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America's Changing Attitudes Toward Welfare And Welfare Recipients, 1938-1995, Laurie Macleod, Darrel Montero, Alan Speer

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper examines American national public opinion on welfare, welfare recipients, and the government's role in welfare programs. The data were gathered from published public opinion polls of national samples of adults taken between 1938 and 1995. The findings indicate that public opinion has remained relatively stable over this 57-year period, with the majority of Americans believing that the government has a responsibility to help those in need. At the same time, the majority of those polled believed that the government spends too much on welfare. The findings also show that the public is in favor of reducing income differences …

Social Security And The Incremental Privatization Of Retirement Income, Neung-Hoo Park, Neil Gilbert

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study examines the process of "incremental privatization" of retirement income--a slow decline in the proportion of retirement income from Social Security relative to retirement income derived from employerprovided pensions (private and government) and IRA-type Accounts. The findings reveal that since the mid 1970s the elderly in the bottom 40% of the income distribution experienced a minimal increase in retirement income from pensions other than Social Security, while those in the upper ranges showed steady gains in income from private sources. This trend is accompanied by increasing inequality in the ratio of retirement income of those in the lower quintiles …

Review Of Big Cities In The Welfare Transition. Alfred J. Hahn And Sheila B. Kamerman. Reviewed By John R. Graham, University Of Calgary., John R. Graham

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Alfred J. Kahn and Sheila B. Kamerman, Big Cities in the Welfare Transition. New York: Columbia University School of Social Work, 1998, $25.00 papercover

Privatizing Social Security. Martin Feldstein (Ed.).

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Martin Feldstein (Ed.), Privatizing Social Security. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 1998. $ 60.00 hardback.

Review Of Confronting Racism: The Problem And The Response. Jennifer L. Eberhardt And Susan T. Fiske (Eds.). Reviewed By Eric Swank, Morehead State University., Eric Swank

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Jennifer L. Eberhardt and Susan T. Fiske (Eds.), Confronting Racism: The Problem and the Response. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1998. $29.50 papercover.

Fragile Families: Fragile Solutions. Robert Halpern

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Robert Halpern, Fragile Families: Fragile Solutions. New York: Columbia University Press, 1998. $ 49.50 hardcover, $ 17.50 papercover.

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 26, No. 2 (June 1999)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• SOCIAL WORK AND DOWNSIZING: THEORETICAL IMPLICATIONS AND STRATEGIC RESPONSES - Samuel J. Rosenberg
• THE WILLINGNESS TO SEEK HELP: ITS ROLE IN SOCIAL WORKERS' PROFESSIONAL COMMITMENT - Ben-Zion Cohen
• HISTORICAL TRENDS IN STATE-LEVEL ADC/AFDC BENEFITS: LIVING ON LESS AND LESS - Sandra Wexler & Rafael J. Engel
• PROMOTING SOCIAL JUSTICE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MASS MEDIA - Edward A. Brawley & Emilia E. Martinez-Brawley
• PERCEPTIONS ABOUT POVERTY: VIEWS FROM THE GEORGIA GENERAL ASSEMBLY - Elizabeth L. Beck, Deborah M. Whitley & James L. Wolk
• E. FRANKLIN FRAZIER AND THE INTERFACING OF BLACK SOCIOLOGY AND BLACK SOCIAL WORK - …

Social Work And Downsizing: Theoretical Implications And Strategic Responses, Samuel J. Rosenberg

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The economic, political and social changes of the past 25 years have undermined most working American's assumptions about job security. Large segments of the population now find their jobs threatened by "downsizing" -which results from the reduction of staff by employers, usually for economic reasons. Downsized individuals typically experience personal and familial crises of major magnitude, and have increasingly been turning to social workers for assistance. Social workers, however-who have had relatively little experience delivering services to this clientele--are themselves being threatened by downsizing. Given this situation, the present study assesses-through interviews and participant observation-(a) how social workers are conceptualizing …

The Willingness To Seek Help: Its Role In Social Workers' Professional Commitment, Ben-Zion Cohen

