Social Work Commons^™

Charitable Choices: Religion, Race And Poverty In The Post-Welfare Era. John P. Bartkowski And Helen Regis., James Midgley

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for John P. Bartkowski and Helen Regis, Charitable Choices: Religion, Race and Poverty in the Post- Welfare Era. New York: New York University Press, 2003. $69.00 hardcover, $19.00 papercover.

Informal Care-Two-Tiered Care? The Work Of Family Members And Friends In Hospitals And Cancer Centres, Christina Sinding

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In a qualitative study conducted in Ontario, Canada, family members and friends of ill people defined a normal territory in which care from health professionals could not be counted on to be timely, effective or empathic. Under these conditions relatives and friends took on considerable responsibility, both for providing care and for securing care from health professionals. Yet considerable variation was apparent in this study in the sense respondents had of their own capacities to provide and secure care. Findings from this study suggest that service tiers exist in the institutional care system, linked to the time, knowledge and resources …

Remaking America's School Systems: Now Separate And Unequal. Milton Schwebel., Andrea Anderson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Milton Schwebel, Remaking America's School Systems: Now Separate and Unequal. Lanham. MD: Scarecrow Press, 2003. $39.95 hardcover, $29.95 papercover.

The Decline Of The Public Intellectual In Social Work, Howard Jacob Karger, Marie Theresa Herndndez

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article examines reasons for social work's abandonment of public discourse, activism and intellectual life. It also explores strategies to encourage the profession to reenter public life and develop a modern cadre of social work identified public intellectuals. Specifically, this process entails professional and academic reform and a renewed vision around the social justice mission of social work.

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 31, No. 3 (September 2004)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• PRESIDENTS, PROFITS, PRODUCTIVITY, & POVERTY: A GREAT DIVIDE BETWEEN THE PRE- AND POST-REAGAN U.S. ECONOMY? - Richard K. Caputo
• LOSING THE "EYES IN THE BACK OF OUR HEADS": SOCIAL SERVICE SKILLS, LEAN CARING, AND VIOLENCE - Donna Baines
• THE DECLINE OF THE PUBLIC INTELLECTUAL IN SOCIAL WORK - Howard Jacob Karger, Marie Theresa Herndndez
• INFORMAL CARE-TWO-TIERED CARE? THE WORK OF FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS IN HOSPITALS AND CANCER CENTRES - Christina Sinding
• ECONOMIC WELL-BEING OF SINGLE MOTHERS: WORK FIRST OR POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION? - Min Zhan, Shanta Pandey
• WHAT MOTHERS WANT: WELFARE REFORM AND MATERNAL DESIRE - Patricia …

Economic Well-Being Of Single Mothers: Work First Or Postsecondary Education?, Min Zhan, Shanta Pandey

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article investigates the relationship between single mothers' education and their economic well-being. Through the analysis of the 1993 Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) data, we examine the effect of education on a sample of White and African American single mothers. The results indicate that past work experience is a weak predictor of current economic well-being. Having education, particularly postsecondary education, on the other hand, significantly improves their economic status. The results challenge the "work-first" approach to alleviating poverty and provide more support for designing policies to develop human capital.

What Mothers Want: Welfare Reform And Maternal Desire, Patricia K. Jennings

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In this study I use participant observations,face-to-face interviews, and focus group interviews to examine how women on welfare read and negotiate culture-of-poverty discourse and the imagery that this discourse spawns. I spoke with two groups of young single mothers receiving welfare. The first group included young mothers between the ages of 18 and 23 who were attending high school in a community-based program that served women on welfare. The second group included mothers in their early to mid 20's who were attending either a local two-year college or research university. Education was a path of resistance for the women in …

Review Of Global Decisions, Local Collisions: Urban Life In The New World Order. David Ranney. Reviewed By Robert L. Boyd., Robert L. Boyd

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of David Ranney, Global Decisions, Local Collisions: Urban Life in the New World Order. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2003. $69.50 paperback.

Review Of Men Who Believe In Feminism. Amanda Goldrick Jones. Reviewed By Cheryl A. Hyde., Cheryl A. Hyde

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Amanda Goldrick Jones, Men Who Believe in Feminism. Westport, CT: Praegar, 2003. $64.95 hardcover.

Social Work And Human Rights: A Foundation For Policy And Practice. Elizabeth Reichert. Reviewed By Mel Gray., Mel Gray

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Elisabeth Reichert, Social Work and Human Rights: A Foundation for Policy and Practice. New York: Columbia University Press, 2003. $49.50 hardcover, $24.50 papercover.

