Digital Commons Network^™

Determinants Of Primary Group Assistance During Unemployment, Martin D. Hanlon

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In recent years much research attention has been given to the role of primary groups in ameliorating stressful life events. However, little is known about what factors determine the amount of assistance people receive from relatives and friends during a situation of crisis. This is the focus of the present study. The data base is a sample of public sector workers who were involuntarily laid off from their jobs.

The data revealed that respondents received considerable assistance from parents and friends--the two primary group types included in the analysis--during the period of unemployment. Objective economic deprivation, indexed by the difference …

Organizational Resistance To Serving The Disadvantaged: The Case Of A State Employment Service, Ronald Randall

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Maintaining the commitment of public agencies to serve the disadvantaged persists as one of the most vexing problems in public affairs. This study places in an historical perspective the commitment of the Wisconsin State Employment Service (WSES) to serve the disadvantaged during the late 1960s and the retreat from this emphasis in the 1970s. The WSES displays a tradition of tension between operating-level employees who aspire to serve a job-ready clientele, and top decisionmakers who, from time to time, sense a need for direct service to the disadvantaged. The study suggests that effective service to the disadvantaged depends upon continuous, …

Child-Care Usage Patterns As Estimates Of Child-Care Need, Nancy Hendrix

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Child-care utilization studies are often used to estimate the need for future child-care. The author stresses the limitations of the use of past patterns to judge future needs. Specifically the article focuses on the reliability and validity of measures of usage and satisfaction with various child-care modes, errors in study design, lack of conceptual clarity, and problems of the correlation of child-care modes and other variables.

Computer Use In Social Services Network Newsletter, Dick Schoech

Computer Use in Social Services Network

No abstract provided.

Disabled Women: Sexism Without The Pedestal, Michelle Fine, Adrienne Asch

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The position of the disabled woman in current U.S. society deserves political, theoretical and empirical attention. In this paper we have delineated the economic, social and psychological constraints which place her at a distinct disadvantage, relative to disabled men and nondisabled women. We evaluate the ways in which having a disability is viewed as an impediment to traditional or nontraditional sex role development. The construct rolelessness is introduced, defined and examined. We conclude with reconmiendations for needed research and policy.

Women And Chronic Renal Failure: Some Neglected Issues, Nancy G. Kutner, Heather L. Gray

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

It has been assumed until recently that chronic renal failure is more prevalent among men than among women, but data now indicate that at least half of all renal patients are women. The literature continues to focus on adjustment problems of male patients, especially sexual adjustment and job-loss problems, and to assume that women can adjust more easily because of their ability to maintain the homemaker role. However, women patients whose work status is that of homemaker are found to have the highest depression scores, and job loss results in low satisfaction for those who have held meaningful outside jobs. …

Multiple Minority Groups: A Case Study Of Physically Disabled Women, Mary Jo Deegan

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In general, disfranchised Americans are becoming increasingly aware of their social restrictions and limitations on opportunities. As a result there are now minority groups who have identified their shared problems only within the last twenty years,and these groups are rapidly changing the nature of minority relations. In particular, people with newly defined multiple minority statuses are beginning to articulate their specialized interests and establish new relations with both the dominant majority and the minority groups to which they belong.

Physically disabled women are one such group. As women and as disabled people, they are members of two separate minority groups. …

Women And Disability: The Double Handicap, Nancy Brooks, Mary Jo Deegan

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

During the 1970's a social movement arose to address the concerns of people with disabilities. Action groups pressed for reforms in architectural barriers, educational and employment opportunities, deinstitutionalization, and legal protection of civil rights. Although accurate demographic information is lacking, estimates indicate that approximately one in ten Americans has a disability or chronic disease and would be affected by the changes brought about by the disability movement. These people experience serious limitations in major activities such as housework, employment, or education. Yet external restrictions imposed by negative attitudes impose greater handicaps by preventing full social participation of this stigmatized group. …

Social Justice And Rationing Social Services, Claudia J. Coulton, Marvin Rosenberg

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper discusses the ethical implications of different mechanisms used by social agencies to ration scarce social services. Mechanisms such as "queing," "creaming," and "triage" are discussed from the perspective of two theories of social justice; i.e., John S. Mill and John Rawls. The purpose of the paper is to encourage more explicit examination of the assumptions that underlie the distribution of social services. It is the authors' contention that the present decision making process is almost entirely based on intuition, political expedience, and tradition, and that systematic ethical analysis would give stronger justification to rationing decisions.

