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Not Working: Latina Immigrants, Low-Wage Jobs And The Failure Of Welfare Reform. Alejandra Marchevsky And Jeanne Theorharis., Rose Barretto

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Rik Pinxten and Ellen Preckler, Racism in Metropolitan Areas. New York: Berghahn Books, 2006. $70.00 hardcover, $22.50 papercover.

Community Development Corporations And Public Participation: Lessons From A Case Study In The Arkansas Delta, Valerie H. Hunt

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In this paper, I focus on the role of community development corporations (CDCs) in fostering public participation in the local political process. Using survey and interview data gathered from CDCs operating in the Mississippi Delta region of Arkansas, I show that the CDC is an important intermediary between the citizens and the local political arena. While, according to this study's findings, the CDCs' long-term goal is to develop a lasting sense of efficacy among CDC participants, leading to direct political participation by citizens, the nature of CDC funding does not fully support these efforts. As a result, these critical activities …

Advice And Help-Seeking Intentions Among Youth In Israel: Ethnic And Gender Differences, Moshe Sherer

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study addresses intentions to seek advice and help among Jewish and Arab youths in Israel. The sample included 805 Jewish, 159 Moslem, 42 Christian, and 43 Druze youths. Two instruments were used: a demographic questionnaire and a questionnaire on help-seeking intentions. Results indicated that members of the ethnic groups preferred using different sources for advice and help. Compared to Moslem and Druze youths, Jewish youths preferred to turn to fathers, siblings, school counselors, and social workers; Compared to Arab youths, Jewish youths expressed less intention to seek assistancef rom their mothers; and compared to Moslem youths, Jewish youths expressed …

Incarceration And Unwed Fathers In Fragile Families, Charles E. Lewis Jr., Irwin Garfinkel, Qin Gao

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Criminal justice policies have resulted in millions of Americans being incarcerated over the past three decades in systems that provide little or no rehabilitation. This study uses a new dataset-The Fragile Families Study-to document poor labor market outcomes that are associated with incarceration. We find that fathers who had been incarcerated earned 28 percent less annually thanfathers who were never incarceratedT hese previously incarceratedfa thers worked less weeks per year, less hours per week and were less likely to be working during the week prior to their interview. We also found that fathers who had been incarcerated were more likely …

Interpersonal Violence And Animals: Mandated Cross-Sector Reporting, Dennis D. Long, Joan H. Long, Shanti J. Kulkarni

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Research indicates an association between interpersonal violence and animal cruelty. This article examine the virtues and limitations of creating statutory authority requiring professionals to report substantiated abuse, neglect, and cruelty across service delivery systems (e.g. child and adult protect services and humane societies). Such a legislative approach authorizes and legitimizes "mandated crosssector reporting." The probative and research value of this type of initiative is examined as well as ethical and political considerations.

Astroturf, Technology And The Future Of Community Mobilization: Implications For Nonprofit Theory, John Mcnutt, Katherine Boland

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Nonprofit Organizations advocate for the poor, the disenfranchised and the oppressed. This process is thought to build social capital and civil society, while engendering the development of social skills and deliberation. In recent years, scholars have observed that nonprofit advocacy organizations have moved from membership associations to professionalized policy change organizations. Virtual advocacy will move the process farther afield. Astroturf, the creation of synthetic advocacy efforts, continues this process further. All of this has troubling implications for nonprofit organizations and nonprofit theory. This paper describes the astroturf phenomenon, reviews pertinent nonprofit theory and speculates on the impact of astroturf for …

Review Of A Right To Housing: Foundations For A New Social Agenda. Rachel G. Bratt, Michael E. Stone, And Chester Hartman. Reviewed By John Q. Hodges., John Q. Hodges

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Rachel G. Bratt, Michael E. Stone and Chester Hartman, A Right to Housing: Foundations for a New Social Agenda. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press, 2006. $40.00 papercover.

