Social Work Commons^™

Characteristics Of Social Welfare Stasis And Change: A Comparison Of The Characteristics Of Two Child Welfare Agencies In The 1920s, Eve P. Smith

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article describes and compares two child welfare agencies of the 1920's with regard to qualities that influenced or inhibited their ability to change. While one agency gave up its institution in favor of foster home care and mother's pensions; the other continued to provide only institutional care. Four characteristics may account for the difference. They are the organizations' networks; amount of "sunk costs" associated with change; ideologies and interests of organization leadership and the agencies' "boundary spanning" activities. If further studies confirm these, then we may encourage organizational changes so that contemporary agencies may meet emerging client needs.

Adolescent Family Survivors Of Sexual Trauma: Program Development, Cara Lynn Carlson

Theses and Graduate Projects

This thesis will explore theory and propose a program specific to the needs of a particular population of adolescent female survivors of child sexual trauma. This population of adolescent and young adult females are the runaway, throwaway, and homeless survivors of child sexual trauma that i have had the opportunity to work with for the past three years as an outreach worker. These survivors have had a history of sexual violence and too little support to enable them to heal from these experiences. This thesis focuses on expanding current outreach services to this population of young women grounded in the …

Social Work Practice And Technological Disasters: The Navajo Uranium Experience, Susan E. Dawson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Findings of a community case study of Navajo uranium workers and their families are presented in light of the effects of technological disasters. The workers and their families were exposed to occupational and environmental hazards associated with the mining and milling of uranium. Implications for social work practice and education are presented using the concepts of a therapeutic community and victim typology.

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 20, No. 2 (June 1993)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE AND TECHNOLOGICAL DISASTERS: THE NAVAJO URANIUM EXPERIENCE - Susan E. Dawson
• VICTIMS OF TERRORISM: IS IT A "NON-ISSUE" - Uri Yanay
• THE IMPACT OF WORK HISTORY ON ECONOMIC SECURITY AT OLD AGE AMONG AFRICANS IN SOUTH AFRICA - Martha Tshitsi S. Mbatha
• REFORMULATION OF THE CONTEXT OF COMMUNITY BASED CARE - Phillip Fellin
• CHILD CARE NEEDS OF WELFARE RECIPIENTS IN MARYLAND'S WELFARE REFORM PROGRAM - Barbara H. Vann & Todd W. Rofuth
• PURCHASE OF SERVICE CONTRACTING IN THE 1990'S: HAVE EXPECTATIONS BEEN MET? - Peter M. Kettner & Lawrence L. Martin
• CHARACTERISTICS OF SOCIAL …

Reformulation Of The Context Of Community Based Care, Phillip Fellin

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Community based care has traditionally been defined as residential location. An alternative is presented of including the patient's membership in multiple communities, both geographical and identificational. The literature on social supports is cited as a basis for social integration as a goal.

Book Reviews

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

BOOK REVIEWS

• Achieving Power: Practice and Policy in Social Welfare. Stuart Rees, Reviewed By: James Midgley, Louisiana State University
• Models for Change in Social Group Work. M. Fatout, Reviewed By: Richard J. Estes, University of Pennsylvania
• Cultural Diversity and Social Work Practice. Dianne F. Harrison, John S. Wodarski, and Bruce A. Thyer, Reviewed By: Dorcas D. Bowles, Louisiana State University
• Controversial Issues in Social Work. Eileen Gambrill & Robert Pruger, Reviewed By: Ram A. Cnaan, University of Pennsylvania
• Social Work and Social Order: The Settlement Movement in Two Industrial Cities, 1889-1930. Ruth Hutchinson Crocker, Reviewed By: Howard Jacob Karger, Louisiana …

Book Notes

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

BOOK NOTES

• The Strengths Perspective in Social Work Practice. Dennis Saleeby
• Research on Social Work Practice. Mark A. Mattiani
• The Child Welfare Challenge. Peter J. Pecora, James K. Whittaker, Anthony N. Maluccio with Richard Bath & Robert D. Plotnick
• Community Organizing in a Diverse Society. F. Rivera & J. Erlich
• Brief Counseling: A Practical Guide for Beginning Practitioners. Windy Dryden & Colin Feltham
• Who Benefits from the Non-Profit Sector? Charles T. Glotfelter
• Contemporary Perspectives on Crisis Intervention and Prevention. Albert Roberts
• Alternative Models of Family Preservation: Family Based Services in Context. Kristine E. Nelson & Mariam J. Landsman

Victims Of Terrorism: Is It A 'Non-Issue'?, Uri Yanay

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Despite the growing 'detente' or because of it, the world faces the danger of an increased number of ethnic, religious and separatist movements that actively seek visibility, fearing that otherwise their case might be overlooked. This may be one of the reasons terrorism is a growing phenomena, causing injuries and death to people and significant damage to property.

