Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Review Of Open Moral Communities. Seymore J. Mandelbaum. Reviewed By Alice K. Johnson, Alice K. Johnson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Seymour J. Mandelbaum. Open Moral Communities. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2000. $30.00 hardcover.

Review Of Social Work Education: Its Origins In Europe. Katherine Kendall. Creating A New Profession: The Beginnings Of Social Work Education In The Unites States. Leslie Leighninger. Reviewed By James Midgley, James Midgley

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Katherine Kendall, Social Work Education: Its Origins in Europe. Alexandria, Council on Social Work Education,2000. $21.95 papercover and Leslie Leighninger, Creating a New Profession: The Beginnings of Social Work Education in the United States. Alexandria, Council on Social Work Education, 2000. $18.95 papercover.

A Short History Of Sociological Theory. Alan Swinglewood

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Alan Swinglewood, A Short History of Sociological Theory. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2000. $65.00 hardcover, $24.95 papercover.

Biracial Sensitive Practice: Expanding Social Services To An Invisible Population, Ronald E. Hall

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Although literature acknowledges the existence of a biracial population, there has been minimal discussion of the differences indicative of biracial clients and how these differences impact provision of services. Too frequently, race criterion has been utilized to categorize biracial clients resulting in an all but invisible population. A biracial individual may then assume a multiplicity of identities including African-, Asian-, Latino- and Native-American, when negotiating with macro institutions including social services. As an alternative to racial paradigms, identity across the lifespan is suggested as a more comprehensive model for biracial clients. In the aftermath said clients will be rendered visible …

From Plant Closure To Reemployment In The New Economy: Risks To Workers Dislocated From The Declining Garment Manufacturing Industry, Cynthia Rocha

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The current study investigates financial and emotional consequences to workers as the U.S. economy continues to shift from a manufacturing to a service economy. One hundred eighty-eight garment workers were surveyed before their plant closed in 1998 and six months later to assess reemployment opportunities, financial difficulty and emotional well-being. All workers experienced some financial difficulty after the plant closed, with single parents reporting the greatest financial difficulty. Workers who became immediately reemployed lost an average of $2.41 in wages per hour. Sixteen percent of the sample lost their health insurance. Overall depression and anxiety scores declined over six months, …

Welfare Reform Sanctions And Financial Strain In A Food-Pantry Sample, Jean Oggins, Amy Fleming

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Survey and interview data about life after welfare reform were collected from food pantry clients in upstate New York in 1997 and 1999. By 1999, respondents were increasingly likely to have no work or benefits. Having no work or benefits was also associated with having been penalized (sanctioned) for not working or for noncompliance with welfare rules. Sanctions for not working averaged 89 days. Clients sanctioned for job loss tended to report problems with health (including children's health). Sanctioned individuals reported relatively high levels of financial strain, unstable housing, children's changing schools, and lack of a phone. Implications for policy …

Managed Care And Social Work: Practice Implications In An Era Of Change, Sophia F. Dziegielewski, Diane C. Holliman

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The purpose of this article is to explore the role of the clinical social worker in a time of unprecedented change. The events of the last decade have transformed health care delivery as well as professional performance expectations. To facilitate understanding, the environmental considerations that surround these changes are traced and discussed. A direct linkage is made to clinical social work practice and suggestions for the future survival of the profession is discussed. These suggestions include: (1) a greater focus on behaviorally-based outcomes that result in cost-beneficial service provision; (2) increased marketing of social work services to health care providers; …

Review Of Philanthropic Foundations For The Twentieth Century. Joseph C. Kiger. Reviewed By Ralph Kramer, Ralph M. Kramer

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Joseph C. Kiger, Philanthropic Foundations in the Twentieth Century. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2000. $55.00 hardcover.

Review Of Challenges Of Urban Education: Sociological Perspectives For The Next Century. Karen A. Mcclafferty, Carlos Alberto Torres And Theodor R. Mitchell (Eds.). Reviewed By Chad Ellett, Chad D. Ellett

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Karen A. McClafferty, Carlos Alberto Torres and Theodor R. Mitchell (Eds.), Challenges of Urban Education: Sociological Perspectives for the Next Century. Albany, N.Y.: State University of New York Press, 2000. $19.95 papercover.

