Social Work Commons^™

Not In My Social World: A Cultural Analysis Of Media Representations, Contested Spaces, And Sympathy For The Homeless, James A. Forte

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The social constructionist approach offers conceptual tools that may augment social workers' persuasive powers and problem solving capacities. In this case study, I examine a newspaper campaign to cast the homeless in negative terms and justify the closing of a shelter. Findings are presented as seven themes used by competing claims-makers. Each constructs a different depiction of the homeless, of homelessness, and of preferred solutions. Linkages between community memberships and favored problem definitions are identified. I conclude with suggestions for how "intelligent social reconstruction" might help social workers function as sympathy brokers for the vulnerable. (Key words: homelessness, NIMBY, mass …

Review Of Preserving Privilege: California Politics, Propositions, And People Of Color. Jewelle Taylor Gibbs And Teiahsha Bankhead. Reviewed By Devon Brooks., Devon Brooks

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Jewelle Taylor Gibbs and Teiahsha Bankhead, Preserving Privilege: California Politics, Propositions, and People of Color. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2001.

Review Of Love's Revolution: Interracial Marriage. Maria P. Root. Reviewed By Dianne Rush Woods., Dianne Rush Woods

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Maria P. Root, Love's Revolution: Interracial Marriage. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press, 2001. $69.50 hardcover, $22.95 papercover.

"For Their Own Good?": Sex Work, Social Control And Social Workers, A Historical Perspective, Stéphanie Wahab

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article provides an overview of the social responses to prostitution since the mid 1800s and how the responses of social workers have been shaped by shifting social contexts. Understanding the complex interplay of these forces is key to mapping out the divergent social work practice approaches with sex workers and their influence over time. The article presents three main constructs which have influenced social work responses to sex work; 1) the notion that women needed to be protected for their own good, 2) competing class values and, 3) social control.

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 29, No. 4 (December 2002)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• DIFFERENT TYPES OF WELFARE STATES? A METHODOLOGICAL DECONSTRUCTION OF
• COMPARATIVE RESEARCH - Rebecca A. Van Voorhis
• FROM SOCIAL WORK TO HUMAN SERVICES - David Stoesz
• "FOR THEIR OWN GOOD?": SEX WORK, SOCIAL CONTROL, AND SOCIAL WORKERS, A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE - Sephanie Wahab
• EXPLORATORY RESEARCH IN PUBLIC SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES: AS ASSESSMENT OF DISSEMINATION AND UTILIZATION - Teresa Dal Santo, Sheryl Goldberg, Pamela Choice, and Michael J. Austin
• HEALTH SERVICES SOCIAL WORKERS' ACTIVITIES WITH PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES: PREDICTERS OF COMMUNITY PRACTICE - Richard L. Beaulaurier
• OPEN FOR BUSINESS: EXPLORING THE LIFE STAGES OF TWO CANADIAN STREET YOUTH SHELTERS …

Open For Business: Exploring The Life Stages Of Two Canadian Street Youth Shelters, Jeff Karabanow

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Youth shelters have emerged as significant resources for homeless and runaway adolescents. Through participant observations of shelter culture, review of agency archival materials, and in-depth interviews with 21 shelter workers (front line staff, middle managers, and upper-level executives), this analysis explores the life stages of two Canadian street youth shelters, highlighting the dramatic transformations in their internal operations and external environments. This paper also offers an understanding of organizational evolutionary processes.

Assets And Neighboring: An Exploration Into Household Assets And Efforts To Be A Good Neighbor, Tim Reutebuch

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

A non-random, cross-sectional sampling procedure was utilized in this study to explore the relationship between the level of household assets and their corresponding level of neighboring. Surveys from 111 households were collected from September 1997, to April 1999, in seven Ohio counties to elucidate the relationship between the level of assets in working poor households and selected household demographic variables, and their propensity to provide various forms of community assistance over the previous month from the time of survey. Findings revealed that households 1) with more than one adult and 2) with lower levels of monthly earned income were more …

The New Poverty Studies: The Ethnography Of Power, Politics And Impoverished People In The United States. Judith Goode And Jeff Maskovsky (Eds.).

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Judith Goode and Jeff Maskovsky (Eds.), The New Poverty Studies: The Ethnography of Power, Politics and Impoverished People in the United States. New York: New York University Press, 2001. $55.00 hardcover, $19.50 papercover.

Neighborhood Associations: The Foundation Of Community Development, Roger A. Lohmann

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Neighborhood associations are one of the most ubiquitous types of voluntary organization. This paper reviews a variety of theoretical and practical perspectives on the concept of neighborhood and the various organized expressions of neighborhood organizing in rural and urban communities.

Professional Burnout In Social Service Organizations: A Review Of Theory, Research And Prevention, Carol Stalker, Cheryl Harvey

Partnerships for Children and Families Project

This paper provides an overview of research on burnout in human service workers, with an emphasis on findings relevant to social workers and other professionals in child welfare and children’s mental health and the organizations that employ them. It is intended to inform the reader about the developments in burnout research since the phenomenon was initially described, and to identify some issues and questions that need further study. Part one of the paper begins with a discussion of several definitions of burnout and its components. Part two outlines the variables that have been identified by research as antecedent to burnout, …

Spruce Run News (Fall 2002), Spruce Run Staff

Maine Women's Publications - All

No abstract provided.

