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Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 14, No. 4 (December 1987)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

CONTENTS

• Policy Gambit: Conservative Think Tanks Take on the Welfare State - DAVID STOESZ
• Reconsidering Drug Involvement Among Youth and Young Adults: Implications for Targeted Primary Intervention - MARK W. FRASER
• Reforming the Juvenile Correctional Institution: Efforts of the U.S. Children's Bureau in the 1930s - MARGUERITE G. ROSENTHAL
• Historical Perspectives on the Care and Treatment of the Mentally Ill - ALBERT R. ROBERTS AND LINDA FARRIS KURTZ
• Sexual Abuse at Charity House: A Case Study of Social Policies in Action - MAUREEN KELLEHER
• Predictors of Job Satisfaction Among Three Racial/Ethnic Groups of Professional Female Human Service Workers - R.L. …

Predictors Of Job Satisfaction Among Three Racial/Ethnic Groups Of Professional Female Human Service Workers, R. L. Mcneely

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Three hundred and thirty-six female human service workers were studied to determine whether or not racial/ethnic status was related to job satisfaction among managerial, supervisory and professional employees. Both overall and intrinsic satisfaction were assessed. Two groups were similar in the patterns predictive of their satisfaction but the third group appeared to be influenced by concerns peculiar to those achieving recent professional status.

Staff Development: A Challenge Of Privatization, Wynn S. Wright, Mark Fraser

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Privatization is a major trend in social welfare, and it is placing new emphasis on staff development in both public and private agencies. By permitting services that are often considered "public" to be provided under contract with non-profit and for-profit agencies, public policymakers have sought to increase the efficiency of social welfare programs. This has produced greater competition in the welfare marketplace. In a competitive environment, staff development is a key element that enables agencies to respond quickly to market demands for new or imaginative services. The purpose of this article is to describe an innovative staff training program and …

Refeminization Of Child Care: Causation, Costs And Cures, Robert W. Weinbach

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Recent media attention to sexual abuse in various child care settings appears to have created an exodus of males. Refeminization has the potential to support sex roles stereotypes and to result in loss to all concerned. Strategies for combatting this phenomenon and its effects are proposed.

Burn-Out Among Social Work Professionals: A Behavioral Approach To Causal And Interventive Knowledge, Karen M. Sowers-Hoag, Bruce A. Thyer

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Although the phenomenon of staff burn-out represents a significant problem for the effective administration and functioning of social service settings, there has been a general paucity of empirically based research on this issue. The staggering financial, personal and social costs associated with staff burn-out emphasize the fact that we can no longer accept the sole use of descriptive and correlational studies of the problem. This paper suggests refocusing our theoretical perspective of the problem of staff burn-out from an emphasis on the dispositional qualities of burnedout staff members, to examining the social and situational contingencies of reinforcement responsible for the …

Sex-Role Stereotypes About Social Work Administration, Reginald O. York

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In this article, the issue of sex-role stereotype about administration was examined through a survey of social workers in one state. The analysis of data revealed that, in their descriptions of the good social work administrator, females held a greater preference for the male stereotype than did males. This female preference substantially explained the overall preference for the male stereotype over the female stereotype for the entire sample. The need for further examination of this female preference for the male stereotype about administration is discussed.

Community-Based Self-Help Groups For The Treatment Of Agoraphobia, Bruce A. Thyer

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The design and conduct of community-based self-help groups for the treatment of agoraphobia are discussed. Such groups incorporate procedures encouraging members to engage in prolonged therapeutic exposure to anxiety-evoking situations. Exposure therapy and its variants have been empirically established as the treatment of choice for agoraphobia, and self-help groups lend themselves extremely well to community mental health outreach and service efforts.

Power And Dependency In Close Heterosexual Relationships: A Test Of An Exchange Theory Hypothesis, Gregory L. Sanders

Masters Theses

Ninety-nine heterosexual couples were surveyed to test the exchange theory hypothesis that interpersonal power and relative dependency are inversely related in dyadic relationships. Controlling for gender, this hypothesis was examined through a path analysis for each of six groups: the overall population, dating couples, engaged couples, cohabiting couples, married couples, and couples treated as a single unit. Results indicate that males are reported as relatively more powerful than females, and this gender effect is found to increase with the permanence of the relationship. Relative dependency has effects on power which also vary according to the type of relationship. Self-reported "subjective …

Kyle L. Pehrson's Review Of E. Victoria Shook's Ho‘Oponopono: Contemporary Uses Of A Hawaiian Problem-Solving Process, Kyle L. Pehrson

Pacific Studies

No abstract provided.

