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Managing Social Conflict - The Evolution Of A Practical Theory, David B. Moore

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article describes the co-evolution of a process and a theory. Through the 1990s, the process known as "conferencing" moved beyond child welfare and youth justice, to applications in schools, neighbourhoods, and workplaces. In each of these applications, conferencing has assisted participants to acknowledge and transform interpersonal conflict, as a prelude to negotiating a plan of action. Much analysis of conferencing has been linked with social theorist John Braithwaite, whose work has influenced the development of a multidisciplinary theory of these process dynamics, and the development of guiding principles. Key links between theory and practice are described in chronological sequence.

Responsive Regulation In Child Welfare: Systemic Challenges To Mainstreaming The Family Group Conference, Paul Adams, Susan Chandler

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The purpose of this article is to examine the challenges inherent in trans- forming child welfare services. We apply Braithwaite's model of responsive regulation to the restorative practice of family group conferencing in child welfare. Shifting the role of the state away from controller of families in the child protective services system to one of regulatory partner with them is extraordinarily difficult. The paper looks at the complexities of reorienting child welfare services through the use of family group conferences on a large scale.

Achieving Justice In Child Protection, Rob Neff

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

As formal systems for the protection of children have evolved in this country, certain barriers to achieving justice within the child protection system have emerged concomitantly. Specifically, these barriers involve ambiguous definitions of abuse and the appearance of social inequality and bias within the child protection system. One means of surmounting these barriers to justice is family group conferencing (FGC). Support for this assertion comes from the integration of the restorative justice model and procedural justice theory. When applied to the practice of FGCs in child protection, the integration of these theoretical perspectives provides a strong rationale for the use …

Family Involvement Interventions In Child Protection: Learning From Contextual Integrated Strategies, David Stuart Crampton

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The use of family group conferencing and related family involvement interventions in child protection is rapidly increasing in the United States and many other countries. There is some concern that the child welfare field will travel down the same road as it did with intensive family preservation services; that is, tremendous enthusiasm later derailed by rigidly designed evaluations that showed unimpressive effects. The work of John Braithwaite suggests an alternative path for finding justifiable excitement about these interventions. Drawing upon Braithwaite's writings and ongoing evaluation research, this article suggests a few steps we can take towards an integrative strategy for …

Review Of Family Health Social Work Practice: A Macro Level Approach. John T. Pardeck (Ed.) Reviewed By Marsha Blachman, Marsha Blachman

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of John T. Pardeck (Ed.), Family Health Social Work Practice: A Macro Level Approach. Westport, CT: Auburn House, 2002. $ 67.95 hardcover.

Review Of Growth And Convergence In Metropolitan America. Janet Rothenberg Pack. Reviewed By Joseph A. Deering., Joseph A. Deering

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Janet Rothenberg Pack, Growth and Convergence in Metropolitan America. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press, 2002. $19.95 papercover.

Review Of Meds, Money, And Manners: The Case Management Of Severe Mental Illness. Jerry Floersch Reviewed By Rafael Herrera, Rafael Herrera

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Jerry Floersch, Meds, Money and Manners: The Case Management of Severe Mental Illness. New York: Columbia University Press, 2002. $22.50 papercover, $49.50 hardcover.

Review Of Engendering International Health: The Challenge Of Equity. Gita Sen, Asha George And Piroska Osltin (Eds.). Reviewed By Deborah Schild Wilkinson., Deborah Schild Wilkinson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Gita Sen, Asha George and Piroska Osltin (Eds.) Engendering International Health: The Challenge of Equity. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2002 $24.95 papercover.

Restructuring The Welfare State: Political Institutions And Policy Change. Bo Rothstein & Sven Steinmo (Eds.).

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Bo Rothstein and Sven Steinmo (Eds.), Restructuring the Welfare State: Political Institutions and Policy Change. New York: Pal- grave, 2002. $ 75.00 hardcover, $ 24.95 papercover.

Rethinking Welfare: A Critical Perspective. Ian Ferguson, Michael Lavalette, & Gerry Mooney.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Ian Ferguson, Michael Lavalette and Gerry Mooney, Rethinking Welfare: A Critical Perspective. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Pub- lications, 2002. $92.00 hardcover, $27.00 papercover.

The Quiet Hand Of God: Faith-Based Activism And The Public Role Of Mainline Protestantism. Robert Wunthrow & John Evans.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Robert Wuthnow and John H. Evans, The Quiet Hand of God: Faith- based Activism and the Public Role of Mainline Protestantism. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2002. $60 hard- cover, $24.95 paper cover.