Most governments ignore victims of terrorism. Denying the problem or providing scant help to victims does not solve the problem fairly. The political nature of the problem and the multitude of damages caused by terrorism requires legal entitlements and State resources to …

The Impact Of Work History On Economic Security At Old Age Among Africans In South Africa, Martha Tshitshi S. Mbatha

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Work histories of most Africans in South Africa determine whether or not they will be poor at old age. To illustrate this point, the author uses the literature and data collected from elderly Africans. Findings show racial discrimination in education and in the labor market as resulting in the concentration of the majority of Africans in low paying jobs. Low wages and the absence of a national pension scheme prevent most Africans from saving for their retirement. African workers constitute the largest percentage of the working poor in South Africa. Their circumstances are unlikely to change even after retirement. At …

Child Care Needs Of Welfare Recipients In Maryland's Welfare Reform Program, Barbara H. Vann, Todd W. Rofuth

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Legislation mandating participation of welfare recipient parents in education and employment and training programs has created increased demand for provision of child care. Providing the most appropriate care for this unique population depends, ideally, on its needs and preferences. This study examines child care needs and preferences of a sample of participants in Maryland's welfare reform employment and training programs. Although care by a relative is most widely used by these respondents, it is not clear that this is the type of care preferred by the majority of respondents. This has important implications for policy decisions regarding child care funding.

Purchase Of Service Contracting In The 1990s: Have Expectations Been Met?, Peter M. Kettner, Lawrence L. Martin

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Privatization and purchase of service contracting (POSC) are generally considered to be two of the most important factors that have helped shape the human service system during the 1970s and 1980s (Gilbert, 1983, 1986; Kammerman, 1983; Demone and Gibelman, 1984, 1989; Weddell, 1986; Kettner and Martin, 1985; Termell, 1987; Rein, 1989). Therefore, as we enter the decade of the 1990s, it would seem both appropriate and worthwhile to reflect on the original expectations for privatization and POSC and to assess the extent to which these expectations have been realized.

The Commitment Of Social Workers To Affirmative Action, Karen D. Stout, William E. Buffum

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study examines the relationship of commitment to affirmative action principles, knowledge about affirmative action, and positive or negative experiences with affirmative action in a sample of 193 members of the Texas Chapter of NASW. The results were that knowledge was not significantly associated with commitment to affirmative action, although both positive and negative experience with affirmative action was strongly associated with commitment. Ways to build support for affirmative action through positive experience are discussed. Differences among sub-groups of the sample are examined.

Establishing New Norms For Stepfamilies, Chris Christianson

Theses and Graduate Projects

Stepfamilies will make up over one-half of all families in the United States by the year 2000. Family therapy theories are based on norms for nuclear families which may not fit for stepfamilies. Stepfamilies usually have more complex structures and issues due to the additional number of members. Stepfamilies need to develop their own norms, norms which reflect the complexities of stepfamilies. Most of the literature on stepfamilies has been written in the last 10 years. It suggests that there are five basic issues which stepfamilies need to address. This paper explores three of those issues: 1) Defining the role …

Social Work At An Area Learning Center, Brenda Hubers

Theses and Graduate Projects

This is a thesis for Augsburg College of Social Work. It presents a social work model and a research design for an Area Learning Center. The model emphasizes systems theory, Murrey Bowen's theory and task-centered social work. The task-centered social worker could provide at-risk students with community and school resource linkage.

At-risk students will benefit from support services provided by the Area Learning Center task-oriented school social worker. The proposal includes, and independent and dependent variable, the conceptualization of at-risk, benefit, and task-centered social worker, and the characteristics of the study population, possible data analysis and protection of subjects. The …

Workshop Using Myth, Storytelling, And Ritual In The Human Services, Justine Swain-Smith

Theses and Graduate Projects

The study of workshops using myth, storytelling and ritual shows how these workshops can be helpful to adolescents. This paper examines a training workshop of the "Hero's Journey" for human service professionals who work with adolescents and a workshop for adolescents using myth, storytelling and ritual. An analysis and discussion of surveys done with participants is included in the text.