Review Of Foundations Of Evidence Based Social Work Practice. Albert R. Roberts And Kenneth R. Yeager. Reviewed By Daniel Coleman., Daniel Coleman

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Albert R. Roberts and Kenneth R. Yeager, Foundations of Evidence Based Social Work Practice. New York: Oxford University Press. $35.00 hardcover.

American Taxation, American Slavery. Robin Einhorn. Reviewed By Paul H. Stuart., Paul H. Stuart

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Robin Einhorn, American Taxation, American Slavery. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2006. $35.00 hardcover.

Racism In Metropolitan Areas. Rik Pinxten And Ellen Preckler., Rose Barretto

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Rik Pinxten and Ellen Preckler, Racism in Metropolitan Areas. New York: Berghahn Books, 2006. $70.00 hardcover, $22.50 papercover.

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 34, No. 3 (September 2007)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: LESSONS FROM A CASE STUDY IN THE ARKANSAS DELTA - Valerie H. Hunt
• THE ROLE OF INFORMAL SOCIAL NETWORKS IN MICRO-SAVINGS MOBILIZATION - Margaret Lombe and Fred M. Ssewamala
• ADVICE AND HELP-SEEKING INTENTIONS AMONG YOUTH IN ISRAEL: ETHNIC AND GENDER DIFFERENCES - Moshe Sherer
• INCARCERATION AND UNWED FATHERS IN FRAGILE FAMILIES - Charles E. Lewis, Jr., Irwin Garfinkel and Qin Gao
• GREEK-LETTER MEMBERSHIP AND COLLEGE GRADUATION: DOES RACE MATTER? - Ronald E. Severtis, Jr. and C. Andrg Christie-Mizell
• FROM FINANCIAL LITERACY TO FINANCIAL CAPABILITY AMONG YOUTH - Elizabeth Johnson and Margaret …

When Work Is Not Enough: State And Federal Policies To Support Needy Workers. Robert P. Stoker And Laura A. Wilson.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Robert P. Stoker and Laura A. Wilson, When Work is Not Enough: State and Federal Policies to Support Needy Workers. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press, 2006. $24.00 papercover.

Maternal Education And Child Nutrition: Evidence From The 2000 And 2005 Ethiopian Demographic And Health Surveys, Alemayehu Azeze Ambel

International Conference on African Development Archives

I used the 2000 and 2005 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Surveys to analyze the effect of maternal education and its pathways on chronic and acute malnutrition in Ethiopia. The pathways examined in this study are socioeconomic status, maternal health-seeking behavior, maternal knowledge of health and family planning and reproductive behavior. I find that maternal education works through all except health-seeking behavior. I also find that maternal education and its pathways are more relevant and robust in explaining chronic than acute malnutrition. Socioeconomic status is the most important factor linking maternal education and child nutritional status. Although girls’ education is a …

Challenges Of Regional Peace After The Comprehensive Peace Agreement In Sudan, Elke Grawert

International Conference on African Development Archives

The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), concluded between the Government of Sudan and the leadership of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) in January 2005, ended a 22 years lasting civil war. The core of the CPA document is the agreement on power and wealth sharing, tackling the main causes of the conflict: unfair distribution of power and marginalization of the majority of the population. The conclusion of the CPA is not only the merit of the two warring parties but also an outcome of the commitment of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the special envoy of the Kenyan government, …

A Problem Of Social Capital And Cultural Norms?, Salaam Yitbarek

International Conference on African Development Archives

This paper asserts that in Ethiopian society, there exist certain cultural norms or ‘dysfunctional behaviours’ that inhibit effective communication, lead to intra-group conflict, and make conflict resolution difficult. This has resulted in a diminished capacity for cooperation and a dearth of social capital and civil society, which does not bode well for development and democracy. It is imperative that research is expanded in the neglected area of cultural norms and social capital in Ethiopian society, and that intervention strategies are designed to increase social capital by addressing cultural norms directly through social marketing, awareness raising, and other mechanisms.