The Self Disclosure Of Clinical Social Workers, Herman Borenzweig

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

My interest in this study arose from what I believed to be the discrepancy between the conventional wisdom about self disclosure and its occurrence in the practice of clinical social work. Bradmiller'sI study, one of the few studies about self disclosure in the practice of social work, found that persons with masters degrees in social work (MSW's) disclose significantly more to their colleagues than do undergraduate social work majors. The MSW's in Bradmiller's study self disclosed to clients at a lesser rate than they did to other target persons. Bradmiller2 interprets her study, " ...... most simply as an indication …

Child Abuse In A Small City: Social Psychological And Ecological Correlates, Robert D. Gingrich, James R. Hudson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Child abuse has become a growing national concern. Its current status can be linked to the research by Kempe who identified the "battered child syndrome". Two models of explanation have been advanced; a medical and a social psychological. This study of 134 cases of child abuse in a small city employes the social psychological model and tests the hypothesis that social isolation is correlated with child abuse. Support for that hypothesis leads to an elaboration of the dynamics of social isolation with an emphasis on the absence of other persons with children from the milieu of the child abuse perpetrator …

The Invisible Isolation Of Deaf Women: Its Effect On Social Awareness, Gaylene Becker, Joanne Jauregui

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The place of deaf women in relation to society is discussed, and the formative experiences that shape their personal development are described. Deaf women's needs are delineated, and suggestions are made for providers to meet these needs.

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 8, No. 2 (July 1981)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Table of Contents

• INTRODUCTION: Women and Disability: The Double Handicap - NANCY BROOKS & MARY JO DEEGAN
• Disabled Women: Sexism Without the Pedestal (#4) - MICHELLE FINE & ADRIENNE ASCH
• The Invisible Isolation of Deaf Women: Its Effect on Social Awareness - GAYLENE BECKER & JOANNE JAUS EGUI
• Assertiveness Training for Women with Visual Impairments - CYNTHIA KOLB
• Multiple Minority Groups: A Case Study of Physically Disabled Women - MARY JO DEEGAN
• Benefits for the Disabled: How Beneficial for Women? - ELIZABETH A. KUTZA
• Women and Chronic Renal Failure: Some Neglected Issues - NANCY G. KUTNER & HEATHER L. GRAY …

Assertiveness Training For Women With Visual Impairments, Cynthia Kolb

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

An assertiveness support group was designed for five women with visual impairments who were attending college. The purpose of the group was to apply concepts underlying assertive behaviors (Phelps & Austin, 1975) to effectively managing psycho-social factors related to adjustment to a disability (Wright, 1960; Donaldson, 1980). Issues such as developing assertive responses other than eye contact, defining a sense of personal power in handling dependency related to the presence of an impairment and identifying strategies for dealing with the stereotypes of others were discussed. Although no formal measurements of the group's effectiveness were made, verbal feedback from participants at …

Benefits For The Disabled: How Beneficial For Women?, Elizabeth Ann Kutza

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The social and economic consequence of disability is of increasing interest in American society today. The numbers of persons reporting disabling conditions is rising, as is the number of persons qualifying for public disability benefits. This article examines the impact of current United States disability policy on disabled women, and concludes that the major programs - disability insurance, supplemental security income, workers' compensation, vocational rehabilitation - because of their relationship to labor market participation, disadvantage women. Women not only receive fewer, but less generous benefits. Explanations of this outcome, and implications for future policy are addressed.

