Digital Commons Network^™

Systems Theory, Robert D. Leighninger Jr.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Systems Theory has generated a lot of excitement in the last decade. It has also spawned more than its share of pitchmen, enough so that it is in danger of being discredited before its genuine potential in many fields of practice has been fairly tested. Wearing the double halo of Science and Corporate Efficiency conferred by its association with the aerospace industry and the Pentagon, it has been enthusiastically offered to Federal and State governments (Chartrand, 1971; Hoos, 1969 & 1972) as well as private individuals and organizations as a way of solving complex social problems like mass transit, crime, …

Interactionist Theory, Human Behavior Social Work And Social Work Education, Ralph Segalman

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Much explanation of human behavior is based on assumptions about animal behavior. Two major contemporary theories, Behaviorism and Freudianism place major emphasis upon the human being as animal. Many middle-level theories have no reference to man's distinctive social characteristics. However, social explanations of behavior do have a heuristic advantage in the study of human functioning and "social pathology."

The Perpetuation Of Institutional Racism Through Ethnic And Racial Minority Content In The Curriculum Of Schools Of Social Work, James E. Herrick

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The author asserts that the effect of assimilation of ethnic and racial minority content into the curriculum of schools of social work may perpetuate institutional racism.

Social work education as well as the purpose of the profession itself are viewed as basically one of helping people adjust and accommodate to the dominant and racist institutions of our society. Consequently, the author argues, incorporation of ethnic and racial minority, content into curriculum that serves such a function is likely to serve ends to which it was not intended.

Five suggested areas of change in the mission of social work education are …

Creative Restitution: A Study Of Differential Response Patterns, John T. Gandy, James H. Bridges

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Creative restitution offers considerable potential to the field of criminal justice. The concept is of historical significance for it has been an important element in a variety of cultures. Yet, the notion of restitution or permitting an offender to make amends is not a significant element in our society. This paper explores the responses of a variety of populations to creative restitution. A number of findings were of significance including strong support for and acceptance of the concept by diverse groups.

The Effects Of A Child's Serious Illness Upon His Or Her Siblings, Kathleen Bales

Dissertations and Theses

In an effort to prevent serious psychological damage to individuals and families due to illness or disability, professionals in the health field have studied every aspect of one's health. From the "traumatic violence" of birth to the painful complexities of death and dying, the emotional health of human beings has been observed, recorded and analysed. Despite the breadth of this voluminous research, one area of interest merits more thorough study and evaluation. In order to more fully understand the intricacies of health and illness we need to know more about the effect one seriously ill child has upon the emotional …

A Descriptive Study Of Social Service Needs And Demographic Characteristics Of Selected Emergency Room Patients, Anne K. Parker

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study is to gain information about the social service needs and demographic characteristics of patients admitted to Providence Hospital's emergency room during the hours a social worker is not available. The emergency room staff requested the information in order to utilize it in planning emergency room services.

Assessment Of The Needs Of The Families Of The Hospitalized Mentally Ill, Jean Pelosi Audette, Phyllis J. Jossy

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to assess the special needs of the families of hospitalized mental patients. The study focused upon the time prior to and including the decision to hospitalize a mentally ill family member. Particularly, the researchers wished to examine the stresses that the family encountered in attempting to deal with a disturbed member as well as their concerns regarding psychiatric hospitalization and the effect which it had upon the family.

A Research Project On The Developmentally Disabled Adult, Randi Lynn Hillinger

Dissertations and Theses

No comprehensive data base concerning the adult developmentally disabled (ADD) population is available. The absence of theoretical formulations about aging, and particularly the aging ADD, make it difficult for service providers or professionals to incorporate a conceptual framework into their work.

An Exploration Into The Field Of Hospital Social Work, Timothy D. Haley

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this project is to explore the field of hospital social work to see what, if any frustrations, problem areas, and/or dissatisfactions exist among those who work in this profession. In order to accomplish this task of exploration, the project is composed of three parts. The first segment is the literature review (Chapter II). It is divided into a brief history of hospital social work and other studies that have been done on hospital social workers. It is hoped that the combination of both of these components will reflect the struggles, strengths, and problems of the profession, therefore …

An Analysis Of The Relationship Between Personality Characteristics Of Social Work Students And Choice Of Social Work Practice Area, Linda A. Yegge, Francie E. Buktenica

Dissertations and Theses

Due to curiosity about the "individual" vs. "social" intervention argument in the profession of social work, the authors of this study attempted to answer the question, “Do personality characteristics of Social Work Graduate Students influence their choice of social work practice?" Our hypothesis was that Introverts would be more inclined to focus on the individual in social work practice as opposed to Extraverts who would see societal change as a more pressing practice issue. Although our study identified no correlation between Introversion and Extraversion and social work practice orientation, there were some suggestions for further study. There appeared to be …

A Consumer Evaluation Of The Clackamas County Family Court Service, Barbara E. Lee, Patricia E. Watne

Dissertations and Theses

This report describes a consumer evaluation study of the Clackamas County Family Court Service, a court-connected marriage and divorce counseling agency near Portland, Oregon.

