Social Work Commons^™

The Increase In Intergenerational African American Families Headed By Grandmothers, Dorothy S. Ruiz, Iris Carlton-Laney

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article analyzes census data on grandparent heads of household. Information on African American grandparents, grandmothers in particular, is the focus of this analysis. The data include a profile of African American grandparent householders, reasons for the increase in households headed by grandparents, challenges and problems, living arrangements/household characteristics, and implications for practice. African American children are more likely to live in the home of their grandparents than are White or Hispanic children. In 1993, 12 percent of African American children lived in the home of their grandparent in comparison to 4 percent for Whites and 6 percent for Hispanics. …

Protection, Prizes Or Patrons? Explaining The Origins And Maintenance Of Human Services Interest Groups, Richard Hoefer

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Little work has been done to understand the origins of human service interest groups or how they maintain themselves once founded. This paper tests three models of interest group origins and maintenance: a pluralist approach in which groups form and con tinue because they protect members' interests; a rational actor model in which groups form and are maintained because they offer members "prizes" that are more valuable than the costs of joining; and a patronage model in which groups form and continue because financial backers are willing to support them financially. Results show support for the "protection" and "patrons" models …

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 26, No. 4 (December 1999)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• THE URBAN ECOLOGY OF HOSPITAL FAILURE: HOSPITAL CLOSURES IN THE CITY OF CHICAGO, 1970-1991 - Gunnar Alm gren & Miquel Ferguson
• THE SOCIAL PROCESS OF "PASSING" TO MANAGE STIGMA: ACTS OF INTERNALIZED OPPRESSION OR ACTS OF RESISTANCE? - Valli Kalei Kanuha
• CONTRIBUTIONS OF FOREIGN-BASED AUTHORS TO SELECTED SOCIAL WORK JOURNALS IN THE UNITED STATES - Muammer Cetingok
• USING PROFESSIONALLY TRAINED ACTORS IN SOCIAL WORK ROLE-PLAY SIMULATIONS - Helen E. Petracchi
• THE INCREASE IN INTERGENERATIONAL AFRICAN AMERICAN FAMILIES HEADED BY GRANDMOTHERS - Dorothy S. Ruiz & Iris Carlton-LaNey
• MELTING MULTICULTURALISM? LEGACIES OF ASSIMILATION PRESSURES IN HUMAN SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS …

Review Of Shifting The Color Line: Race And The American Welfare State. Robert C. Lieberman. Reviewed By Jill Quadagno, Florida State University, Jill Quadagno

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Shifting the Color Line: Race and the American Welfare State. Robert C. Lieberman. Reviewed by Jill Quadagno, Florida State University

Using Professionally Trained Actors In Social Work Role-Play Simulations, Helen E. Petracchi

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The literature available to social work educators contains limited discussion of the use of role play simulation in the classroom. This paper presents the experiences of first-year MSW students in a foundation generalist practice class who were evaluated using role play for their final examination. In a unique arrangement, clients in these simulations were role-played by firstyear acting students from the university's theater arts department. The reaction of the social work students to role play with professionally trained actors is described and discussed from voluntarily submitted descriptions of the experience.

Perceiving Oppression: Relationships With Resilience, Self-Esteem, Depressive Symptoms, And Reliance On God In African-American Homeless Men, Jill Littrell, Elizabeth Beck

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Empowerment has been proffered as a desirable goal for many disadvantaged populations. The process of empowerment can include encouraging disadvantaged individuals to recognize the structural factors in society (e.g., discrimination, oppression, injustice) which contribute to disadvantaged status. Two studies sought to determine the impact that recognition of oppression has on a disadvantaged individual's (1) self-esteem; (2) level of depressive symptoms; (3) resilience which includes a sense of master y and optimism; (4) anger; and (5) reliance on God. These issues were investiga ted in a sample of African-American men seeking services at a soup-kitchen ministry. Perceptions of racial discrimination were …

Review Of Forming Nation: Framing Welfare. Gail Lewis (Ed.). Reviewed By Leslie Leighninger, Louisiana State University, Leslie Leighninger

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Gail Lewis (Ed.) Forming Nation: Framing Welfare. New York: Routledge, 1998. $75.00 hardcover, $22.99 papercover.

The Social Process Of "Passing" To Manage Stigma: Acts Of Internalized Oppression Or Acts Of Resistance?, Valli Kalei Kanuha

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In order to manage social stigma, some individuals construct and enact a social interaction strategy known as passing, which is "a performance in which one presents himself as what one is not" (Rohy, 1996). Based on interviews with lesbians and gay men of color, this article suggests that the process of passing is not based upon a rejection of stigmatized identity, but situationally employed to resist social oppression.