Presidents, Profits, Productivity, & Poverty: A Great Divide Between The Pre- & Post-Reagan U.S. Economy?, Richard K. Caputo

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper examined profits, productivity, and poverty in the United States from 1961 through 2002. Results indicated that the "great divide" thesis regarding the U.S. economy before and after the Reagan administration depends on which measure of the economy is the focus of attention. In addition, on some measures where before and after differences were detected, the nature of those differences was paradoxical. Corporate profits as a share of national income, for example, were highest in Democratic rather than Republican administrations and despite the increased income inequality of the post-Reagan years, individual and family poverty rates remained relatively constant after …

A Comprehensive Analysis Of Sex And Race Inequities In Unemployment Insurance Benefits, Melissa Latimer

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This research makes a unique contribution to the growing body of literature on the welfare system by examining the relationship between sex, race, and social insurance benefits in a rural state. Using data from the West Virginia Unemployment Compensation Program, this research investigates sex and race differences in (1) monetary disqualifications for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits and (2) separation issue and nonseparation issue disqualifications of UI benefits. The analyses indicate that unemployed women, people of color, younger, and low income workers are the most likely to fail the monetary qualifications for UI benefits and to lose qualified weeks of UI …

Review Of Settlement Houses Under Siege: The Struggle To Sustain Community Organizations In New York City. Michael Fabricant And Robert Fisher. Reviewed By Bill Buffum., Bill Buffum

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Michael Fabricant and Robert Fisher, Settlement Houses Under Siege: The Struggle to Sustain Community Organizations in New York City. New York: Columbia University Press, 2002. $49.50 hardcover, $23.40 papercover.

Review Of Workfare: Why Good Ideas Go Bad. Maeve Quaid. Reviewed By Colita Nichols Fairfax., Colita Nichols Fairfax

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Maeve Quaid, Workfare: Why Good Ideas Go Bad. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2002. $60.00 hardcover, $24.95 papercover.

Financialization Of Daily Life. Randy Martin.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Randy Martin, Financialization of Daily Life. Philadelpia, PA: Temple University Press, 2002. $59.50 hardcover, $19.95 papercover.

Poverty Knowledge: Social Science, Social Policy And The Poor In Twentieth Century U.S. History. Alice O'Connor.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Alice O'Connor, Poverty Knowledge: Social Science, Social Policy and the Poor in Twentieth Century U. S. History. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2002. paper cover $22.50.

Organizational Factors Contributing To Worker Frustration: The Precursor To Burnout, Cathleen A. Lewandowski

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study examined the organizationalf actors that contribute to workers' frustration with their work situation. The sample included 141 service professionals who attended workshops on burnout in 2001. The purpose of the workshops was to increase awareness regarding the organizational factors that could contribute to burnout. Findings indicate that factors most directly affecting clients were predictive of frustration, rather than factors that may indirectly support service quality or factors impacting workers' professional autonomy. A sense of powerlessness and isolation was also predictive of frustration, suggesting that participants viewed workplace problems as a private rather than an organizational concern. To address …

Participants' Perceptions Of The Childcare Subsidy System, Sue Pearlmutter, Elizabeth E. Bartle

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper presents a focus group study of perceptions of cash assistance participants in Cuyahoga County, Ohio and the San Fernando Valley in California regarding childcare subsidy use, choices of care, and perceptions of quality. TANF participants discuss experiences in the subsidy system and indicate needs and preferences for childcare. Advocates, policy makers, and parents recognize the need for suitable childcare so that TANF recipients can go to work. However, discussants' comments demonstrate one result of a changing, but not yet changed, social safety net. The authors explore strategies to address participants' concerns-childcare systems that neither function as promised, nor …

Life Support: The Environment And Human Health. Michael Mccally.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Michael McCally, Life Support: The Environment and Human Health. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2002. $19.95. papercover.

Because A Better World Is Possible: Women Casino Workers, Union Activism And The Creation Of A Just Workplace, Susan Chandler

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Based on a re-analysis of data from a qualitative study of the work experience of 36 women casino workers, this article examines the contributions and personal characteristics of the 13 women in the sample who described themselves as committed union activists. These women, all leaders in the Hotel Employees, Restaurant Employees Union, were proud that collectively they had improved wages, benefits, and the conditions of work in Nevada casinos, and had created an environment that reinforced pride in a job well-done, provided job security, and promoted strong families and communities. These women's workplace experience serves as a reminder to the …

Review Of Working Parents And The Welfare State: Family Change And Policy Reform In Scandinavia. Arnlaug Leira. Inventing The Needy: Gender And The Politics Of Welfare In Hungary. Lynne Haney. Reviewed By Rebecca A. Van Voorhis., Rebecca A. Van Voorhis

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Arnlaug Leira, Working Parents and the Welfare State: Family Change and Policy Reform in Scandinavia. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2002. $65.00. & Lynne Haney, Inventing the Needy: Gender and the Politics of Welfare in Hungary. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2002. $24.95 papercover.