Citizenship And Migration: Globalization And The Politics Of Belonging. Stephen Castles And Alastair Davidson.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Stephen Castles and Alastair Davidson, Citizenship and Migration: Globalization and the Politics of Belonging. New York: Routledge, 2000. $85.00 hardcover, $22.95 papercover.

Unemployment And Government: Genealogies Of The Social. William Walters

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

William Walters, Unemployment and Government: Genealogies of the Social. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2000. $64.96 hardcover.

Adult Children With Developmental Disabilities: The Impact On The Mothers, Tracy J. E Mitchell

Theses and Graduate Projects

This qualitative study discussed and evaluated the affect adult children with developmental disabilities have upon their mothers. Extensive research has been done on children with disabilities and the impact upon their mothers, but little has been done regarding the adult children. Interviews were conducted with 5 mothers of adult children with developmental disabilities through the use of a snowball sample. The results indicated the mothers had mostly positive feelings towards their adult child. However, the study also found many of the mothers had unresolved grief issues regarding the raising of their adult child. The findings give implications to the social …

The Attitudes Of Business Owners And Employees Towards Adults With Developmental Disabilities As Customers: An Exploratory Study, Rachel K. Olson

Theses and Graduate Projects

The future of community placement and involvement for adults with developmental disabilities has lacked empirical data. Few studies have examined the views of businesses towards customers with developmental disabilities. For this thesis, the concept of survey research was used to analyze the responses of one manager or employee from 9 community businesses to a survey based on a 2000 Business Attitudes Towards People With Intellectual Disabilities Questionnaire developed by the author of the thesis. Forced-choice and open-ended questions were compared to analyze common themes and attitudes. Overall, businesses were accepting of persons with developmental disabilities, and had few concerns about …

A Case Study Of Attachment Behaviors In A Therapeutic Milieu, Dana Elizabeth Niklaus

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this case study is to examine the effectiveness of a therapeutic preschool program for a child at developmental risk due to insecure attachment. There is a critical void in the literature regarding effective clinical interventions for such children. During regularly scheduled home visits, the Attachment Behavior Q-Set is administered to substantiate the subject's attachment insecurity. The subject is then observed in a therapeutic preschool for three months to track progress in three developmental areas: use of aggression, language competence, and social competence. This writer demonstrates positive outcomes in these areas, thus establishing the effectiveness of such a …

A Summative Evaluation Of Hennepin County's Parent Support Project's Healthy Relationship's Parent Education Class, Tina Sorenson-Ford

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this study is to investigate what the participant has gained by attending Hennepin County's Healthy Relationship's class. The study is a summative evaluation of a Hennepin County's Parent Support Project's Healthy Relationships class.

The class was designed to provide educational and therapeutic services to mother with cognitive limitations. The class was developed to increase the mothers awareness of reciprocal relationships in her own life and to model positive relationships with others to her children. The design of the study included review of course materials. Additionally, the researcher conducted one hour in-depth interviews with four clients from the …

The Refugee Experiences Of Somali Women: A Qualitative Study, Lisa Valiquet

Theses and Graduate Projects

Research on the refugee experiences of Somali women is limited. This qualitative study contributes to the existing research on refugee issues by focusing on the experiences and meaning for Somali women who have survived war, fled from their homeland, and were resettled into a new country. An interview guide was used to conduct in-depth interviews with three Somali women about their meaning to their experiences of being a refugee and resettlement into a new country. Content analysis was used to find common themes about the Somali women's refugee experiences. Results of the study concluded that the refugee experience of leaving …

A Qualitative Study Of The Relationship Between Personal Resources And Nursing Home Admissions, Vickie Stohr