Domestic Violence Law Reforms: Reactions From The Trenches, Carol Bohmer, Jennifer Brandt, Denise Bronson, Helen Hartnett

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In recent years, feminists have worked hard to pressure society and the criminal justice system into taking domestic violence seriously. These efforts have resulted in more government funding and increased services to victims. In addition, there have also been legal and policy reforms which have affected the way cases are handled in the criminal justice system. This article reports on research on the reactions to those reforms by those most directly affected by them, the victims themselves and those who provide services to them.

Family Diversity: Continuity And Change In The Contemporary Family. Pauline Irit Erera.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Pauline Irit Erera, Family Diversity: Continuity and Change in the Contemporary Family. Thousand Oaks, Sage Publications, 2001. $64.95 hardcover, $29.95 papercover. [January 15, 20021.

Heterosexual Males: A Group Forgotten By The Profession Of Social Work, Jordan I. Kosberg

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Social work literature has mainly focused upon females and gay males. A search was undertaken of general references to heterosexual males in published social-work authored articles and appearing in book reviews and publishers' ads in two prominent social work journals during the last decade. The conclusion reached was that heterosexual males are seldom discussed and when they are discussed they are portrayed in a very biased manner. It is believed that social workers do not receive necessary preparation for understanding and working with heterosexual males, especially from minority and immigrant groups, who are facing emotional, physical, interpersonal, and family problems. …

Differential Test Performance In The American Educational System: The Impact Of Race And Gender, Stephen J. Finch, Harvey A. Farberman, Jordan Neus, Richard E. Adams, Deirdre Price-Baker

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Contrary to Herrnstein and Murray (1994) who claim that racial groups have different cognitive endowments and that these best explain differential test score achievements, our regression analyses document that there is less improvement in test scores per year of education for African-Americans and women. That is, the observed group test score differences do not appear to be due to racial cognitive differences but rather to other factors associated with group-linked experiences in the educational system. We found that 666 of the subjects in the Herrnstein-Murray database had actual IQ scores derived from school records. Using these as independent controls for …

Review Of Counseling Female Offenders And Victims: A Strengths-Restorative Approach. Katherine Van Wormer. Reviewed By Elizabeth C. Pomeroy., Elizabeth C. Pomeroy

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Maluccio, A.N. & Daly, J. (2000). Family group conferencing as "good" child welfare practice. In Gail Buford & Joe Hudson (Eds.), Family Group Conferencing: New Directions in Community- Centered Child and Family Practice (pp. 66-71). New York: Aldine DeGruyter.

Exchange, Action, And Social Structure: Elements Of Economic Sociology. Zafirovski, Milan.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Zafirovski, Milan. 2001. Exchange, Action, and Social Structure: Elements of Economic Sociology. Westport, CN: Greenwood Press. Hardcover, $68.00.

Productive Aging: Concepts And Challenges. Nancy Morrow- Howell, James Hinterlong And Michael Sherraden (Eds.).

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Nancy Morrow-Howell, James Hinterlong and Michael Sherraden (Eds.), Productive Aging: Concepts and Challenges. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001. $48 hardcover.

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 29, No. 3 (September 2002)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• FROM HENRY STREET TO CONTRACTED SERVICES: FINANCING THE SETTLEMENT HOUSE - Robert Fisher and Michael Fabricant
• "I RAISED MY KIDS ON THE BUS": TRANSIT SHIFT WORKERS' COPING STRATEGIES FOR PARENTING - Blanche Grosswald
• HETEROSEXUAL MALES: A GROUP FORGOTTEN BY THE PROFESSION OF SOCIAL WORK - Jordan I. Kosberg
• DOMESTIC VIOLENCE LAW REFORMS: REACTIONS FROM THE TRENCHES - Carol Bohmer, Jennifer Brandt, Denise Bronson, and Helen Hartnett
• DIFFERENTIAL TEST PERFORMANCE IN THE AMERICAN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM: THE IMPACT OF RACE AND GENDER - Stephen J. Finch, Harvey A. Farberman, Jordan Neus, Richard E. Adams, and Deirdre Price-Baker
• DESIGNING POLICIES …

Designing Policies That Address The Relationship Between Woman Abuse And Economic Resources, Kameri Christy-Mcmullin

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Given the disproportionate and increasing number of impoverished women, and poor women's increased vulnerability to woman abuse, it is crucial we examine economic policies in regards to their equity and adequacy for abused women. Current policies and programs designed to address the economic resources/needs of abused women are analyzed. Limitations in current policies are addressed, and a recommendation is made for the formation and implementation of a policy that would serve to empower women economically. Both the prospect and achievement of economic independence for women may not only reduce woman abuse, but will also increase women's options for economic security.