Implications Of Family Preservation Services When Working With Parents Who Are Developmentally Disabled, Laurel B. Zoet

Theses and Graduate Projects

This study examines the success of the Iowa family preservation program when working with parents who are mentally retarded or considered to be low functioning by the referring social worker. The Iowa family preservation program is an intensive 45-day program designed to prevent out-of-home placement. The program works with parents to teach them skills to parent effectively while addressing therapeutic issues to form healthy family relationships. The data was collected by reviewing case fires at a private agency that provides family preservation services. Through program evaluation design, I have analyzed data corrected by the agency since 1987. A total of …

Caregivers: Reasons For Support Group Attendance, Nancy Jean Coryell

Theses and Graduate Projects

This study examined the self-reported reasons informal caregivers of frail persons 65-+ attend time-limited psychoeducational support groups. Results indicated that caregivers in this study attended support groups for practical information (community resources), relief of emotional stress, and skill development. Results also indicated that caregivers of spouses attended the support groups for different reasons than did caregivers of non-spouses. Caregivers of non-spouses tended to be experiencing more emotional strain and anger, and were receiving less emotional support from friends and relatives. Limitations of this study included small sample size, lack of variance in geographic location of the support groups, and lack …

Design Of A Research Program To Gather New Information For Further Research, William Inthisone

Theses and Graduate Projects

This document is a design of a research program to gather new information for further research. The purpose of this research design is to explore the use of alcohol and drugs among the Laotian Students at Roosevelt High School and Sanford Junior High. These students may use alcohol and drugs because of difficulties of adjustment to new culture in the United States or they may have experienced traumatic events during their escape from their homecountry and during their time living at the refugee camp in Thailand.

The document has five sections. Section one is the Introduction, Background and Purpose. Section …

Using Collaboration In The Development Of A Special Services Parent Group, Linda Zachow

Theses and Graduate Projects

Collaboration between parents and schools is a concept that is being explored among large, statewide agencies, community based resources, and parent advocacy groups. This paper discusses the issues involved in developing a support group for parents for children receiving special education services. Several collaborative models are compared and a curriculum is designed on the basis of five elements necessary to meet the needs of the Special Services Parents Group.

Cocaine And Maternal Addiction, Susan Ann Clauson

Theses and Graduate Projects

Cocaine use during pregnancy is a problem that has been increasing steadily over recent years. For this thesis, eleven women who gave a history of cocaine abuse during their pregnancy and were currently receiving services at Haymarket House's Maternal Addiction Center (MAC) in Chicago, a drug addiction treatment center for pregnant women, were interviewed. This study found that although the women interviewed knew the potential dangers of cocaine use to their unborn child, they were uncertain whether or not they would be able to abstain from cocaine use after the birth of their child. This speaks to the highly addictive …

Theory And The Generation And Subversion Of Knowledge, Dennis Saleebey

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This essay is an argument for the refurbishing of theoretical thinking in social work. In particular, the author calls for the infusion of generative as opposed to normative theory in the profession. Only generative theory has been proven to invigorate the thinking and doing of professional social workers.

Beyond An Underclass: An Essay On Up-Front Politics, Paula L. Dressel, Jeff Porterfield

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Debate about underclass conceptualization has once again forced sociologists to acknowledge the political context and implications of our work. This article extends the critical examination of underclass conceptualization to relatively undeveloped but politically important areas of concern. Initially we discuss the political economic context of conceptual controversies surrounding poverty. With a preference for structural analysis, we call for the return of class to economically marginalized people and suggest how that goal might be enhanced by a focus on relations of distribution as well as production. Valuing subjects' vantage points, we recommend how sociologists' work can return agency and diversity to …

From Welfare To Work: Does It Make Sense?, Ann E. Kerlin

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

A great deal of thought and energy currently is being focused on moving welfare recipients off welfare and into the job market. This article reports the results of a study of the work versus welfare choice of women who are limited to the minimum wage job market. Due to the level of the minimum wage, these women face poverty even when working full time. Working often brings them little financial benefit compared to being on welfare, and does not include important benefits such as health coverage for their children. one might ask, then, why women facing this choice would be …