A Peer Counseling Training Program For Disabled Women: A Tool For Social And Individual Change, Marsha Saxton

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article presents a description of a successful peer counseling training program for disabled women, offered in a community-based self help organization. The program provides both training in peer counseling skills, and a personal growth experience. It was carried out in a group context specifically designed for the needs of women with disabilities. The counseling approach, the training format and curriculum, and the evaluation procedures can all serve as a basis for agencies interested in developing similar programs.

Toward A Model Of Factors Influencing The Hiring Of Women With A History Of Breast Cancer, Nancy Mccharen, Jo Anne L. Earp

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Whether surgical treatment for cancer which results in the removal of an external part of the body is viewed by employers as a medical disability that interferes with the performance of job-related functions, or fits a more stereotypic definition of a physical handicap that might even prevent an employee from being hired, has not been adequately studied. To identify factors which influence employers' decisions to hire women who have had breast cancer, a model of factors influencing the decision to hire was developed. A random sample of personnel directors from an industrialized North Carolina county was surveyed. A majority had …

Like Other Women: Perspectives Of Mothers With Physical Disabilities, Susan Shaul, Pamela Dowling, Bernice F. Laden

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article is based on interviews with ten women, ranging in age from 19 to 45 and living in the Puget Sound area of Washington State. Their disabilities are neurmuscular or musculoskeletal and include spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, post-polio and spina bifida. Their children range in age from 11 months to adulthood. The article focuses on specific issues and concerns regarding early childhood ranagement, and includes some discussion of pre-natal and cbstetrical care. Cann misconceptions concerning motherhood and disability are also discussed. men with disabilities also have special concerns as parents. Although their concerns are not addressed in this …

A Cross-Cultural Comparison Of Marital Abuse, Suzanne K. Steinmetz

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

A brief history of marital violence and statistics from recent studies are presented. Marital abuse data from six societies: United States; Canada; Finland; Israel, with city and Kibbutz sub-samples; Puerto Rico; and Belize (British Honduras) with sub-samples of Spanish speaking, Creoles and Caribs are compared. In general, similarities were found between political/civil profiles of violence and marital violence score within each society. The percentage of husbands and wives using abuse was also similar for each society. The major exception was Puerto Rico, where almost twice as many husbands were reported to have been violent. The percentage of husbands and wives …

Disabled Women: Sexism Without The Pedestal, Michelle Fine, Adrienne Asch

Publications and Research

The position of the disabled woman in current U.S. society deserves political, theoretical and empirical attention. In this paper we have delineated the economic, social and psychological constraints which place her at a distinct disadvantage, relative to disabled men and nondisabled women. We evaluate the ways in which having a disability is viewed as an impediment to traditional or nontraditional sex role development. The construct rolelessness is introduced, defined and examined. We conclude with reconmiendations for needed research and policy.

Burnout: Multi-Dimensional Study Of Alienation Among Social Service Workers In The Willamette Valley, Sally Carignan

Dissertations and Theses

In a profession such as social work, where one is responsible for dealing with the ills of society and meeting the needs of other individuals, such emotional detachment and estrangement from others is antithetical to the purpose of the field and eminently destructive to those seeking and needing assistance. With the current push for accountability, factors such as burnout or alienation from one's work become of crucial importance. In addition, burnout leads to a high rate of absenteeism and job turnover (Minihan, 1980). This too decreases cost effectiveness and the quality of service, matters of extreme concern in a field …

A Description And Evaluation Of The Self-Help Information Service, Cathy Tuma, John Wadsworth

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Self-Help Information Service (SIS) and to obtain information necessary for the improvement of the service. The study also described the development and operation of SIS and assessed the use and effect of the service. The evaluation of SIS was based on initial global utilization data and the results of participant satisfaction surveys targeted at four distinct groups: (1) Self-Help Project staff, (2) Tri-County Information and Referral Service staff, (3) self-help groups, and (4) callers of the service (potential members of self-help groups). The Self-Help Project and Tri-County I …

An Alumni Survey Of The School Of Social Work, Portland State University, Stephen R. Fishack

Dissertations and Theses

The alumni survey conducted at Portland State University School of Social Work by second year students had two purposes. One purpose was to fulfill the research practicum requirements of a Masters of Social Work degree by providing experience in the area of applied survey research. The other was to provide a data base for future alumni research at the school.