Review Of Challenges For Work And Family In The Twenty-First Century. Dana Vannoy And Paula J. Dubeck (Eds.). Reviewed By Blanche Grosswald, University Of California, Berkeley., Blanche Grosswald

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Dana Vannoy and Paula J. Dubeck (Eds.), Challenges for Work and Family in the Twenty-First Century. Hawthorne, NY: Aldine de Gruyter, 1998. $43.95 hardcover, $21.95 papercover.

Review Of Cultural Awareness In The Human Services: A Multi-Cultural Approach. James Green. Reviewed By Yuhwa Eva Lu, New York University., Yuhwa Eva Lu

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of J. W. Green. (1999). Cultural Awareness in the Human Services: A Multi-Cultural Approach (3rd ed). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon. $33.95 papercover.

The Urban Ecology Of Hospital Failure: Hospital Closures In The City Of Chicago, 1970-1991, Gunnar Almgren, Miguel Ferguson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Abstract: Hospital closures occurred nationally with increasing frequency between 1970 and 1990. In particular, large urban areas experienced a dramatic number of closures. Of the 61 general hospitals operating in Chicago in 1970, 22 (36%) had closed by 1991. While a growing body of literature has examined the etiology and determinants of hospital closure over the last two decades, few empirical studies have focused on the neighborhood correlates of closure, and none have examined specific health outcomes associated with hospital failure. This study uses census and Chicago hospital closure data to compare and contrast different conceptual explanations of closure in …

Contributions Of Foreign-Based Authors To Selected Social Work Journals In The United States, Muammer Cetingok

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study examines the contributions of foreign-based authors to thirty three social work journals in the US between 1977-1996. Analysis indicates that authors based in Canada, Israel, Australia and Great Britain are the highest contributors to primarily nine journals. Findings have implications for global social work education and practice.

Melting Multiculturalism? Legacies Of Assimilation Pressures In Human Service Organizations, Darlene L. Piña, Laura Canty-Swapp

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper examines non-profit human service agency workers' discussions of their work with diverse clients. These conversations are understood within the competing social agendas of multiculturalism and assimilation, and they suggest how service providers may resist or perpetuate the social control of people of color. Findings revealed that people of color were often excluded from providers' notions of American identity. It was common for providers, both whites and people of color, to both wittingly and unwittingly describe pressures to assimilate their clients. Providers disagreed on the merits and consequences of these assimilation pressures, with some seeing harm done to themselves …

Life After Foster Care: Services And Policies For Former Foster Youth, Madeleine R. Stoner

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article argues that interventions targeted to the needs of emancipated foster youth can prevent them from dependency, homelessness, and incarceration. It presents a profile of emancipated foster youth; focuses on their service needs; and, describes three program models addressing these. The data sources are a synthesis of previous research on independent living programs and findings about recently initiated programs. The data presented suggest policy changes to assure that emancipated foster youth continue to receive necessary service for self-sufficiency after they reach the legal emancipation age.

Review Of Disaster Hits Home: New Policy For Urban Housing Recovery. Mary C. Comerio. Reviewed By Calvin L. Streeter, The University Of Texas, Austin., Calvin L. Streeter

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Mary C. Comerio, Disaster Hits Home: New Policy for Urban Housing Recovery. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1998. $39.96 hardcover.

Rethinking Orphanages For The 21st Century. Richard B. Mckenzie (Ed.).

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Richard B. McKenzie (Ed.), Rethinking Orphanages for the 21st Century, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1999. $72.00 hardcover, $34.95 papercover.

The Politics Of Retirement In Britain, 1878-1948. John Macnicol.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for John Macnicol, The Politics of Retirement in Britain, 1878-1948. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1998. $74.95 hardcover.

Reflections On Community Organizing: Enduring Themes And Critical Issues. Jack Rothman (Ed.).

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Jack Rothman, (Ed.), Reflections on Community Organizing: Enduring Themes and Critical Issues. Itasca, IL: F. E. Peacock Publishers, 1999. $35.00 papercover.

Social Policy And Social Work. David Denny.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for David Denny, Social Policy and Social Work. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. $75.00 hardcover.

A Path Analysis Of The Effect Of Welfare On Infant Mortality, Michael A. Lewis

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Social epidemiologists have found a relationship between poverty and infant mortality. Welfare policy experts have found that welfare benefits affect work effort, family structure, migration, and the rate of intergenerational transmission of welfare receipt. Social epidemiologists have paid little attention to the effects of poverty policies on infant mortality. Welfare policy experts have paid little attention to the effect of welfare on infant mortality. This paper merges the concerns of social epidemiologists and welfare policy experts by examining the relationship between welfare and infant mortality. The key finding is that welfare directly and indirectly affects infant mortality rates. States with …

In The Service Of Market Socialism: The Quest For A Welfare Model In China, Bong-Ho Mok, Jitong Liu

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The socialist market economy in China has brought about impressive economic growth. It has also resulted in serious social problems such as unemployment, deteriorating family relations, prostitution, and poverty among the disadvantaged groups. This paper discusses a welfare model proposed by the Chinese Government to contain the destabilizing effects of the social problems and to serve the newly adopted market socialism. The authors argue that although this welfare model is still very much residual by western standards, it is a big step forward in building a modern Chinese welfare system.

