Politics and Social Change Commons^™

Purposive Social Change And Interorganizational Networks: The Case Of Three Prepaid Health Programs, Gale Miller, Charles K. Warriner

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

An important perspective emerging in the areas of community and organizational analysis is the political economy approach to interorganizational relations. This approach treats organizations as seekers of basic political and economic resources which are found in their environments. This approach has special implications for persons interested in the study and/or .implementation of programs of change, because it sensitizes the observer to the problems of political and economic conflict in interorganizational relations. The perspective also offers useful insights into the development of. intervention strategies that minimize the conflicts often associated with social change. In order to demonstrate the usefulness of this …

Change And Program Evaluation In Social Organization, Alan M. Cohen

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

There is an assumption of an inherent rationality in linking information on program effectiveness to program change. This article briefly discusses three typical evaluation studies and demonstration projects that fail to link information generated on the effectiveness of what people do, to program changes. Perceived inaccuracy of the information and the perceived threat of the information are emphasized as two reasons for this failure of program information to affect change in social organizations. A pre-planning functional information base is proposed as an important prerequisite in the sequence of creating a more receptive environment for organizational change.

It is often assumed …

Toward Partisan Politics In A Professional Association: Utility Of The Candidates Poll, L. K. Northwood, Howard Crockett

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The purpose of this paper is to describe the initial efforts of one local chapter, The Puget Sound Chapter; to engage in partisan politics by the conduct of a poll of candidates for election to the Washington State Legislature in 1974. Properly speaking, the Chapter endorsed no candidates, merely rated them from "weak" to "outstanding" on their agreement with NASW policies on relevant programs and their social welfare attitudes. Thus, it is a mild form of partisan politics that will be considered.

The paper will analyze the social and organizational context in which the candidates' poll occurred, and then report …