Selltiz, et al., in their book, Research Methods in Social Relations, ask the question, "Why is it important to be familiar with the research process?" They answer with the following statements: "Research techniques are the tools of the trade... …

Non-Work-Related Services At The Workplace: An Exploratory Study, William Roland Adix

Dissertations and Theses

In an era of diminishing public funds, the profession of social work is looking more and more toward the private sector as an arena for social work practice. Social work has had a long-standing interest in the impact of work and the workplace on the individual. This study was developed in response to the lack of documentation of non-work-related services in Oregon's businesses and industries. The research team set out to discover what non-work-related services are available to employees at or through the workplace in the TriCounty area (Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington Counties) of Oregon. This study was exploratory, similar …

Fruit And Flower: The History Of Oregon's First Day Care Center, Danielle Louise Larson

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis is a history of philanthropy in the field of child care.

Using a topical approach rather than a strict chronological method, the text discusses the specific subjects of private philanthropy and public funding as applied to the Fruit and Flower institution. At the same time, it traces the exact growth of that institution through a one hundred year maturing process--from its beginning in 1885 as a girls' club of "friendly visitors" to a modern child care center in 1978. This examination of the evolution of a specific social service institution also incorporates a review of the financial factors …

Socio-Demographic And Economic Factors Affecting Fertility In Rural And Urban Thailand, Pichit Pitaktepsombati

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The major purpose of this study is to measure the relationship between socio-demographic and economic factors and fertility of rural and urban women in Thailand, utilizing national level survey data collected in 1972 and 1973. Specifically, a regression model of fertility and socio-demographic and economic variables will be developed and analyzed. Also, a general comparison will be made between the results of the present study, based on the 1972 and 1973 surveys, with those from an earlier round of surveys conducted in 1969 and 1970.

Assessment Of Needs Of Adolescent Mothers In Washington County, John L. Arnold

Dissertations and Theses

This needs assessment was conducted by 11 graduate students and their advisor from the Portland State University Graduate School of Social Work. The purpose was to determine the needs of adolescent mothers in Washington County and report the findings to the Washington County Task Force on Adolescent Pregnancy. Data for this needs assessment was compiled from three sources: social indicators (data), service providers, and target population responses.

Interviews were conducted with 34 service providers to determine the availability of services to the population. Questionnaires were distributed and 29 adolescent mothers responded regarding their perceived needs and services. The information in …

Humanism And Social Work Paradoxes, Problems, And Promises, Norman Goroff

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Although social work is viewed as a human service profession, with the implicit assumption that it is humanistically oriented, an examination of some of the theoretical orientations, practice settings and practice methodology will reveal a number of paradoxes, problems, and potential promises. I do not claim to provide more than a sampling, to provide a more exhaustive analysis would require considerably more time than is available.

Applied Sociology, Social Engineering, And Human Rationality, John W. Murphy

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

At this time social planning has come to be synonymous with technical forecasting. Because of this trend, the methods used by social planners are those of positive science. These methods, however, are not self-reflective, and are therefore naive about the epistemological assumptions which they inadvertantly advance. As a result of this epistemological naivete, many times the social planner is guided by methodological assumptions that are totally incongruent with the social world to which they are to be applied. This type of social forecasting is referred to as irresponsible social planning, in that it is not sensitive to the needs and …

Heritage And Politics Of Poverty And Inequality For Rural Women, Edith A. Cheitman

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In the course of researching the subject of this paper I requested a computer literature search. Using sociological, economic and psychological data bases and a comprehensive list of descriptors, I was able to retrieve only five references. Of those, only one was of significant value to me in dealing with the specific issues involved in the oppression of rural American women.

The paucity of material available through so-called "legitimate" channels was, for me, a telling point. The worst kind of oppression and inequality occurs to groups that are, in effect, "invisible". If no one has identified rural women as an …