What Role Should Civil Society Organizations Play To Address Ethnic Conflicts In Ethiopia?, Sisay Gebre-Egziabher

International Conference on African Development Archives

The Ethiopian people are ethnically heterogeneous, speaking multiplicity languages comprising of more than 100 groups. Hence, the country presents a mosaic of nationalities, each speaking a dialect of one of more than 70 languages and has a long history of rich culture and strong social values. Although there were some ethnic-conflicts, that go back a long way, among few of the ethnic groups (mainly for control over resources, such as grazing land, water points, cultivable land), people solved such conflicts using their own conflict resolution mechanism; for instance elders meeting and community tribunal system. The indigenous civil society groups have …

Critical Factors Hampering Agricultural Productivity In Ethiopia: The Case Of Northern Ethiopian Farmers, Yezihalem Tesfa Dagnaw

International Conference on African Development Archives

Why we Ethiopians are celebrated for unforgettable images of chronically malnourished children with large skeletal heads clinging to their mothers dried up breasts? Why we are still forced to seek for food aid when there is ample local potential to feed ourselves? Why does drought, famine return almost every decade in Ethiopia? The paper attempts to demonstrate convincingly that Ethiopian droughts and famines are not sudden natural disasters nor are they simply caused by lack of rainfall. It tries to show the weaknesses of successive strategic development related policies intended to reverse the situation which considered and treated natural factors …

Agricultural Research And Development In Ethiopia, Efrem Bechere

International Conference on African Development Archives

To review past and current agricultural research activities and access their impact on agricultural development in Ethiopia and discuss some challenges and opportunities that need to be addressed.

U.S. Policy In The Horn Of Africa, James Swan

International Conference on African Development Archives

No abstract provided.

Fiscal Response To External Finance: The Case Of Sub-Saharan Africa, Dawit Senbet, Aberra Senbeta

International Conference on African Development Archives

The importance of capital accumulation for economic growth and hence development was widely recognized long time ago. However, developing countries - especially Sub-Saharan African countries, are still trapped in ‘vicious circle of poverty’ and failed to finance desired level of investment from their own domestic savings. Earlier models of development argued that these countries would come out of stagnation only if they got assistance from the developed world (Rodan 1961, and Chenery and Strout 1966). The two-gap model of Chenery and Strout (1966) showed that these countries are constrained with little domestic savings and foreign exchange earnings. The model predicted …

Aid, Growth And Poverty Alleviation In Ethiopia, Sintayehu Fissha

International Conference on African Development Archives

Ethiopia is one of the countries receiving large proportions of aid, especially since the introduction of the policy changes (1992) there is a substantial amount of aid flows. This lead to raise government expenditure on various productive activities, contribute either directly to the improvement of economic growth of the country (accelerator) and/or to the development of services (multiplier). In both ways I deem that the undergoing efforts made by the government using aid as an additional resource are contributing to the enhancement of the economic development of the country. But I still argue that the achievements made are not up …

Governance And Productivity: Microeconomic Evidence From Ethiopia, Daniel Zerfu

International Conference on African Development Archives

We used household survey data from the rural Ethiopia to investigate the importance of governance for agricultural productivity. We argued that the impact of governance is household specific and identified some governance indicators accordingly. Trust in government and government officials, strength of property rights and personal contact with local authorities are identified as governance indicators. A stochastic frontier production function is specified and estimated to capture the effects of governance on productivity or technical efficiency of households. Our results show that improvement in governance could reduce technical inefficiencies significantly and hence could considerably boost productivity.

Households’ Willingness To Resettle And Preference To Forms Of Compensation For Improving Slum Areas In Addis Ababa City, Alebel Bayrau, Genanew Bekele

International Conference on African Development Archives

The spatial, physical and socio-economic condition of Addis Ababa City, in general, is by far behind the requirements fundamental to sustain the livelihood of the City population. The limitations of its current developmental trend and the depth of the existing environmental problems, coupled with the requirements of the projected population of more than 3.5 million people by the year 2010, entail reexamination of constraints and opportunities with the aim of devising appropriate measures and strategies for action. The suggested government intervention strategies, as stated in the report by ORAAMP, include: Relocation and resettlement of residents for efficient utilization of potential …