Implementation Problems In The Development Of Urban Community Services In The People's Republic Of China: The Case Of Beijing, Agnas K.C. Yeung, Kwok Kin Fung, Kim Ming Lee

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

To review the ten year implementation of the community service policy of the People's Republic of China, community service implementers and academics located in Beijing were interviewed. By employing implementation theories as a framework of analysis, a number of implementation problems are identified. In terms of policy characteristics and the structuring of implementation, this case shows that the objectives are not specific enough. The decentralized implementation strategy allows the implementers too much discretionary power. The shortage of qualified and motivated personnel further complicate the issue. Lastly, the policy environment of Beijing does not lend adequate support to the policy.

Review Of Social Work With Children And Their Families: Pragmatic Foundations. Christopher G. Petr. Reviewed By Dorinda N. Noble, Louisiana State University., Dorinda N. Noble

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Petr, Christopher G. (1998). Social Work with Children and their Families: Pragmatic Foundations. New York: Oxford University Press.

Theorizing Welfare: Enlightenment And Modern Society. Martin O'Brein And Sue Penna.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Martin O'Brein and Sue Penna, Theorizing Welfare: Enlightenment and Modern Society. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1998. $74.50 hardcover, $24.95 papercover.

Woman Battering And Welfare Reform: The View From A Welfare-To-Work Program, Lisa D. Brush

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This research compares employment training program staff estimates (N = 118) and enrollee reports (N = 122) of woman battering, that is, the physical violence and other abuse men deploy against their wives and girlfriends. The vast majority of staff estimate that woman battering obstructs the transition from welfare to work for at least some of their clients. Overall, staff respondents' relative sense of the frequency of battering quite accurately reflects enrollee reports. However, staff are especially reluctant to give estimates of physical violence and injury. Moreover, many give very low estimates for those items that are obvious markers of …

Review Of Overcoming Welfare: Expecting More From The Poor And From Ourselves. James L. Payne. Reviewed By James Midgley, University Of California At Berkeley., James Midgley

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review James L. Payne, Overcoming Welfare: Expecting More from the Poor and From Ourselves. New York: Basic Books, 1998. $26.50 hardcover.

Hate Crime Laws And Sexual Orientation, Elizabeth P. Cramer

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article provides definitions for hate crimes, a summary of national data on hate crime incidents, and descriptions of federal and state hate crime laws. The author presents various arguments in support of and against hate crime laws, and the inclusion of sexual orientation in such laws. The author contends that it is illogical and a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment to exclude sexual orientationf rom hate crime laws. The perpetratorso f hate crime incidents, regardess of the target group, have similar motives and perpetrate similar types of assaults; the victims experience similar physical and psychological harm. Excluding a class …

Review Of Social Work In Rural Communities. Leon H. Ginsberg (Ed.). Reviewed By Marie D. Hoff, Boise State University., Marie D. Hoff

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Leon H. Ginsberg (Ed.). Social Work in Rural Communities. Council on Social Work Education: Alexandria, VA. 1998. $17.00 papercover.

A Commentary: Why Civil Commitment Laws Don't Work The Way They're Supposed To, Philip D. Arben

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

It is often presumed that the legal rights of those who are mentally ill or alleged to be mentally ill are adequately protected by the changes in civil commitment statutes that most states instituted during the 1970s. The author who participated in the writing of these reform statutes recently observed 63 civil commitment hearings. The gap between the stated requirements of the statute and the actual conduct of the commitment hearings was substantial. This paper attempts to explain why the reality has failed to meet the promise.

Americanization And Cultural Preservation In Seattle's Settlement House: A Jewish Adaptation Of The Anglo-American Model Of Settlement Work, Alissa Schwartz

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article examines the dual agendas of Americanization and preservation of Ashkenazic Jewish culture through an historical analysis of the work of Seattle's Settlement House, a social service center founded in 1906 by elite, Americanized Jews to serve poorer, immigrant Jews of Ashkenazic and Sephardic origin. Such analysis is set against the ideological backdrop of Anglo-Americanism which pervaded the field of social work in its early efforts at self-definition and professionalization.P articulara ttentioni s paid to the role of the arts at Settlement House, with comparisons to Chicago's Hull-House, the prototypical American settlement operating at the turn of the century. …