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Is Inter-Organizational Collaboration Always A Good Thing?, Richard A. Longoria

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The human service literature suggests that the concept and outcomes of inter-organizational collaboration are not well understood. Nonetheless, inter-organizational collaboration has emerged as a statement of direction for social welfare policy and professional practice. In light of an unclear understanding of collaboration, this analysis suggests the concept has powerful symbolic qualities, which perpetuates its continued use. While the general notion of collaboration is promising, human service administrators and stakeholders must couple critical thinking and action to clarify the meaning, intent, application, and outcomes of inter-organizational collaboration. This article raises the question as to whether the popularity of inter-organization collaboration is …

Saving For Post-Secondary Education In Individual Development Accounts, Min Zhan, Mark Schreiner

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Low-income people have less access to opportunities for post-secondary education, and the welfare reform in 1996 further limited access for welfare recipients. Since welfare reform, there has been an increasing interest in strategies meant to enhance the well-being of low-income people through education and the development of human capital. In this study, we examine how low-income people saved for post-secondary education in Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) in a nationwide demonstration. IDAs provide matches for savings used primarily for home purchase, microenterprise, and post-secondary education. We examine how savings outcomes differed between participants who intended to use their savings for post-secondary …

Social Theory: The Multicultural And Classical Readings. Charles Lemert.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Charles Lemert, Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classical Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 2004. $35.00 papercover.

Implications Of Media Scrutiny For A Child Protection Agency, Lindsay D. Cooper

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study examines media impact on job efficacy in a child protection agency. The research uses inductive, holistic research methods to examine the effect of media scrutiny on changes in management dictates, worker duties and responsibilities, and agency services. Data were collected from media sources, interviews, archival materials, and participant observation, then analyzed via qualitative content analysis, providing a basis for rich ethnographic description of perceptions and behavior of diverse groups of people involved in child protection. The study reveals how contradictions in American national culture generate a need for increased communication, understanding, agreement, and support, between various groups of …

Social Policy Analysis And Practice. Thomas M. Meenaghan, Keith M. Kilty, And John G. Mcnutt.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Thomas M. Meenaghan, Keith M. Kilty and John G. McNutt, Social Policy Analysis and Practice. Chicago, IL: Lyceum Books, 2004. $32.95. [January 31, 2005].

Review Of Technology And The African American Experience: Needs And Opportunities For Study. Bruce Sinclair (Ed.). Reviewed By John Mcnutt., John Mcnutt

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Bruce Sinclair (Ed.), Technology and the African American Experience: Needs and Opportunities for Study. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2004. $35.00 hardcover.

Review Of Lessons From Abroad: Adapting International Social Welfare Innovations. M. C. Hokenstad And James Midgley (Eds.). Reviewed By Doreen Elliott., Doreen Elliott

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of M. C. Hokenstad and James Midgley (Eds.), Lessons from Abroad: Adapting International Social Welfare Innovations. Washington, DC: National Association of Social Workers Press, 2004. $44.99 papercover.

Inheritance Law And The Evolving Family. Ralph C. Brashier., Karen Jones-Mason

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Ralph C. Brashier, Inheritance Law and the Evolving Family. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2004. $69.50 hardcover, $24.95 papercover.

Review Of Voices From The Edge: Narratives About The Americans With Disabilities Act. Ruth O'Brien. Reviewed By Juliet C. Rothman., Juliet C. Rothman

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Ruth O'Brien, Voices from the Edge: Narratives about the Americans with Disabilities Act. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004. $55.00 hardcover, $16.95 papercover.

Shut Out: Low Income Mothers And Higher Education In Post-Welfare America. Valerie Polakow, Sandra Butler, Luisa Stormer Deprez And Peggy Kahn (Eds.)., Sarah Carnochan

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Valerie Polakow, Sandra Butler, Luisa Stormer Deprez and Peggy Kahn (Eds.), Shut Out: Low Income Mothers and Higher Education in Post- Welfare America. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 2004. $75.00 hardcover, $24.95 papercover.

Reforming Welfare Reform Postsecondary Education Policy: Two State Case Studies In Political Culture, Organizing, And Advocacy, Charles Price

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Welfare reform had the unforeseen effect of causing large numbers of public assistance recipients to drop out of college, discouraging their pursuit and acquisition of postsecondary education (PSE) credentials. There is a growing body of research that shows the value of postsecondary education in getting public assistance recipients onto a path toward occupational and social mobility. The restrictions of Temporary Assistance to Needy Families PSE policy, coupled with the recognition that college participation should be an option for qualified welfare recipients, influenced the emergence of many successful state and county-level movements focused on reforming welfare reform PSE policy. Their work …

Welfare Recipients Attending College: The Interplay Of Oppression And Resistance, Karen Christopher