Teenage Pregnancy, Professional Agendas, And Problem Definitions, Richard A. Weatherley

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Many of the adverse consequences associated with adolescent childbearing are due to poverty and inadequate health care. Historically, definitions of the problem have emphasized individual, female culpability. Underlying social and economic factors have received less attention. For many adolescents, the early initiation of sexual activity and the failure to use birth control is associated with their perception of limited life opportunities, as well as sex role socialization inhibiting contraceptive initiative. This paper considers the role of professional groups and service advocates in defining the problem and developing policy alternatives. It examines the processes through which an issue having significant redistributive …

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 14, No. 2 (June 1987)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

CONTENTS

• INTRODUCTION - Robert D. Leighninger, Jr., Editor
• TEENAGE PREGNANCY, PROFESSIONAL AGENDAS, AND PROBLEM DEFINITIONS - Richard A. Weatherley
• NOT FOR POVERTY ALONE: FOSTER CARE POPULATION TRENDS IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY - Leroy H. Pelton
• THE FAILURE OF THE DESTITUTE MOTHERS' BILL: THE USE OF POLITICAL POWER IN SOCIAL WELFARE - Eve P. Smith
• MINNEAPOLIS SETTLEMENT HOUSES IN THE "NOT SO ROARING 20's:
• AMERICANIZATION, MORALITY, AND THE REVOLT AGAINST POPULAR CULTURE - Howard Jacob Karger
• HARRY LURIE'S ASSESSMENT AND PRESCRIPTION: AN EARLY VIEW OF SOCIAL WORKERS' ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES REGARDING POLITICAL ACTION - Joe M. Schriver
• ORGANIZATIONAL ADAPTATION: THE NATIONAL …

Not For Poverty Alone: Foster Care Population Trends In The Twentieth Century, Leroy H. Pelton

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Trends in the size of the national foster care population from 1910 to 1983 are examined in the context of child welfare policy toward dependent and neglected children. Several major turning points in the child placement rate are identified, and the reasons for them are explored. The relationship between poverty and foster care placement is discussed, and it is concluded that the child placement rate is not related to the poverty rate, but rather, to how our society chooses to intervene with the children of families living in poverty.

From Countrywoman To Federal Emergency Relief Administrator: Josephine Chapin Brown, A Biographical Study, Emilia E. Martinez-Brawley

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study documents the life and career of Josephine Chapin Brown, an early leader in public welfare and rural social work. Historical research showed that Brown's ideas on social work and on professional training for social work were often against the paradigm of her time. For example, Brown was a committed ruralite when social work was primarily urban; Brown supported social work training for public welfare workers in the agricultural colleges (many now state universities) when social work was committed to a more elitist training model. As a result she was ostracized by many of her influential contemporaries. Her orientation …

Focal Point, Volume 01 Number 03, Portland State University. Regional Research Institute

Research and Training Center - Focal Point

Therapeutic Case Advocacy (TCA) is one approach to helping emotionally handicapped children and their families. It is described here as a multi-level model to improve services for this population for two reasons. First, the approach typically requires planned, coordinated activity on three levels: the child and family, the lead organization providing services, and interagency collaboration. Second, the word "model" conveys the idea of what the real thing might look like.

