Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Perpetuation Of Institutional Racism Through Ethnic And Racial Minority Content In The Curriculum Of Schools Of Social Work, James E. Herrick

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The author asserts that the effect of assimilation of ethnic and racial minority content into the curriculum of schools of social work may perpetuate institutional racism.

Social work education as well as the purpose of the profession itself are viewed as basically one of helping people adjust and accommodate to the dominant and racist institutions of our society. Consequently, the author argues, incorporation of ethnic and racial minority, content into curriculum that serves such a function is likely to serve ends to which it was not intended.

Five suggested areas of change in the mission of social work education are …

Creative Restitution: A Study Of Differential Response Patterns, John T. Gandy, James H. Bridges

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Creative restitution offers considerable potential to the field of criminal justice. The concept is of historical significance for it has been an important element in a variety of cultures. Yet, the notion of restitution or permitting an offender to make amends is not a significant element in our society. This paper explores the responses of a variety of populations to creative restitution. A number of findings were of significance including strong support for and acceptance of the concept by diverse groups.

The "Science" Of Social Policy: Max Weber Revisited, Asoke Basu

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Science documents two sources of knowledge--sense and reason. Further, according to Kant, "The nature of the outer empirical world is not known, what becomes known is that which is perceived." Human constructs represent outer reality. They do not express reality directly as it is in original nature. The aim of the social scientist can never be to eliminate the relative perspective of social reality. It is to understand and explain it within a larger cultural framework. The nature of this task brings the social scientist "close" to defining the social reality within a broader cultural praxis. Any policy--essentially, a set …

The Effects Of A Child's Serious Illness Upon His Or Her Siblings, Kathleen Bales

Dissertations and Theses

In an effort to prevent serious psychological damage to individuals and families due to illness or disability, professionals in the health field have studied every aspect of one's health. From the "traumatic violence" of birth to the painful complexities of death and dying, the emotional health of human beings has been observed, recorded and analysed. Despite the breadth of this voluminous research, one area of interest merits more thorough study and evaluation. In order to more fully understand the intricacies of health and illness we need to know more about the effect one seriously ill child has upon the emotional …

Assessment Of The Needs Of The Families Of The Hospitalized Mentally Ill, Jean Pelosi Audette, Phyllis J. Jossy

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to assess the special needs of the families of hospitalized mental patients. The study focused upon the time prior to and including the decision to hospitalize a mentally ill family member. Particularly, the researchers wished to examine the stresses that the family encountered in attempting to deal with a disturbed member as well as their concerns regarding psychiatric hospitalization and the effect which it had upon the family.

A Descriptive Study Of Social Service Needs And Demographic Characteristics Of Selected Emergency Room Patients, Anne K. Parker

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study is to gain information about the social service needs and demographic characteristics of patients admitted to Providence Hospital's emergency room during the hours a social worker is not available. The emergency room staff requested the information in order to utilize it in planning emergency room services.

Issues For Professionals Working With Cerebral Palsied Individuals, Joan Marquis, Beth Thompson, Wendy Girdlestone

Dissertations and Theses

This practicum is the result of our participation with a grant of national significance from the Developmental Disabilities Office. The project's inquiry is to describe the aging and aged developmentally disabled and to develop professional curricula based upon the findings.

There are three major objectives for the grant: 1) to conduct a comprehensive survey of the aging and the aged population, 2) to develop curricula for the training of health-care professional and 3) to consult at the supervisory level with national, state and community agencies. The developmentally disabled population studied by the grant includes cerebral palsied individuals over twenty-one years …

A Research Project On The Developmentally Disabled Adult, Randi Lynn Hillinger

Dissertations and Theses

No comprehensive data base concerning the adult developmentally disabled (ADD) population is available. The absence of theoretical formulations about aging, and particularly the aging ADD, make it difficult for service providers or professionals to incorporate a conceptual framework into their work.

An Exploratory Study Into The Financial Situations Of Elderly Wards Of The Public Guardian And Conservator Of Multnomah County, Ruth D. Hudson

Dissertations and Theses

It has been the practice of the Public Guardian and Conservator (PG and C*) of Multnomah County to collect fees for service to elderly wards on an annual basis usually at the time of the annual accounting. The purpose of this study is to determine the profitability of deferring the assessment and collection of fees until the termination of conservatorship. The assumption is that such a policy would provide an immediate benefit to the ward who would enjoy more spendable income while he is alive and at the same time the Public Guardian and Conservator could still collect his fee, …

An Analysis Of The Relationship Between Personality Characteristics Of Social Work Students And Choice Of Social Work Practice Area, Linda A. Yegge, Francie E. Buktenica

