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SPECIAL ISSUE ON HISTORY OF CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL POLICY

• INTRODUCTION TO THE SPECIAL ISSUE - Richard K. Caputo, Special Editor
• LEVELING THE PLAYING FIELD: EPITOMIZING DEVOLUTION THROUGH FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS - Robert J. Wineburg, Brian L. Coleman, Stephanie C. Boddie, and Ram A. Cnaan
• SOCIAL WORK IN THE WORKFARE REGIME: A COMPARISON OF THE U.S. AND AUSTRALIA - Catherine McDonald and Michael Reisch
• SOCIAL SECURITY PRIVATIZATION: AN IDEOLOGICALLY STRUCTURED MOVEMENT - Judie Svihula and Carroll L. Estes
• THE ILLUSION OF CHANGE, THE POLITICS OF ILLUSION: EVOLUTION OF THE FAMILY SUPPORT ACT OF 1988 - Luisa S. Deprez
• WHEN DOES …

History Of Contemporary Social Policy: Introduction, Richard K. Caputo

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

As the contributions to this special issue of ]SSW attest, much can be said about the nature of social welfare policies and programs over the past quarter century. Some changes are allegedly beneficial, some not, in regard to the welfare of the nation in general and to economically needy people in particular. The welfare program in the form of cash assistance primarily to lowincome mothers and their children as we had understood and implemented it since 1935 ended. Work effort became the sine qua non of cash assistance for all low-income families. Further, the very notion of the welfare state …

Leveling The Playing Field: Epitomizing Devolution Through Faith-Based Organizations, Robert J. Wineburg, Brian L. Coleman, Stephanie C. Boddie, Ram A. Cnaan

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The original New-Federalism agenda that emerged with the Reagan administration weakened federal programs and transferred power to states and localities. While Ronald Reagan and George Herbert Walker Bush's years were characterized by block grants and dismantling public assistance, the Clinton years will be remembered for the dismantling of AFDC. Recruiting faith-based organizations to provide social services epitomized the second Bush presidency. In this article, we demonstrate how the seeds for recruiting faith-based groups were planted before and during the Reagan years, and how two waves of devolution chipped away at our national commitment to welfare. These first two waves provided …

Social Work In The Workfare Regime: A Comparison Of The U.S. And Australia, Catherine Mcdonald, Michael Reisch

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Australia and the U.S. are both liberal welfare states. During the past quarter century, they have begun the transition from a welfare to a workfare state, albeit at different rates and through different paths. Social work developed in each country in ways congruent with the local liberal welfare state, and as such, has been destabilized by the transition to the workfare regime. Drawing on neo-institutional theory and extant empirical research in other professionalized fields, the paper suggests that this transition can be understood as an aspect of institutional change. By comparing the developments in two similar, yet difterent nations, this …

Does Belief Matter? Social Psychological Characteristics And The Likelihood Of Welfare Use And Exit, Michele Lee Kozimor-King

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Numerous studies have reemerged examining social psychological variables as predictors of individual differences in the human experience. Still, current research focusing on the effects of self-beliefs on welfare use and exit is limited. This study examines the effects of social psychological variables on the likelihood of welfare use and five-year outcomes of wonen using data from the 1979 through 2000 waves of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY). Binary logistic regression estimates suggest that social psychological characteristics are initially related to welfare use, but do not remain oce control variables are introduced. While social psychological predictors do not appear …

Tracing The History Of Medicare Home Health Care: The Impact Of Policy On Benefit Use, Joan K. Davitt, Sunha Choi

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

We trace key policy changes that affected use of the Medicare home health benefit from the 1980s through the prospective payment system implemented in 2000, analyzing the impact on three measures of home care use: expenditures, users and visits. We demonstrate the impact of policies generated in the legislative, the judicial, and the executive branches of government and the gaming behavior of home health agencies in response to policy changes. Our analysis suggests that the policy itself and the implementation process are critical to understanding benefit use. The incentives in the policies and agency reactions had the potential to generate …