American Poverty As A Structural Failing: Evidence And Arguments, Mark R. Rank, Hong-Sik Yoon, Thomas A. Hirschl

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Empirical research on American poverty has largely focused on individual characteristicst o explain the occurrence and patternso f poverty. The argument in this article is that such an emphasis is misplaced. By focusing upon individual attributes as the cause of poverty, social scientists have largely missed the underlying dynamic of American impoverishment. Poverty researchers have in effect focused on who loses out at the economic game, rather than addressing the fact that the game produces losers in the first place. We provide three lines of evidence to suggest that U.S. poverty is ultimately the result of structural failings at the …

Shift Work And Negative Work-To-Family Spillover, Blanche Grosswald

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

A representative sample of the U.S. workforce from 1997 National Study of the Changing Workforce data (Families & Work Institute, 1999) was examined to study the relationship between shift work and negative workto- family spillover. Negative spillover was measured by Likert-scale frequency responses to questions concerning mood, energy, and time for family as functions of one's job. Statistical analyses comprised t-tests, ANOVAs, and multiple regressions. Among wage earners with families (n = 2,429), shift work showed a significant, strong, positive relationship to high negative work-to-family spillover when controlling for standard demographic characteristics as well as education and occupation. Distinctions among …

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 30, No. 4 (December 2003)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• AMERICAN POVERTY AS A STRUCTURAL FAILING: EVIDENCE AND ARGUMENTS - Mark R. Rank, Hong-Sik Yoon, & Thomas A. Hirschl
• SHIFT WORK AND NEGATIVE WORK-TO-FAMILY SPILLOVER - Blanche Grosswald
• BECAUSE A BETTER WORLD IS POSSIBLE: WOMEN CASINO WORKERS, UNION ACTIVISM AND THE CREATION OF A JUST WORKPLACE - Susan Chandler & Jill Jones
• RESILIENCY FACTORS RELATED TO SUBSTANCE USE/RESISTANCE: PERCEPTIONS OF NATIVE ADOLESCENTS OF THE SOUTHWEST - Margaret A. Waller, Scott K. Okamoto, Bart Miles, & Donna E. Hurdle
• A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF SEX AND RACE INEQUITIES IN UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE BENEFITS - Melissa Latimer
• FINDING AND KEEPING AFFORDABLE …

Resiliency Factors Related To Substance Use/Resistance: Perceptions Of Native Adolescents Of The Southwest, Margaret A. Waller, Scott K. Okamoto, Bart Miles, Donna E. Hurdle

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This exploratory, qualitative study examined risk and protective factors influencing drug and alcohol use and/or resistance of Native youth in the Southwest. Thirty-two Native middle school students participated in 10 focus groups that explored their experiences with alcohol and drugs in their school and reservation communities. The findings indicate a complex interaction of both risk and protective factors related to substance use. Respondents' cousins and siblings, in particular, played a key role in their decisions to use or resist drugs. Implications for social work practice are discussed.

Finding And Keeping Affordable Housing: Analyzing The Experiences Of Single-Mother Families In North Philadelphia, Susan Clampet-Lundquist

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The location, availability, and quality of housing shapes one's social networks, affects access to jobs, and impacts on social relations within the housing unit. However, access to affordable housing is limited for a significant portion of the population in the urban United States. In this study, I interviewed eighteen African-American and Puerto Rican single mothers in two low-income neighborhoods of Philadelphia about how they create and maintain their housing arrangements. Within the constraints of an affordable housing shortage, women told me how they struggle to share housing with others, rehab abandoned properties, live in substandard housing, and remain in unsafe …

Review Of Faithful Angels: Portraits Of International Social Work Notables. James O. Billups, (Ed.). Reviewed By Lynne M. Healy., Lynne M. Healy

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of James O. Billups, (Ed.), Faithful Angels: Portraits of International Social Work Notables. Washington, DC: NASW Press, 2002. $34.99 paperback.

Review Of A Sealed And Sacred Kinship: The Culture Of Policies And Practices In American Adoption. Judith S. Modell. Reviewed By Dorinda N. Noble., Dorinda N. Noble

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Judith S. Modell, A Sealed and Sacred Kinship: The Culture of Policies and Practices in American Adoption. New York: Berghahn, 2002. $49.95 hardcover.

Review Of From Immigration Controls To Welfare Controls. Steve Cohen, Beth Humphries, & Ed Mynott (Eds.). Reviewed By Miriam Potocky-Tripodi., Miriam Potocky-Tripodi

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Steve Cohen, Beth Humphries and Ed Mynott (Eds.), From Immigration Controls to Welfare Controls. New York: Routledge, 2002. $90.00 hardcover, $28.95 papercover.