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of personal resources, primarily financial for the elderly and chronically ill populations in nursing home admissions. There is extensive research done on nursing homes and the elderly but little is known about the factors that contribute to nursing home admissions. This study uses qualitative data to gather themes from the three elderly and chronically ill individuals over and under the age of 65. To simplify the study all ages under the age of 65 is a group and all ages over the age of 65 was considered another group. It …

A Hermeneutic Study: Adult Survivors' Lived Experiences Of Childhood Sexual Abuse, Traci Weise

Theses and Graduate Projects

Sexual violations perpetrated upon children disrupt the normative development of interpersonal relationships throughout adulthood. This hermeneutic, qualitative study analyzed three adult women survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Survivors of past sexual abuse experience posttraumatic effects, emotional scars, and unstable relationships built on minimal trust, leaving adults with thoughts of inadequacy in interpersonal relationships. Implications for Social Work practice and policy are to recognize and validate the protective coping mechanisms used by adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse, influence change in their therapy, and provide new skills to maintain healthy relationships.

This study attempts to discover, discuss, and interpret the effects …

Factors In Childhood That Contribute To The Development Of Resiliency: An Exploratory Study Of Adult, Female Somalian Refugees, Joyce L. Arends

Theses and Graduate Projects

The rural area of Minnesota has an increasing population due to the arrival of Somalian refugees. The Somali families have relocated to Minnesota as a result of a civil war in their country. This exploratory study examined what factors in childhood contributed to the development of resiliency in adult, female, Somalian refugees. Somali people are now focusing on resettlement and survival in the United States. The tasks they face are finding adequate, affordable housing, overcoming loss and isolation, coping with cultural adjustment and learning English. There were 5 participants in the study, ranging in age from the low-20's to the …

The Impact Of Deinstitutionalization On Individuals Who Receive Services From Guild Incorporated, Meredith K. Foster

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this qualitative study is to gain a deeper understanding of the impact that deinstitutionalization has had on individuals who receive case management services from Guild Incorporated. Participants will be gathered for the qualitative portion using a non-probability sample, and identified by a professional within the agency. Research for this portion was conducted through an in-depth interview where participants were asked to describe the impact that deinstitutionalization has had in their lives. Results for this study show that individuals who moved out of Guild Hall initially felt fear and helplessness, loss of support, and financial burden after moving …

Services Provided For Sexually Abused Children In Staffed Emergency Children's Shelters In The Metro Area, Kylie L. Davis

Theses and Graduate Projects

This research work investigates what types of services are being provided to address the needs of sexually abused children in emergency shelters located in the metropolitan area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. The study was done in order to determine if the children's shelters are serving the needs of sexually abused children who are removed from their homes. This study surveyed directors of children's emergency shelters in the metropolitan area on what services are provided by their shelter to this population of children. The results of the survey showed that the services provided for this specific population of children are …

Stride And Mfip: Outcome Differences, Melissa A. Bate

Theses and Graduate Projects

Changing societal attitudes about responsibility for the poor have led to the creation of a succession of different welfare programs. This study compared two Minnesota welfare programs, STRIDE and MFIP, with regard to outcome data including wage at termination, education level at termination, and total time the individual spent on welfare. This was a quantitative study of data from archived files of 50 STRIDE and 50 MFIP participants (n = 100). The data were analyzed to determine statistically significant differences in outcomes between the two programs. The difference on the emphasis on education and work between the two programs and …

An Exploratory Study Of Independent Living Skills Of Emancipated Treatment Foster Care, Christine Marie Beseman Durocher

Theses and Graduate Projects

This exploratory qualitative study examines the independent living skills that are possessed upon emancipation from foster care and identifies those areas that need further development, which may arise in successful transition into adulthood. This study also attempts to identify if the independent livings skills possessed were learned through foster parents modeling appropriate behavior. The study sample includes 10 former foster children who are now adults and living independently, who were interviewed face to face. The guide consisted of open and closed questions, which allow for optimal feedback from the respondents. The results suggest that those individuals who age out of …