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Providing help to persons in need is the central theme of the social work profession. The three elements essential to this process are the person offering the assistance, the assistance itself, and the person receiving it. The focus here is on the person offering the help and to what degree that person is willing to request help when he or she needs it. Social workers differ with regard to their willingness to seek help, and this study employs a variety of research tools to explore the relevance of these differences to their commitment to the profession and to their professional …

Historical Trends In State-Level Adc/Afdc Benefits: Living On Less And Less, Sandra Wexler, Rafael J. Engel

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper, using government statistics, describes state-level variation in ADC/AFDC benefits from 1940-1995. The findings illustrate that the "race to the bottom" began in 1975, especially among higher paying states. The concomitant declines in benefit value relative to the poverty line places TANF-dependent recipients in serious jeopardy. Implications for education and advocacy are discussed.

Promoting Social Justice In Partnership With The Mass Media, Edward A. Brawley, Emilia E. Martinez-Brawley

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Research on mass communications suggests that public understanding of social justice issues can be significantly enhanced by the appropriate use of the media. Indeed, without the access to the public that only the mass media can provide, social workers are unlikely to have much impact in the public's understanding of critical social justice issues and appropriate responses to these issues. Based on emerging research and practice, we identify opportunities for individuals, groups and organizations interested in addressing issues of social justice to engage in productive public communication activities through newspapers, radio and television.

Legislators' Perceptions About Poverty: Views From The Georgia General Assembly, Elizabeth L. Beck, Deborah M. Whitley, James L. Wolk

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study sought to explore legislators perspectives about causes of poverty. Members of the Georgia General Assembly rated the importance of 10 behavioral and structural explanations of poverty, and indicated whether they thought poor women and children would be better served under AFDC or TANF. Whereas all groups of legislators found behavioral explanations moderately important, there was significant variation by race, gender, and political party about the importance of structural explanations of poverty. Support for several structural explanations of poverty correlated with a preference for AFDC, but no correlations were found with behavioral explanations. This study holds implications for affecting …

E. Franklin Frazier And The Interfacing Of Black Sociology And Black Social Work, Jerome H. Schiele

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

E. Franklin Frazier is known almost exclusively for his scholarly contributions after the publication of his seminal book, The Negro Family in the United States. Less is known about Frazier's professional life and scholarly contributions during the period when he was Director of the Atlanta School of Social Work between 1922 and 1927. Frazier was part of that generation of black scholars who benefited from the fluid interfacing of sociology and social work characteristic of the early part of the 20th century. While director of the Atlanta School, Frazier made significant contributions to the knowledge base of social work and …

A Socio-Economic Analysis Of The Three Paths To Social Security Reform, Rebecca A. Van Voorhis

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

As this century ends, old-age pension systems worldwide are experiencing tremendous strain and undergoing rigorous examination. At issue is the ability of current schemes to survive demographic changes which threaten to bankrupt most OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) members' old age pension systems by the early part of the twenty-first century (Peterson, 1996; Steuerle & Bakija, 1994; World Bank, 1994). A variety of proposals have been advanced in response to this concern, which reflect different underlying values and priorities. Varying significantly in their recommendations for the appropriate balance between public and private efforts, these proposals form a continuum …

Bridging The Divide: The Casework Policy Link, Peggy Pittman-Munke

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The professional history of social work in the United States of America is entering its second century. From this vantage point, it is possible to draw on. the past to develop ideas that will work for the future. Contemporary social workers often view the profession as dichotomized between those who deal with individual issues through counseling and private practice and those who are concerned with social change through policy reform. Mary Richmond, pioneer in the professionalization of social casework, offers a tightly integrated model which demonstrates how social casework and social reform can serve to reinforce and support one another …

Review Of Conservative Social Policy: A Description And Analysis. Leon Ginsberg. Reviewed By David Stoez, Virginia Commonwealth University., David Stoez

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Leon Ginsberg, Conservative Social Policy: A Description and Analysis. Chicago, Nelson Hall, 1998. $23.95 papercover.