The model is a preliminary pattern, a plan for guiding the actual process of helping emotionally handicapped children and their families. It is not a recipe. Any actual process of …

A Review Of Key Developments In The Scholar Project, Roger A. Lohmann

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The Scholar Project was my term for a variety of projects and developmental efforts to incorporate the use of computers into the everyday work life of a graduate social work faculty member before the advent of desktop computing. It began in 1974 with a variety of experiments with SPSS files, McBee "KeySort" Cards, and a Computer Aided Instruction experiment with IBM's Coursewriter software. It evolved into the full-scale integration of electronic equipment into all facets of my professional life. The Scholar bibliography mentioned, the electronic in this Research Repository, and the Docuverse project are the longest lasting products of this …

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 14, No. 1 (March 1987)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

• Editorial - ROBERT D. LEIGHNINGER, JR.
• Individual Experience and Critical Consciousness: Sources of Change in Everyday Life - DAVID GIL
• AFDC Encounters Joint Custody: Business as Usual Is not the Solution - JAN C. HAGEN
• Role Ambiguity Among Foster Parents: Semi-Professionals in Professionalizing Organizations - KENNETH J. MIETUS, MICHAEL D. FIMMEN
• Older Blacks' Predictions of Their Social Support Networks - BRENDA CRAWLEY
• Setting Funding Priorities in the Voluntary Sector: A Case Study From the Jewish Federation Council of Greater Los Angeles - SAUL ANDRON
• Stress of the Caregiver: Effective Management of Dementia Patients in Hospital and Community Settings - RUTH …

Rold Ambiguity Among Foster Parents: Semi-Professionals In Professionalizing Organizations, Kenneth J. Mietus, Michael D. Fimmen

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Because foster parent role ambiguity has been viewed primarily as a micro-level phenomenon, efforts to reduce its negative consequences have emphasized ameliorist solutions which attempt to alter the behavior of individuals. We suggest that consideration of role ambiguity as a macro-level phenomenon provides a sounder basis for developing long-range solutions which can alter the structure of foster care organizations in ways which will complement existing ameliorist strategies. As semi-professionals, the work-role expectations of foster parents are seen as being contradictory to the goals of a profess ionalizing organizational structure. The transitional nature of this professionalizing process, and the contradictions which …

Stress Of The Caregiver: Effective Management Of Dementia Patients In Hospital And Community Settings, Ruth E. Dunkle, Michael Nevin

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study explores the management problems among elders with dementia and their medical and family caregivers. Twenty-five patients were interviewed as well as professional health care personnel and a family member. Findings indicated that professional assessment facilitates home caregiving but has little bearing on successful coping by the caregiver. Variability of coping relates to the strategy employed.

Professional Autonomy In Community Mental Health Centers, William E. Buffum

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Professional community mental health workers want considerable autonomy in doing their work, but too much autonomy can lead to frustration and less satisfaction with work. This finding of a study of 93 mental health professionals in three community mental health centers is in sharp contrast with a comparison group of 60 professionals in a chemical plant. The article cautions against the direct translation of research on all professionals to community mental health professionals.

In Search Of The Continuum: Graduate School Performance Of Bsw And Non-Bsw Degree Holders, Anne E. Fortune, Robert G. Green, Michael S. Kolevzon

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Do students with prior academic preparation in social work perform better in graduate school than students who do not have a BSW? Master's students in a southeastern school of social work were surveyed about their background, general psychosocial adjustment, adjustment to and attitudes toward graduate school, and graduate academic performance. Forced-entry multiple regression was used to control simultaneously for the effect of background and adjustment factors on four outcome variables: Grade Point Average in the most recent semesters; Stress as a Student; Educational Program Satisfaction; and Professional Social Work Commitment. Having a BSW was unrelated to Educational Program Satisfaction and …

Individual Experience And Critical Consciousness: Sources Of Social Change In Everyday Life, David G. Gil

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Social scientists tend to interpret social change as the result of collective action. However, all collective action is at some level and time initiated and carried out by individuals, who, of course, are rooted in particular social contexts. A theory of social change needs to derive, therefore, not only from the study of collective action, but also from the study of individual initiation of, and involvement in, social change oriented practice.

The following observations on individual involvement in social change practice are based on personal experience and study over several decades. They are not a theory of social change but …

Older Blacks' Predictions Of Their Social Support Networks, Brenda Crawley

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Predicting resources for one's later years is risky and evokes feelings of vulnerability. Findings from a study of older blacks reveal that while race and culture may predispose clients to prefer certain resources, such as spouses and children, others realistically expect kin and friends to care for them. The heterogeneous nature of the black elderly suggests an open posture be maintained in assessing support resources for those who face short- or long- term care needs.