Sense Of Humor, Stress, And Burnout In Medical Social Workers, Kerby Plante

Theses and Graduate Projects

This quantitative study used survey research methodology to explore the relationship befween sense of humor, stress, and burnout in medical social workers. The hypothesis of this study is that a sense of humor will decrease stress, which in turn will descrease burnout for social workers. This study surveyed 75 medical social workers in the State of Minnesota on their use of humor and their current stress and burnout level. The study used the Sense of Humor Rating Scale, the Job Stress Survey, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory as the measures to quantify the variables. The study found that stress is …

Spirituality And Disability : What Are The Dynamics And Significance Of Spirituality In The Lives Of People With Physical Disabilities, Michele Berndt

Theses and Graduate Projects

This qualitative study attempted to explore the significance and dynamics of spirituality in the lives of people with physical disabilities in coping with barriers that are placed on them by society. The goal of this study was to demonstrate the importance of the spiritual dimension in constructing disability. This study was based on a pure qualitative strategy. Data that reveal the participants' experiential point of view have been evaluated and analyzed using elements of Hermaneutics. The data was obtained by conducting in-depth interviews with four physically disabled individuals. The interview questions focused on the psycho-social-spiritual perspectives of disability. The participants …

An Exploratory Internet Study Of Perceptions Of Academic Accommodations Among Post-Secondary Students With Disabilities, Lance Hotchkiss

Theses and Graduate Projects

This is an exploratory internet study of post-secondary students with disabilities regarding their academic accommodations. Review of the literature on academic accommodations shows that a decade after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) there is still room for improvement. Previous studies found that social work schools and programs were not following their own code of ethics in the education of social work students with disabilities. Implications for social work include: working with students with disabilities as part of an active team, firm policies on campuses about accommodations, ways of accessing a respondent base for further studies, institutional …

Child Abuse Reported To The Police., David Finkelhor, Richard Ormrod

Crimes Against Children Research Center

Child abuse is commonly regarded as a child welfare problem, and a considerable amount of information has been amassed from this perspective. When a child is assaulted, however, it is not only a child welfare problem, it is a crime, and yet there is a lack of law enforcement data available for researchers to analyze. Use of the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), which collects detailed data about crime and its victims, should help fill this gap. This Bulletin describes NIBRS and its role in depicting police experience with child abuse and reports key findings derived from NIBRS data. Analysis …

A Hermeneutic Study: The Impacts Of The Harm Reduction Approach On Women Living In Abusive Relationships, Darla Segelstrom

Theses and Graduate Projects

Despite the number of services available to battered women, few focus on working with those who remain in the abusive relationships. The Harm Reduction approach is one geared towards working with women who have not yet made the decision to leave their abusive partner. This hermeneutic, interpretive study of women's narratives revealed that the harm reduction approach provided non-judgmental support, which was conducive to increasing women's overall awareness of themselves, their situation, and their options. It is recommended that social workers and other human service agencies recognize the complexity, individuality and strength in each battered woman they encounter, facilitate a …

Program Evaluation Of Integrated Community Services, Julie R. Humbert

Theses and Graduate Projects

This is a quantitative study of the program Integrated Community Services for adults with severe and persistent mental illness. This program evaluation compares a random sample of quality of life surveys of adults (N=14) who have been involved in the assertive community treatment program. The survey results include vocational, housing, financial, and mental health needs of adults with severe and persistent mental illness. A case management staff survey (N=5) reports on perceptions of the quality of life of individuals with severe and persistent mental illness and how the Integrated Community Service team works together. This study is important because it …

The Relationship Between Job Satisfaction And Attrition In Youth Care Workers, Cole Trimble

Theses and Graduate Projects

This exploratory quantitative study was conducted to determine the relationship between job satisfaction and attrition among current and former youth care workers in a group home setting. Participants (N = 35) included 14 current employees and 21 former employees from the Sheriffs Youth Programs of Minnesota Agency that completed a job satisfaction survey. The survey results show a significant correlation among current and former youth care worker's perceptions in relation to job satisfaction. Specifically, the current and former youth care workers both identified training as the most important characteristic to their job satisfaction. Additionally, former employees identified supervision issues as …