Dissertations and Theses

Due to curiosity about the "individual" vs. "social" intervention argument in the profession of social work, the authors of this study attempted to answer the question, “Do personality characteristics of Social Work Graduate Students influence their choice of social work practice?" Our hypothesis was that Introverts would be more inclined to focus on the individual in social work practice as opposed to Extraverts who would see societal change as a more pressing practice issue. Although our study identified no correlation between Introversion and Extraversion and social work practice orientation, there were some suggestions for further study. There appeared to be …

An Analysis Of Sex Role Bias In Clinician's Evaluations Of Client Behavior, Shari Paula Greenberg

Dissertations and Theses

This study investigated the effects of sex differences on clinical judgements. It was hypothesized that: l) clinicians will respond differently to aggressive, self-assertive, or dependent behavior, depending upon whether this behavior was performed by a man or a woman; 2) clinicians will have different treatment goals for a man and a woman who behaved in the same manner; 3) clinicians will describe the client engaged in aggressive, self-assertive, or dependent behavior differently, depending on the sex of the client; 4) clinicians will have different feelings towards men and women behaving in exactly the: same manner, and; 5) clinicians will rate …

An Exploration Into The Field Of Hospital Social Work, Timothy D. Haley

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this project is to explore the field of hospital social work to see what, if any frustrations, problem areas, and/or dissatisfactions exist among those who work in this profession. In order to accomplish this task of exploration, the project is composed of three parts. The first segment is the literature review (Chapter II). It is divided into a brief history of hospital social work and other studies that have been done on hospital social workers. It is hoped that the combination of both of these components will reflect the struggles, strengths, and problems of the profession, therefore …

Job Seeking Patterns Of Vocational Rehabilitation Clients, Sandra Marie Schneider

Dissertations and Theses

Two hundred and seventy-three clients whose cases had been closed by the Oregon Vocational Rehabilitation Division (OVRD) between March 1, 1976 and February 28, 1977 were interviewed by telephone. They were asked to identify the different methods they had used during their job search, whether they had obtained a job while being served by OVRD, whether they were presently employed, and if employed whether the job was the same or different from the one they had obtained while being served by OVRD. They were also asked to identify the sources of the lead which led to their jobs. Friends or …

The History Of Mutual Support Organizations Among The Chinese In Portland, Oregon, Scott Manchester

Dissertations and Theses

The thesis is an examination of the history of the Chinese community in Portland, Oregon, with special emphasis on the mutual support organizations developed by this community.

The study is primarily descriptive in nature. It includes background information on social, economic, and political conditions in China in the nineteenth century; an account of the history of the Chinese and Chinese organizations in Portland, and an examination of the issues involved in providing social services to Asian communities.

Sources of data include scholarly research, historical records and manuscripts, newspaper articles, and interviews with nineteen members of the Chinese community.

The thesis …

A Consumer Evaluation Of The Clackamas County Family Court Service, Barbara E. Lee, Patricia E. Watne

Dissertations and Theses

This report describes a consumer evaluation study of the Clackamas County Family Court Service, a court-connected marriage and divorce counseling agency near Portland, Oregon.

A questionnaire was mailed to 168 individuals who had participated in counseling at the agency between November 1, 1976, and November 1, 1977. The questionnaire focused on former clients' perspectives on agency helpfulness, satisfaction with counselor’s assistance, accomplishment of agency identified objectives for counseling, and suggested areas for program improvement.

Attitudes Of Income Maintenance Line Workers In The State Of Oregon About The Causes And Amelioration Of Poverty, Gene Lamar Stutzman

Dissertations and Theses

It has been of some interest to the profession of social work that eligible persons underutilize or fail to use social services and benefits to which they are legally entitled. A number of different reasons have been cited in the social work literature and otherwise generally accepted within the ranks of the social work profession as possible or probable causes of underutilization or lack of use. The variety of reasons includes client lack of knowledge about programs, lack of motivation on the part of eligible clients to apply for benefits and services, client unawareness about legal recourse in securing services, …

Systemic Perspectivism: A New Basis For Evaluative Research, Richard A. Ball

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Evaluative research has not kept pace with developments in the theory of social planning and the philosophy of science. If evaluation is to contribute to social planning, evaluators must recognize that planning is a political process. The method of systemic perspectivism may be able to provide a means of combining the virtues of general systems theory with a perspectivistic view of objectivity, allowing for a transactive planning which involves the public.