A questionnaire was mailed to 168 individuals who had participated in counseling at the agency between November 1, 1976, and November 1, 1977. The questionnaire focused on former clients' perspectives on agency helpfulness, satisfaction with counselor’s assistance, accomplishment of agency identified objectives for counseling, and suggested areas for program improvement.

Attitudes Of Income Maintenance Line Workers In The State Of Oregon About The Causes And Amelioration Of Poverty, Gene Lamar Stutzman

Dissertations and Theses

It has been of some interest to the profession of social work that eligible persons underutilize or fail to use social services and benefits to which they are legally entitled. A number of different reasons have been cited in the social work literature and otherwise generally accepted within the ranks of the social work profession as possible or probable causes of underutilization or lack of use. The variety of reasons includes client lack of knowledge about programs, lack of motivation on the part of eligible clients to apply for benefits and services, client unawareness about legal recourse in securing services, …

Community Assessment Scales: The State Of The Art, John F. Else, Samuel E. Walker

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Community development activities are founded on the assumption that citizens have some concept of a "good community" toward which they want to move. Attention needs to be given to how community developers can determine citizen values and attitudes about the type of community that they want. Community assessment scales (CAS's) have been used as one means of measuring community attitudes and desires.

This paper explores the state of the art of the development and use of CAS's. The conclusions are that there has been only minimal use of CAS's and that there are many conceptual and methodological problems with the …

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 5, No. 3 (May 1978)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Community Assessment Scales: The State of the Art - JOHN F. ELSE & SAMUEL E. WALKER - pp. 299
• Models of Poverty and Planned Change: A Frame Work for Synthesis - DAVID S. WALLS - pp. 316
• Maintaining Goals in a Mutual-Benefit Association - JAMES R. HUDSON - pp. 327
• Living and Acting in an Altered Body: A Phenomenological Description of Amputation - MARY JO DEEGAN - pp. 342
• Blacks in the American Criminal Justice System: A Study of Sanctioned Deviance - TERRY JONES - pp. 356
• Systemic Perspectivism: A New Basis for Evaluative Research - RICHARD …

Maintaining Goals In A Mutual-Benefit Association, James R. Hudson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Mutual benefit associations have been frequently found to confront two major problems: membership apathy and oligarchical control. The organization presented in this paper solved those two problems in unique ways. First professionals employed by the organization were kept in subordinant roles when key policy decisions were made by the lay board. Secondly, the organizational structure did not match the reward structure, i.e., salaries of supervisors were often lower than those of the professional staff. Finally, the organization operated on the principle that each of its programs should be taken over by other organizations and were successful frequently enough with this …

Living And Acting In An Altered Body: A Phenomenological Description Of Amputation, Mary Jo Deegan

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Adults with recent amputations are often perceived as suffering from post-operative depression and phantom limbs. These states are frequently seen as failures in "adjustment" since there are often few physiological involvements which curtail daily functioning. This perspective is seen as compatible with major American values of pragmatism, individualism, and a mechanistic medical model. We suggest here that problems in daily living and the phantom limb are not "mental" aberrations but rather reflections of a radically altered lived experience. The performance of the actor is significantly changed and can be discussed as a function of changed experience, and style. This persppctivedraws …

The Labeler As An Influence On Labeling Outcomes, Wallace J. Gingerich

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Focusing upon labeling processes at the level of interpersonal relations, this paper points out the general inattention to the labeler as an influence on labeling outcomes. In addition, recent empirical findings suggest not only that labeler variables may be associated with outcomes, but that different labelers are influenced in different ways by different factors in their interpersonal labeling. Consequently, an effort is made to incorporate knowledge from social perception theory into the labeling perspective in order to enhance our understanding of interpersonal labeling processes. Several labeler related variables which might be expected to influence labeling outcomes are suggested.

The Worker/Client Relationship: Relevant Role Theory, Carlton E. Munson, Pallassana Balgopal

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The historic concept of "friendly visitor" has blurred the distinction of professional and personal in worker/client relationships. Current social trends and social problems as well as recent theory applications in practice have made these distinctions harder to identify and maintain. Role theory can be used to analyze behavioral indicators of objective and subjective components of relationship.

Paraprofessionals In Oregon: An Exploratory Study Of The Status Of Associate Degree Human Service Workers, Richard William Hunter

Dissertations and Theses

The concern in human services as to how to provide skilled manpower of sufficient training and in sufficient numbers to meet public demand has been a source of experimentation and controversy over the past decade. In recent years the rapid growth of social and mental health services has provided a multitude of programs and services for both the poor and non-poor. Traditional services of social welfare -- health care, education, housing and employment -- have been increasingly supplemented by new forms of services (e.g., community organization, youth work, recreation, and personal growth therapy), thus vastly expanding the numbers of actual …

Symbolic Interaction And Social Planning: Perspectives From The Early Years, Roger A. Lohmann

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The principal thesis of this paper is that the inadequacies of recent efforts at social planning are essential failures of theory, rather than failures of practice. Economic, land use and social welfare planners it is suggested have all shared a common unwillingness or inability to abandon commitments to an essentially utilitarian rhetoric of reasoned behavior, wherein means are matched with ends, persons are viewed as essentially self-interested and goal-directed rational problem solvers operating on schedules of goal attainment known or predictable by the planners. Symbolic interaction theory has resources to revitalize planning theory. Selected publications by John Dewey, G.H. Mead, …

The Role Of Cultural Anthropology In The Education Of Social Service Personnel, James W. Green

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Anthropology contributes to the education of social work students through its emphasis on the role of culture and of social context in the delivery of social services. Examples are provided with special emphasis on child abuse and protective services. While anthropology has traditionally been associated with the study of minorities, its role in the critique of other social work concerns is suggested.