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This qualitative study uses Patricia Hill Collins' "both/and" conceptual framework to explore experiences of both oppression and resistance among welfare recipients attending college. It examines how children, social networks, integration into campus life, and interactions with caseworkers affect welfare recipients' college attendance and college persistence. As is well established in the sociological literature, having children complicates college attendance and persistence. But this research shows that children also provide the predominant incentive for poor mothers to attain higher education. Moreover, this study reveals complexities in welfare recipients' experiences with their social networks, work-study jobs, and caseworkers that are often overlooked by …

Culture As Deficit: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of The Concept Of Culture In Contemporary Social Work Discourse, Yoosun Park

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper is a critical discourse analysis of the usage of the concept of "culture" in social work discourse. The paper argues that "culture" is inscribed as a marker for difference which has largely replaced the categories of race and ethnicity as the preferred trope of minority status. "Culture" is conceived as an objectifiable body of knowledge constituting the legitimate foundationfor the building of interventions. But such interventions cannot be considered other than an instrument which reinforces the subjugating paradigm from which it is fashioned. The concept of culture, constructed from within an orthodoxic, hegemonic discursive paradigm, is deployed as …

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 32, No. 3 (September 2005)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• EDUCATION PROBLEMS WITH URBAN MIGRATORY CHILDREN IN CHINA - Fei Yan
• CULTURE AS DEFICIT: A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF THE CONCEPT OF CULTURE IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL WORK DISCOURSE - Yoosun Park
• APPLYING RAWLSIAN SOCIAL JUSTICE TO WELFARE REFORM: AN UNEXPECTED FINDING FOR SOCIAL WORK - Mahasweta M. Banerjee
• ENGLISH NON-FLUENCY AND INCOME PENALTY FOR HISPANIC WORKERS - Song Yang
• REFORMING WELFARE REFORM POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION POLICY: TWO STATE CASE STUDIES IN POLITICAL CULTURE, ORGANIZING, AND ADVOCACY - Charles Price
• IMPLICATIONS OF MEDIA SCRUTINY FOR A CHILD PROTECTION AGENCY - Lindsay D. Cooper
• IS INTER-ORGANIZATIONAL COLLABORATION ALWAYS A GOOD …

English Non-Fluency And Income Penalty For Hispanic Workers, Song Yang

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Using the 2001-2002 California Workforce Survey, this paper examines the income gap between Hispanic and Caucasian workers. I attribute the income gap between Hispanic and Caucasian workers to differentials in their human capital. However, data analyses indicate that classical human capital indicators such as education,job training, and work experiences are not sufficient to account for the observed income gap between Hispanics and Caucasians. Instead, English fluency is a highly valuable aspect of human capital for Hispanic workers. English non-fluency, along with less education, job training, and work experiences explain why Hispanic workers earn less than Caucasian workers. However, variations in …

Applying Rawlsian Social Justice To Welfare Reform: An Unexpected Finding For Social Work, Mahasweta M. Banerjee

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper sketches social workers' understanding of social justice and reliance on Rawls (1971), highlights findings about "hard to employ" welfare recipients facing welfare reform, and articulates the parameters of Rawlsian justice (Rawls, 1999a; 2001) with particular emphasis on people who have been on welfare for long. The paper shows that social workers do not have any space to maneuver in Rawlsian justice to uphold justice for long-term welfare recipients, and welfare reform's "work first" stipulation does not violate Rawlsian justice. The paper raises some questions about social workers' continued reliance on Rawls. It suggests social workers update the literature …

Review Of Social Work: Theory And Practice For A Changing Profession. Lena Dominelli. Reviewed By Mel Gray., Mel Gray

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Lena Dominelli, Social Work: Theory and Practice for a Changing Profession. Malden, MA: Polity Press, 2004. $69.95 hardcover.

Review Of The Decline Of Life: Old Age In Eighteenth-Century England. Susannah R. Ottaway. Reviewed By John M. Herrick., John M. Herrick

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Susannah R. Ottaway, The Decline of Life: Old Age in Eighteenth- Century England. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2004. $70.00 cloth

Review Of An American Travesty: Legal Responsibility To Adolescent Sexual Offending. Franklin Zimring. Reviewed By Matthew T. Theriot., Matthew T. Theriot

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Franklin E. Zimring, An American Travesty: Legal Responses to Adolescent Sexual Offending. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2004. $29.00 hardcover.

Migration And Immigration. Maura I. Toro-Morn., Clare Sheridan

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Maura I. Toro-Morn, Migration and Immigration. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2004. $49.95 hardcover.