The Commercialization Of Intimate Life: Notes From Home And Work. Arlie Russel Hochschild., James Midgley

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Arlie Russel Hochschild, The Commerialization of Intimate Life: Notes from Home and Work. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2003. $19.95 papercover.

Rationalizing Capitalist Democracy: The Cold War Origins Of Rational Choice Liberalism. S. M. Amadae., James Midgley

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for S. M. Amadae, Rationalizing Capitalist Democracy: The Cold War Origins of Rational Choice Liberalism. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2003. $19.00 papercover.

Making Tanf Work: Organizational Restructuring, Staff Buy-In, And Performance Monitoring In Local Implementation, Frank Ridzi

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

While research suggests that staff resistance to change and intentional subversion have hampered prior welfare reform efforts, this does not appear to be the case for the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA). This paper draws on data from a study of East County, New York to explicate the mechanisms that have enabled the unprecedented transformation in local implementation practice in this case. Interviews, participant observation, and textual analysis of legislative and program documents identify new program creation, staff buy-in, and the environment created by stern performance measures as instrumental in bringing about the PRWORA's successful implementation …

Battered And On Welfare: The Experiences Of Women With The Family Violence Option, Judy L. Postmus

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Noting the incidence of battered women on welfare, lawmakers passed the Family Violence Option (FVO), which allows states to offer waivers from welfare program requirements. Assumptions were made that many women would seek relief under the FVO. However, reports indicate that less than 5 percent of welfare recipients are receiving waivers. This paper presents the findings from a qualitative study that sought to explore the experiences of 29 battered women with the welfare system and the FVO in New York State. Their experiences suggest that changes in FVO screening process are necessary to fully implement the program in the way …

Private Food Assistance In The Deep South: Assessing Agency Directors' Knowledge Of Charitable Choice, Suzie T. Cashwell, John P. Bartkowski, Patricia Duffy, Vanessa Casanova, Joseph Molnar, Marina Irima-Vladu

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In recent years,food banking has emerged as an important tool in America's fight against hunger and malnutrition. At the same time, the charitable choice provision of 1996 welfare reform law has significantly expanded the opportunity for public-private partnerships in the provision of social services. Given the new opportunities ushered in by this legislation, this study examines the knowledge that food pantry directors in Alabama and Mississippi possess about charitable choice. Our study reveals that food pantry directors are generally lacking in knowledge about key charitable choice provisions, thereby limiting the potential for this initiative to be utilized fully in this …

Review Of The Loss Of A Life Partner: Narratives Of The Bereaved. Carolyn Ambler Walter. Reviewed By Amanda Smith Barusch., Amanda Smith Barusch

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Carolyn Ambler Walter, The Loss of a Life Partner: Narratives of the Bereaved. New York: Columbia University Press, 2003. $52.50 hardcover, $26.50 papercover.

The Sound Of Silence: Social Work, The Academy, And Iraq, Scott Harding

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Despite the imposition of economic sanctions against Iraq in 1990, the social work academy has ignored the impact of this global social policy promoted by the international community. Though evidence existed for more than 10 years that sanctions contributed to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of children and other vulnerable groups in Iraq, while also crippling the nation's health care and social infrastructure, the profession has remained silent. The implications of this case study suggest a need for greater engagement by social work researchers and the profession on global issues.

Review Of The Origins Of Justice: The Evolution Of Morality, Human Rights, And Law. John O' Manique. Reviewed By Dorothy Van Soest., Dorothy Van Soest

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of John O' Manique. The Origins of Justice: The Evolution of Morality, Human Rights and Law. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2003. $36.50 hardover, $26.00 papercover.

"Won't Be Weighted Down:" Richard R. Wright, Jr.'S Contributions To Social Work And Social Welfare, Kevin Modesto

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

African-American scholars, intellectuals, and social work practitioners made significant contributions to American thought and life during the Progressive Era. Unfortunately, their work is often overlooked by history. This paper explores the contributions of Richard R. Wright, Jr., an African- American, sociologist, social worker, and minister. His voice has rarely been heard beyond the walls of the African Methodist Episcopal Church; however, his contributions to sociology, social welfare, and the church serve as a model of integration for scholars, social workers, and ministers. Wright's example is particularly valuable as policy makers and the public look to organized religion for solutions to …