The Operation Of Professional Journals In Social Work, Duncan Lindsey

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The concern of this paper is a systematic examination of one of the major social structures developed to foster the growth and regulation of the knowledge construction enterprise in social work-the professional journal. The foci of the analyses are: 1) the normative criteria of editorial board members, 2) the characteristics of the editorial judges, and 3) the factors which influence editorial decision making.

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 5, No. 2 (March 1978)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Introduction - pp. 150
• Community Control of Social Work Education - A Historical Example - PHILIP R. POPPLE - pp. 152
• The Vanishing Sociology - Social Work Alliance: A Study in the Politics of Professionalism - DAVID G. BROMLEY & FRANK J. WEED - pp. 168
• Professionalism and Social Work Education: Substance and Structure - LESLIE LEIGHNINGER - pp. 188
• The Role of Cultural Anthropology in the Education of Social Service Personnel - JAMES W. GREEN - pp. 214
• Statewide Academic Planning for Social .ork Education: A Case Study - MICHAEL J. AUSTIN - pp. 230
• Avoiding …

Professionalism And Social Work Education: Substance And Structure, Leslie Leighninger

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper looks at effects of the quest for "professional identity" upon social work education and practice. Professionalization in social work is seen as consisting of two major components: concern with producing effective service for clients and concern with gaining autonomy. The impact of these two goals, and the tension between them, is discussed in relation to social work knowledge-base expansion in the 1950's, and developments in the history of undergraduate social work education.

Assertion Training Of Nursing Home Residents, Roberta Saul

Dissertations and Theses

The National Organization for Women use assertion training as a part of its strategy to overcome the oppression of women in our society. Certainly another group of people who suffer from oppression are the elderly. When a person in our society reaches age 65, he or she may suddenly be perceived as of decreased worth and may face forced retirement and quite often may have to adjust to a lifestyle of poverty. If an elderly person's physical health begins to wane, a nursing home may suddenly become the day to day environment he or she must accept.

The therapists in …

Placement Of The Borderline/Narcissistic Personality On A Continuum Of Mental Health, Terry Carrilio

Bryn Mawr College Dissertations and Theses

This research attempted to clarify and test a theory of the borderline/ narcissistic personality. This particular personality type has recently received a great deal of attention by practitioners. A literature review was done to identify major points in the theory, and a formulation geared towards the needs of social work practitioners was developed.

A rating scheme cujodying the theoretical formulation was applied. There were thirty-six out-patient subjects from three clinics and three private therapists. One to four taped sessions per subject were rated by independent judges based on the rating scheme developed out of theory. Independent diagnosticians placed subjects in …

The "Case Work Notebook": An Analysis Of Its Content, Leslie B. Alexander, Philip Lichtenberg

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Although the contemporary trend of the unionization of both professional and non-professional social service workers merits careful examination of both socio-structural and ideological dimensions, the following study is confined to a historical analysis of the professional, more specifically, casework interests of a group of professional social work unionists in the late 1930s, early 1940s. The method of content analysis is used to examine several major themes within a regular section, "The Case Work Notebook," of the journal, Social Work Today, which was the major theoretical organ of the social work union movement.

Receiving Help: Management Strategies Of The Handicapped, Nancy A. Brooks

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The social act of helping is presented from the recipient's viewpoint. Interview material from handicapped adults and contributions from the literature on helping provide insight to the helped person's management and interpretation of being helped. Techniques employed in the management of help are described. Alternative strategies and interpretations are available to the helped person; receiving help is not necessarily demeaning as social norms suggest. The interaction between helper and helped person is the central concern.

The Msw And The Mpa: Confrontation Of Two Professions In Public Welfare, Thomas H. Walz, Harry J. Macy

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

From its inception in the 1930's, public welfare has emerged as a major service industry commanding a sizeable portion of the public tax dollar. Concomitant with growth and size and expenditure has come the federalization of the program. In the face of a series of changes--the growth of welfare, added administrative complexity, and the emergence of new economic function--public welfare's identification with social work was weakened. Correspondingly, and perhaps logically, its identification with public administration has been strengthened. In this paper, there is exploration of the changes leading to the confrontation between social work and public administration within public welfare. …

The Measurement Of Personal Influence In Organization And Community, Roger A. Lohmann

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Discussions of personal influence in situations in communities and organizations are ordinarily abstract and theoretical. In this paper, a practical method for the measurement of influence in interactional terms is developed. The approach combines the use of Likert scales, sociometric techniques and a simplified version of "blockmodeling" using mathematical matrices. The method is outlined using a hypothetical social service agency with a seven-member staff.