A Matching Process: More Effective Placement Procedures For Court Dependent Children, Lester M. Kushner

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

Focal Point, Volume 01 Number 02, Portland State University. Regional Research Institute

Research and Training Center - Focal Point

This issue of Focal Point features the Families as Allies Project, which is designed to promote collaboration between families of children with emotional handicaps and the professionals who serve them. Project objectives include conducting relevant research, developing training curricula and other written materials, and designing and presenting workshops and other training events.

Included in this issue is a report about an April, 1986 conference held in Portland that involved equal numbers of parents and professionals from thirteen western states. This meeting was one of the first public explorations of our project concepts, and we were very gratified by the positive …

Computer Use In Social Services Network Newsletter, Dick Schoech

Computer Use in Social Services Network

No abstract provided.

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 13, No. 4 (December 1986)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Table of Contents

• The Definition of Social Problems: Differing Perceptions of Israeli Social Workers and Women - VARDA MUHLBAUEP, CLAIRE RABIU, NADINE HOLLANDER - pp. 701
• Professional Contacts and Perceived Occupational Prestige - MOSHE SHERER - pp. 721
• Social Worker's Satisfactions: Methodological Notes and Substantive Findings - Y. MELLER, D. MACAROV - pp. 740
• Social Service Needs of Migrants in Limbo; Israelis in New York - JOSEF KORAZIM - pp. 762
• Holidays as Multiple Realities: Experiencing Good Times and Bad Times after a Disabling Injury - MARY JO DEEGAN - pp. 786
• Assessing the Needs of Mothers With Mentally Retarded …

Measuring Domestic Violence In An Alcoholic Population, Larry R. Livingston

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

A survey of 107 adults receiving residential treatment for substance abuse was conducted, to determine characteristics of domestic violence in relationships. The survey incorporated instruments to measure the degree of substance abuse (the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test or MAST) as well as types and frequencies of domestic violence (the Conflict Tactics Scale or CTS-N). Findings are then compared to a national study of 2143 normals (Straus, Gelles, & Steinmetz, 1980) to ascertain differences in domestic violence.

Findings indicate that 83% of alcoholic subjects behaved violently in past relationships, compared to 28% of the normal population. Fifty-five percent of the alcoholics …

The Definition Of Social Problems: Differing Perceptions Of Israeli Social Workers And Women, Varda Muhlbauer, Claire Rabin, Nadine Hollander

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Recent social changes have intensified and created special problems and needs among women. However, social work schools have not included women's studies as part of the overall curriculum. This Israeli study examined the congruence of women's needs as perceived by women clients and as perceived by social workers, to see whether a specialized training program is needed. Fifty low-socioeconomic status women, women selected from the general population, and 16 social workers from the same community were presented with a list of 21 problem areas known to be pertinent to women. The group of 50 women equally represented homemakers, divorced, widowed, …

A Critical Analysis Of The Impact Of Day Care On The Pre-School Child And The Family, John T. Pardeck, Jean A. Pardeck, John W. Murphy

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Maternal employment has increased dramatically over the last two decades. The result of this increase in the number of working mothers is the expanded use of day care programs for children. Examined in this paper are research findings on the impact of day-care on the child and the family. The implications of these findings for policy development are discussed.

Currently in the United States, over 50 percent of mothers work outside the home; this figure is expected to rise to 75 percent by 1990. The fastest growing segment of the working mother population is among those with children under two …

Social Workers' Satisfactions: Methodological Notes And Substantive Findings, Y. Meller, D. Macarov

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The use of instruments derived from industrial research to investigate the work satisfactions of social workers can lead to distortion of results. Responses from ninety-one social workers in nine agencies indicates sources of satisfactions and dissatisfactions not present in industrial settings, and -- in contradistinction to the "dual-factor" or "bipolarity" theory -- both satisfactions and dissatisfactions arising from the same source in some cases.

The most important factors affecting workers' satisfactions were the ability to achieve results, their relationships with clients, their relationship with members of multidisciplinary staffs, and presence or absence of sufficient time and resources.

The "higher order" …