Beyond Welfare Or Work: Teen Mothers, Household Subsistence Strategies, And Child Development Outcomes, Gunnar Almgren, Greg Yamashiro, Miguel Ferguson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

There is probably no aspect of the work versus welfare debate that is more contested than the effects of welfare use on child development outcomes. Liberals tend to emphasize the detrimental effects of poverty and welfare stigma on children, while conservatives cite the negative socialization that occurs regarding the value of work within welfare dependent families. However, large scale longitudinal studies that have been used to address this question only indirectly measure critical influences on child development such as maternal mental health and do not consider the effect that a range of economic strategies that low-income mothers might undertake may …

The Increase In Incarcerations Among Women And Its Impact On The Grandmother Caregiver: Some Racial Considerations, Dorothy S. Ruiz

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article analyzes census data on the increase in incarcerations among women, with specific emphasis on some racial differences. The steady rise in female incarcerations and its impact on grandmothers who are caregivers of their children is the focus of this analysis. The article includes sociodemographic and health characteristics of imprisoned mothers, a review of relevant research, the impact of incarcerations on family caregivers, and implications for research. The rate of female incarceration has increased by 11% per year since 1985. A disproportionally higher number are women of color. Approximately fifty-three percent of the children whose mothers are imprisoned are …

Review Of Family Group Conferencing: New Directions In Community-Centered Child And Family Practice. Gail Buford And Joe Hudson (Eds.). Reviewed By Richard P. Barth., Richard P. Barth

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Gail Buford and Joe Hudson (Eds.), Family Group Conferencing: New Directions in Community-Centered Child and Family Practice. New York: Aldine DeGruyter; $25.95, papercover, 2002.

Review Of In The Name Of Hate: Understanding Hate Crimes. Barbara Perry. Reviewed By Wilma Peebles-Wilkins., Wilma Peebles-Wilkins

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Barbara Perry, In the Name of Hate: Understanding Hate Crimes. New York: Routledge, 2001. $22.95 papercover.

Review Of Making It In The "Free World": Women In Transition From Prison. Patricia O'Brien. Reviewed By Katherine Van Wormer., Katherine Van Wormer

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Patricia O'Brien, Making it in the "Free World": Women in Transition from Prison. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 2001. $18.95.

Adolescents At Work: Gender Issues And Sexual Harassment, Susan Fineran Phd, Licsw

School of Social Work

This study by Dr. Susan Fineran, Professor Emerita, University of Southern Maine, describes adolescents' experiences with sexual harassment while working part-time and attending high school. In a sample of 712 high school students, 35% of the 332 students who work part-time report experiencing sexual harassment (63% girls, 37% boys). Results revealed that there are differences in the experience of sexual harassment by gender, work relationship, and emotional reaction. Students experienced harassment from supervisors (19%), coworkers (61%), and unidentified others at work (18%). Girls reported being significantly more upset and threatened by the sexual harassment they experienced at work than boys …

Child And Family Welfare In Sweden, Gunvor Andersson

Partnerships for Children and Families Project

Sweden has no special Children’s Act because regulations on children are included in the Social Services Act from 1980, supplemented by an act regulating compulsory care. Child and Family welfare has a family support orientation rather than a child protection orientation. No time limit provided by the law put an end to family support or out-of-home care, but interventions are reviewed every six months. The paper presents some facts about Sweden, gives and overview of the legal framework, family maintenance services and out-of-home care. Further details are given about contact person/family as one of the most frequently used statutory support …

First Nations Child And Family Services And Indigenous Knowledge As A Framework For Research, Policy And Practice, Marlyn Bennett, Cindy Blackstock

Partnerships for Children and Families Project

This paper provides an overview of the exciting national developments in First Nations child and family service delivery in Canada with a focus on progressive research, policy and practice. Examples of how traditional concepts of interdependence and the holistic worldview inform program design and delivery within First Nations communities are reviewed. In addition, the paper introduces the mandate, strategic directions and services of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada. This national organization brings together the 105 First Nations Child and Family Service Agencies in Canada to share best practices, develop professional development programs and conduct research. …

The Plight Of Paternalism In French Child Welfare And Protective Policies And Practices, Alain Grevot

Partnerships for Children and Families Project

For 40 years, the French child protection system has been based on a structure set up at the dawn of the Fifth Republic, giving a strong role, and a monopoly to the State to support families in trouble. The role of Children’s Judges has been designed to personify the constitutional duty of the State to control and support the role of parents as defined by the civil code. The evolution of the structure of French society (family models, multicultural communities), the impact of more liberal economic and social policies (in a country strongly characterized by centralization and Jacobinism), the growth …

Promoting Change From ‘Child Protection’ To ‘Child And Family Welfare’: The Problems Of The English System, Rachael Hetherington, Tracey Nurse

Partnerships for Children and Families Project

In England, the system for children and families in need of state intervention has developed in response to a series of political changes and to high profile and highly publicised child welfare ‘cases’. This has led over the past 20 years to a focus on child protection as the most important aspect of the work. For the last 5-8 years, attempts have been made at many levels to redress this imbalance and put more emphasis on family support. However, there are barriers to change, in the existing structures, in the distribution of resources and in anxieties about public responses to …