A Study Of Three Community And School-Based Models Of Child Welfare Service Delivery In Ontario: An Exploration Of Parents’, Service Providers’, And Community Experiences, Karen Frensch, Gary Cameron, Lirondel Hazineh

Partnerships for Children and Families Project

This report highlights results from our study of three innovative child welfare programs in Ontario attempting to modify front line child protection practice. These programs endeavor to deliver child welfare services in ways that promote greater accessibility and acceptability of services for families, provide increased levels of assistance to families, afford a better understanding of daily living circumstances of children and families, and engage the community in protecting children. Study results confirm that the three programs were successful in accomplishing these goals. Parents’, service providers’, and community members’ perceptions of these programs showcase the positive helping relationships and community partnerships …

Access To Housing For Persons With Disabilities: Lessons Learned From Three Demonstration Projects, Cutler, Disability And Aging, Eileen Griffin Jd

Disability & Aging

The Quality Choices for Maine project was conducted from 2001-2004. This report focuses on Access to Services, one part of the three-year RCSC Quality Grant. The specific housing related goal was “to improve access to community housing for people with disabilities of all types.” Project activities were overseen by the Access to Services Technical Assistance Group and a variety of stakeholders. Read the activity summaries, lessons learned and recommendations on how to sustain the work.

Service-Learning And Civic Outcomes: From Suggestive Research To Program Models, Suzanne Pritzker, Amanda Moore Mcbride

Center for Social Development Research

Service-learning has been identified as an intervention that may address low levels of youth civic engagement. Service-learning is compared to two other interventions that have been associated with civic outcomes: community service and civic education curricula. Studies of these three types of interventions are systematically reviewed and compared, taking into account rigor of designs and methods. Across a range of civic indicators, no clear pattern was found regarding the impact of each intervention. This review highlights the need for increased rigor and sensitivity of measurement in future research on civic development among school-age students.

International Service: History And Forms, Pitfalls And Potential, Amanda Moore Mcbride, Dolly Daftary

Center for Social Development Research

International voluntary service represents the contribution of one’s time to some cause, which is largely uncompensated and spent in a country other than one’s home country. The forms of international service have evolved from roots in missionary service to a focus on development of the host communities and the volunteers. Current trends emphasize mutuality, accountability, and participation by host communities, but against a historical and contemporary backdrop, inequality remains between the volunteers and hosts. This paper speculates a range of possible positive and negative developmental outcomes, programmatic strategies to mediate negative effects, and research to inform program and policy development.

Increasing Life Chances For Orphaned Children In Africa: Testing An Asset-Based Development Strategy, Fred Ssewamala, Jami Curley

Center for Social Development Research

Increasing Life Chances for Orphaned Children in Africa: Testing an Asset-Based Development Strategy

Rural Wealth Building: Native Americans, Eric Henson, Anna Lee, Luxman Nathan

Center for Social Development Research

Rural Wealth Building: Native Americans

Saving And Asset Accumulation Among Low-Income Families With Children In Idas, Michal Grinstein-Weiss, Kristen Wagner, Fred M. Ssewamala

Center for Social Development Research

Research indicates that low-income families with children have many motives to save, however, the costs of raising children, low wage employment, means tested programs, and the need for child care make it difficult for them to save. Using data from the American Dream Demonstration (n=1,801), this study examines saving performances of low-income families with children in a matched savings program – Individual Development Accounts (IDAs). The results indicate that households with children in IDAs can save when they are provided structured opportunities. In addition, this study finds that institutional factors, not merely individual characteristics, are highly associated with IDA saving …

The War On Drugs Is A War On African American Communities, Saundra Denise Massey

Theses and Graduate Projects

The "war on drugs" and the "get tough" attitudes associated with it have resulted in disproportionate numbers of incarcerated blacks. According to a report by Human Rights Watch, nationally one in every 20 black men over the age of 18 is in a state or federal prison. In contrast, the incarceration rate for white men is one out of every 180 (Human Rights Watch, 2000).

This paper is a policy analysis examining one law that may affect incarceration rates for blacks, the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984. Using the analytical model of Segal and Brzuzy, "Social Welfare Policy, Programs, and …

Review Of Home Bound: Growing Up With A Disability In America. Cass Irvin. Reviewed By Elizabeth Lightfoot., Elizabeth Lightfoot

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Cass Irvin, Home Bound: Growing Up with a Disability in America. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press, 2004. $59.50 hardcover, $19.95 papercover.

Aging And Family Policy: A Sociological Excursion, Jason L. Powell

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The contemporary focus on family policy and old age has become increasingly important in social discourses on aging both within the discipline of Sociology and social policy practices of welfare institutions that attempt to define later life. Using the United Kingdom as a case study, sheds light on wider current trends associated with aging in United States, Canada, Europe and Australia. Social welfare is a pivotal domain where social discourses on aging have become located. Narratives are 'played out' with regard to the raw material supplied by family policy for identity performance of older people. Therefore, grounding developments in 'narrativity' …