Child Support Services And Non-Welfare Families, Kimberly A. Folse

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Under the law, Child Support Enforcement services are supposed to be available to all single-headed families with absent parents who are not paying support, or not paying enough support. Using Alabama as a case study, it was determined that factors operating at the agency level effectively control how many non-public assistance clients are being served. The number of non-AFDC clients was found to be a function of the number of AFDC clients rather than a function of the free-market of services. It is proposed that the incentive structure for collections, which limits incentive payments for non-AFDC to 115 percent of …

Book Notes

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

BOOK NOTES

• Human Development Report 1992. United National Development Program, New York, Oxford University Press, 1992. 219
• The Impact of Tax Legislation on Corporate Income Security Planning for Retirees. Ruth Ylvisaker Winger. New York, Garland Publishing Inc., 1992. 219
• The Poverty Debate: Politics and the Poor in America. C. Emory Burton, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1992. 220
• Inequality Examined. Amartya Sen. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1992. 220
• The Political Economy of Poverty, Equity and Growth: Sri Lanka and Malaysia. Henry J. Bruton. New York, Oxford University Press, 1992. 221
• The Political Economy of Basic Needs. Bruce E. Moon. New …

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 20, No. 1 (March 1993)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• THEORY AND THE GENERATION AND SUBVERSION OF KNOWLEDGE - Dennis Saleebey
• BEYOND AN UNDERCLASS: AN ESSAY ON UP-FRONT POLITICS - Paula L. Dressel and Jeff Porterfield
• RACE, GENDER, OCCUPATIONAL STATUS, AND INCOME IN COUNTY HUMAN SERVICE EMPLOYMENT - R.L. McNeely, Jerome L. Blakemore, and Robert 0. Washington
• FROM WELFARE TO WORK: DOES IT MAKE SENSE? - Ann E. Kerlin
• CHILD SUPPORT SERVICES AND NON-WELFARE FAMILIES - Kimberly A. Folse
• FOCUS GROUPS, PROGRAM EVALUATION, AND THE POOR - Robert S. Magill
• INTERNATIONAL MIGRANTS OR WELFARE CLIENTS: THE SELECTION OF A MASTER STATUS FOR INDOCHINESE REFUGEES BY AMERICAN VOLUNTARY …

Focus Groups, Program Evaluation, And The Poor, Robert S. Magill

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Focus groups are a qualitative research technique which can be applied to program evaluation with low income clients. Focus groups are relatively easy to organize and operate, can be less expensive than other research techniques, can provide quick feedback, and possess the potential to empower low income clients.

This paper discusses the development of focus groups, their strengths and weaknesses, and their utility in program evaluation. An example of their use in the evaluation of a state low income energy program is provided along with some guidelines for their use with low income respondents.

International Migrants Or Welfare Clients: The Selection Of A Master Status For Indochinese Refugees By American Voluntary Agencies, Jeremy Hein

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Government funding of nonprofit organizations is a dominant trend in American social welfare and it has greatly influenced the voluntary agencies resettling Indochinese refugees. Some agencies identify their clients as international migrants from the Third World, but others view them primarily as welfare recipients. These distinctive master statuses lead agencies to provide different services, thus affecting the refugees' initial adaptation to American society. Religiosity, period of creation, links to the welfare state, and international activities shape the selection of a master status for Indochinese refugees.

Social Support Networks Of Gay Men, Raymond M. Berger, David Mallon

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Although social workers and other helping professionals frequently stress the importance of social networks among gay men, there has been little empirical research to describe these networks. In the present study, the authors analyze data on perceived social support from 166 gay men recruited through gay community groups and social networks. Most gay men were found to have large and diverse social networks. Frequent communication occurs between respondents and network members, most of whom know of respondents' homosexuality. The most frequent and supportive network member was a close friend, and the most common type of support received was emotional. Those …

Structuring Support For Volunteer Commitment: An Aids Services Program Study, Taryn Lindhorst, Ronald Mancoske

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Since the AIDS epidemic began over a decade ago, the bulk of services for people living with HIV in the community setting have been provided by volunteers. Volunteers are confronted with the stigmatized status of people with HIV and must learn to manage multiple crisis issues. This paper describes research on volunteerism in a buddy program for people living with AIDS and the perceptions of volunteers about the structural supports of the volunteer program. Issues around perceptions of stress and the relationship between bereavement and volunteering are explored.