Digital Divide In Computer Access And Use Between Poor And Non-Poor Youth, Mary Keegan Eamon

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The main objectives of this study were to examine the "digital divide" in home computer ownership and to evaluate differences in academic and non-academic computer use between poor and non-poor youth. Data from a national sample of 1,029, 10- through 14-year-old young adolescents were analyzed. Results show that poor youth were .36 times as likely to own a home computer, but equally as likely to use their home computer for academic purposes as were non-poor youth. Poor youth did not differ from non-poor youth in how often they used any computer for academic purposes, but were less likely to use …

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 31, No. 2 (June 2004)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• WORK-BASED WELFARE AS RITUAL: UNDERSTANDING MARGINALIZATION IN POST-INDEPENDENCE-LITHUANIA - Arunas Juska & Richard Pozzuto
• MAKING TANF WORK: ORGANIZATIONAL RESTRUCTURING, STAFF BUY-IN, AND PERFORMANCE MONITORING IN LOCAL IMPLEMENTATION - Frank Ridzi
• LEGISLATIVE CASEWORK: WHERE POLICY AND PRACTICE MEET - Larry Ortiz, Cindy Wirz, Kelli Semion, & Ciro Rodriguez
• "WON'T BE WEIGHTED DOWN": RICHARD WRIGHT JR.'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO SOCIAL WORK AND SOCIAL WELFARE - Kevin Modesto
• DIGITAL DIVIDE IN COMPUTER ACCESS AND USE BETWEEN POOR AND NON-POOR YOUTH - Mary Keegan Eamon
• BATTERED AND ON WELFARE: THE EXPERIENCES OF WOMEN WITH THE FAMILY VIOLENCE OPTION - Judy L. Postmus …

Review Of Refusing Care: Forced Treatment And The Rights Of The Mentally Ill. Elyn R. Saks. Reviewed By Kai J. Bentley., Kia J. Bentley

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Elyn R. Saks, Refusing Care: Forced Treatment and the Rights of the Mentally Ill. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2003. $35.00 hardcover, $24.50 papercover.

The Welfare Marketplace: Privatization And Welfare Reform. M. Byrna Sanger.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for M. Byrna Sanger, The Welfare Marketplace: Privatization and Welfare Reform. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press, 2003. $ 16.95 papercover.

Legislative Casework: Where Policy And Practice Intersect, Larry Ortiz, Cindy Wirz, Kelli Semion, Ciro Rodriguez

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Legislative casework is an ongoing activity in many state and federal legislative offices. Although the activity carries the implication of being a social work activity, there is little evidence from the literature, or in the field, that social workers are more than marginally employed in these positions. Reasons for the lack of professionally educated social workers in this important area of practice and politics are not clear. This paper explores the field of practice known as legislative casework, its history and purpose, and presents generalist social work examples from a Congressional district office wherein which professional social workers are employed. …

Review Of Situational Prison Control: Crime Prevention In Correctional Institutions. Richard Wortley. Reviewed By Margaret Severson., Margaret Severson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Richard Wortley, Situational Prison Control: Crime Prevention in Correctional Institutions. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2002. $65.00 hardcover, $23.00 papercover.

The Difference Disability Makes. Rod Michalko.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Rod Michalko, The Difference that Disability Makes. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2002, $ 19.95 paperback.

Review Of Realizing Rights: Transforming Approaches To Sexual & Reproductive Well-Being. Andrea Cornwall And Alice Welbourn (Eds.) Reviewed By Carol Tully., Carol Tully

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Andrea Cornwall and Alice Welbourn (Eds.), Realizing Rights: Transforming Approaches to Sexual & Reproductive Well-being. New York: Zed Books, 2003. $49.95 hardcover, $16.95 papercover.

Review Of Handbook Of Drug Abuse Prevention: Theory Science And Practice. Zili Sloboda & William J. Bukowski (Eds). Reviewed By Sean R. Hogan., Sean R. Hogan

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Zili Sloboda and William J. Bukoski (Eds.), Handbook of Drug Abuse Prevention: Theory, Science, and Practice. New York: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2003. $150.00 hardcover.

The Call To Social Work: Life Stories. Craig Winston Lecroy

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Craig Winston Lecroy, The Call to Social Work: Life Stories. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2003. $ 19.95 papercover.

Pluralism At Yale: The Culture Of Political Science In America. Richard M. Merelman.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Richard M. Merelman, Pluralism at Yale: The Culture of Political Science in America. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press, 2003. $ 26.95 papercover.