Review Of The Poor Belong To Us: Catholic Charities And American Welfare. Dorothy M. Brown And Elizabeth Mckeown. Reviewed By Dorothy Van Soest, University Of Texas, Austin., Dorothy Van Soest

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Dorothy M. Brown and Elizabeth McKeown, The Poor Belong to Us: Catholic Charities and American Welfare. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1998. $45.00 hardcover.

Does America Hate The Poor? The Other American Dilemma. John Tropman.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for John Tropman, Does America Hate the Poor? The Other American Dilemma. Westport, CT: Praegar Published, 1998. $ 59.95 hardcover.

Nurturant And Provider Role Saliency Of Fathers In Traditional And Non-Traditional Families, Michael R. Hacker

Theses and Graduate Projects

Although identity theory, out of symbolic interactionism, has been suggested to be the most useful framework for understanding the changing roles of fathers, little systematic research has been done to apply this framework to fathering roles, and especially the specific roles of provider and nurturer. In this study, seven fathers, four in economically traditional families and three in economically non-traditional families, were interviewed using a structured interview schedule. This interview focused on the saliency of the roles of provider and nurturer for fathers and the strain in fulfilling aspects of both as predicted by identity theory. The content analysis revealed …

A Secondary Data Analysis Of The Womankind/Centers For Disease Control Evaluation A Study Of Hospital Staff S Ability To Engage, Assess And Refer Victims Of Domestic Abuse, Victoria M. Hanson

Theses and Graduate Projects

This is a secondary data analysis of an evaluation of a domestic violence program in a hospital setting in the Midwest. Hospital staffs in five hospitals who work in either the Emergency Department, Intensive Care, or Perinatal/Ob/Gyn were surveyed to evaluate their knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors regarding domestic abuse. This secondary data analysis looked at the results of the 320 completed baseline surveys to examine if hospital staff who have a high concordance with feminist principles perceive themselves as having a high ability to engage, assess, and refer victims of domestic abuse. Multiple regression was used to compare practitioner …

Outcome Based Data Analysis Of A Therapeutic Foster Care Program, Lisa M. Silvestri Adamich

Theses and Graduate Projects

Therapeutic foster care (TFC) is quickly becoming a favored placement option by case managers for children and adolescents. As the number of agencies that provide therapeutic foster care programs increase, case managers question what constitutes successful and failed placements of adolescents in the TFC system. This exploratory, quantitative study focuses on data analysis of a therapeutic foster care program. Data analysis will consist of evaluating matched intake and discharge information of approximately 32 adolescents (32 intake/discharge records) from January l, 1998 through December 31, 1998 as well as evaluating discharge records of those youth admitted prior to 1998 and discharged …

Policy Analysis Of Wisconsin's Domestic Violence Mandatory Arrest Law, Holly C. Mcabee

Theses and Graduate Projects

This exploratory paper is an attempt to examine the factors that led to the criminalization of domestic violence. Beginning with an overview of the history of reform movements to end family violence, the report then reviews the factors that influenced the enactment of mandatory arrest policies in Wisconsin, as well as across the United States. The last sections critically examine existing research on the deterrent effects of arrest. Research suggests that arrest may have some deterrent effects on different offender subgroups, however, may be a relatively weak sanction and deterrent effects may be short term. The greatest point of intervention …

Physical Violence During Pregnancy: Maternal Complications And Birth Outcomes, Vilma E. Cokkinides, Ann L. Coker, Maureen Sanderson, Cheryl Addy, Lesa Bethea

CRVAW Faculty Journal Articles

Objective: To assess the association between physical violence during the 12 months before delivery and maternal complications and birth outcomes.

Methods: We used population-based data from 6143 women who delivered live-born infants between 1993 and 1995 in South Carolina. Data on women's physical violence during pregnancy were based on self-reports of partner-inflicted physical hurt and being involved in a physical fight. Outcome data included maternal antenatal hospitalizations, labor and delivery complications, low birth weights, and preterm births. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated to measure the associations between physical violence, maternal morbidity, and birth outcomes.