Towards Resolving The Ethiopia-Somalia Disputes, Daniel Kendie

International Conference on African Development Archives

The 46-year-old dispute between Ethiopia and Somalia has been commonly called a “border dispute.” Contrary to that description, it may be more appropriate to portray it as a dispute that has been driven principally by economic interests and by the effort to control scarce resources. Among these interests and resources are the following: the struggle for water wells and fresh grazing pastures for nomads; the insecurity Somalia feels about the Juba and the Wabi Shibeli rivers, as their sources are in Ethiopia; the discovery of gas and oil in the Ogaden; Somalia’s challenging geographic shape that makes communication between the …

The Greater Horn Or Africa: Priming A Strategy And Mechanism For Greater Horn Of Africa Peace, Security And Development, Bt Costantinos

International Conference on African Development Archives

The paper will address threats to national security, real and potential, that include, among others: lack of constitutional order; incapacity to manage disputes; threats of invasion and destabilisation; terrorism; contested borders and natural resource jurisdiction – blood diamonds; small arms; poverty related unrest; ethnic conflicts; feeble governance institutions; human displacement and pandemics.

Commercial Offtake Of Cattle Under Smallholder Mixed Crop-Livestock Production System In Ethiopia, Its Determinants And Implications For Improving Live Animal Supply For Export Abattoirs, Asfaw Negassa, Mohammad Jabbar

International Conference on African Development Archives

The main objective of this study is to assess the current commercial offtake rates for cattle and shoats in the highland areas of Ethiopia in order to overcome the limited empirical information related to the offtake rates. The specific objectives are: (1) to analyze the ownership and marketing behaviour of livestock producers, and (2) to identify factors affecting the market participation and commercial offtake of live animals by livestock producers.

2 Building Democratic Institutions Of Governance & Civil Institutions, Erku Yimer

International Conference on African Development Archives

The purposes of this paper are threefold. 1. To create a basic understanding of the nature of civic organizations and the role they play in democratization of society as practiced in Western societies. 2. To examine the scope and diversity of some traditional organizations like Idir and Shimglena/Mehal Sefari as practiced in various regions of Ethiopia. 3. To develop ways and means of incorporating and integrating some selected and important civic functions particularly into Idir and Shimglena.

Status Of Local Governance At Woreda/District Level In Ethiopia, Meskerem Shiferaw

International Conference on African Development Archives

In Ethiopia, about 50% of the population lives below poverty line. Efforts have been exerted to reverse the situation both by Government and Non-Government Organizations (NGOs); so far however solid results have not been achieved as expected. The question of “what has gone wrong?” has been coiling around in the minds of development practitioners. The international communities point their fingers at poor governance, corruption, internal and regional conflicts for the underdevelopment of the country. It was the outcome of these kinds of questions along with suggestions made that brought about the idea of promoting good governance in developing countries. The …

The Political Economy Of Poverty Reduction Policies In Ethiopia, Abu Girma Moges

International Conference on African Development Archives

Poverty reduction strategies and policies have gained considerable popularity in recent policy discourse and international economic relations. These policies and strategies are framed in the context of the Millennium Development Goals that set specific quantitative targets to be achieved within a specified time framework. The goals specify the targets and require countries to design national poverty reduction strategies and achieve them with a generous financial assistance from the international community. However, the domestic political economic forces remain to shape the extent and effectiveness of such strategies in addressing and reducing the extent and depth of poverty in the reforming countries. …

Government’S Response To The Challenge Of Hiv/Aids In Ethiopia, Bedri Jebril Mohammed

International Conference on African Development Archives

Ethiopia is facing a huge threat to the survival of its people and the socio-economic development of the country from a generalized HIV/AIDS epidemic. Ethiopia with an estimated 1.3 million HIV/AIDS infected people as of December 2006, is one of the worst-affected countries where HIV infection is concentrating among productive age group, thereby affecting productivity. The objective of this study is to examine the ways in which the government of Ethiopia has been dealing with the spread of HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia and suggests the ways in which it can improve its strategies. More specifically, the study tried to investigate the …