Results: The prevalence …

A Comparative Assessment Of The Status, Structure And Process Utilized By Nevada's Family Support And Preservation Consortia To Achieve Collaboration, Marlys A. Morton

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This paper presents a framework for understanding inter-organizational collaboration and describes and analyzes how collaboration was used as a method to build new service networks, the characteristics of the consortia, and the status of the collaborative processes.

Although the literature on inter-organizational collaboration in the human services is increasing, little is known about how regional consortia view the process of working together towards a common purpose. The results reported in this paper are intended to help fill that gap.

The findings reported in this study are based on a survey process using a standardized questionnaire to study the collaborative status. …

Introduction, Jordan I. Kosberg, Nelson W.S. Chow

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The countries of the world, both developing and developed, are aging. Some already have sizeable populations of elderly persons and others are beginning to experience an aging of their populations for the first time. The causes of population aging in countries of the world are many and include improved medical technology, use of birth control, and emigration of younger members of a society. The demographic "explosion" of the elderly comes at a time of rapid Westernization with changes in the tradition of family caregiving responsibility for elderly members of the family. Simultaneously, even in advanced societies, economic recessions and competing …

Getting Old In The U.S.: Dilemmas Of Indo-Americans, Pallassana R. Balgopal

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Adapting to old age is an arduous task in every society. For Asian immigrants because of drastically different value systems getting old in the U.S. poses a number of dilemmas. For the Indo-American elderly and their families a major dilemma is whether to expect and abide by the value orientation of collectivism or follow the main stream American value of individualism. In this study the ethnographic approach operationalized through Interpretive Interactionism for an understanding of the interaction between the elderly and their families and their overall coping and adaptation process in the United States is presented.

The Use Of Senior Volunteers In The Care Of Discharged Geriatric Patients, Iryna M. Dulka, Mark J. Yaffe, Benita Goldin, William S. Rowe

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article reports on a project that utilized senior volunteers in the role of health advocates for geriatric patients discharged from a hospital. The project was evaluated to determine if healthy and active seniors could make a contribution to the health and social welfare of such discharged elderly persons. The study was conducted in Montreal, Canada and funded by a federal grant from Health Canada. The research collaborators came from a 414-bed secondary care university-affiliated community hospital, a community social service agency with a mandate to respond to the needs of its frail elderly constituents, and a university-based research centre

Policy Implications Of Australian Ageing: The Greying Of A Young Society, John Mccallum

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Australian population ageing is moderate by Western country standards but there are major issues emerging in national policy debates. The proportions 65+ will double and the proportions 85+ will more than quadruple by 2050. The first concern is the long-term trend to earlier retirement from work along with a nearly universal dependency on publicly funded age pensions rather than on private savings and superannuation. New mandatory superannuation guarantee scheme will ease some of the financial pressure from income dependency. Secondly heart, musculoskeletal, cancers, mental illness and digestive diseases are high cost conditions but musculoskeletal and mental conditions are a higher …

Religion, Adversity And Age: Religious Experiences Of Low-Income Elderly Women, Amanda Smith Barusch

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Elders throughout the world turn to religious organizations and rely on religious beliefs to cope with both the routine challenges of daily life and the hardships brought on by severe adversity. Hundreds of studies have documented a positive association between health or well-being and religious participation. Yet few have examined religious experiences of the elderly themselves. In-depth consideration of these experiences might shed light on the contribution of religion to individual lives. This study examines religious experiences of women living in poverty in the United States. Results underscore the deep-seated religious commitment of this group. The dominant theme, mentioned more …

Population Aging, Changes In Living Arrangement, And The New Long-Term Care System In Japan, Wataru Koyano

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

During the last five decades, family life of the Japanese elderly and longterm care have drastically changed. As a response to the rapid population aging and the increasing difficulty of family care, a new universalistic system of long-term care services is going to be introduced in 2000. The new system, called the Insurance Against Care, acknowledges societal responsibility for long-term care, and guarantees a certain level of provision of care services. While the insurance is a response to the changes in family life of the elderly, symbolized by the decrease of co-residence with adult children, it may further stimulate and …