Community Assessment Scales: The State Of The Art, John F. Else, Samuel E. Walker

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Community development activities are founded on the assumption that citizens have some concept of a "good community" toward which they want to move. Attention needs to be given to how community developers can determine citizen values and attitudes about the type of community that they want. Community assessment scales (CAS's) have been used as one means of measuring community attitudes and desires.

This paper explores the state of the art of the development and use of CAS's. The conclusions are that there has been only minimal use of CAS's and that there are many conceptual and methodological problems with the …

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 5, No. 3 (May 1978)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Community Assessment Scales: The State of the Art - JOHN F. ELSE & SAMUEL E. WALKER - pp. 299
• Models of Poverty and Planned Change: A Frame Work for Synthesis - DAVID S. WALLS - pp. 316
• Maintaining Goals in a Mutual-Benefit Association - JAMES R. HUDSON - pp. 327
• Living and Acting in an Altered Body: A Phenomenological Description of Amputation - MARY JO DEEGAN - pp. 342
• Blacks in the American Criminal Justice System: A Study of Sanctioned Deviance - TERRY JONES - pp. 356
• Systemic Perspectivism: A New Basis for Evaluative Research - RICHARD …

Models Of Poverty And Planned Change: A Framework For Synthesis, David S. Walls

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Recent discussions of planned social change have organized interventive strategies into models which identify underlying philosophical assumptions, value orientations, and political perspectives. Two papers published in 1965 can be taken as the beginning of this model-building discussion: Richard Walton proposed a dichotomy between attitude change and power strategies, and Roland Warren outlined a continuum from collaborative through campaign to contest strategies. In the subsequent literature, three publications stand out as major formulations of models of planned social change. What is particularly striking is that each develops a trichotomous typology of change strategies. Jack Rothman (1968) formulates the Locality Development, Social …

Maintaining Goals In A Mutual-Benefit Association, James R. Hudson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Mutual benefit associations have been frequently found to confront two major problems: membership apathy and oligarchical control. The organization presented in this paper solved those two problems in unique ways. First professionals employed by the organization were kept in subordinant roles when key policy decisions were made by the lay board. Secondly, the organizational structure did not match the reward structure, i.e., salaries of supervisors were often lower than those of the professional staff. Finally, the organization operated on the principle that each of its programs should be taken over by other organizations and were successful frequently enough with this …

Living And Acting In An Altered Body: A Phenomenological Description Of Amputation, Mary Jo Deegan

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Adults with recent amputations are often perceived as suffering from post-operative depression and phantom limbs. These states are frequently seen as failures in "adjustment" since there are often few physiological involvements which curtail daily functioning. This perspective is seen as compatible with major American values of pragmatism, individualism, and a mechanistic medical model. We suggest here that problems in daily living and the phantom limb are not "mental" aberrations but rather reflections of a radically altered lived experience. The performance of the actor is significantly changed and can be discussed as a function of changed experience, and style. This persppctivedraws …

Blacks In The American Criminal Justice System: A Study Of Sanctioned Deviance, Terry Jones

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Almost since the beginning of Black history in America there have been differences of opinion as to what the role of Blacks should be in reference to the criminal justice system. In the beginning these differences centered around the issue of cooperation or resistance to the slave system and a criminal justice system that guaranteed slavery durante vita. Now, while the issue is no longer slavery, Blacks continue the debate over cooperation versus resistance to the criminal justice system. What should the role of Blacks be in reference to the criminal justice system? Can Blacks be of greater assistance to …

The Labeler As An Influence On Labeling Outcomes, Wallace J. Gingerich

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Focusing upon labeling processes at the level of interpersonal relations, this paper points out the general inattention to the labeler as an influence on labeling outcomes. In addition, recent empirical findings suggest not only that labeler variables may be associated with outcomes, but that different labelers are influenced in different ways by different factors in their interpersonal labeling. Consequently, an effort is made to incorporate knowledge from social perception theory into the labeling perspective in order to enhance our understanding of interpersonal labeling processes. Several labeler related variables which might be expected to influence labeling outcomes are suggested.

The Worker/Client Relationship: Relevant Role Theory, Carlton E. Munson, Pallassana Balgopal

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The historic concept of "friendly visitor" has blurred the distinction of professional and personal in worker/client relationships. Current social trends and social problems as well as recent theory applications in practice have made these distinctions harder to identify and maintain. Role theory can be used to analyze behavioral indicators of objective and subjective components of relationship.

Social Welfare Interest Groups: An Underutilized Resource, Fred Barbaro

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper addresses the need for increased political activity by the professional social work community in order to enhance its own status and to promote the growth of the social welfare institutions required by our clientele. It is not a polemic but an attempt to bare the relationship between social welfare bureaucracies and the political system. The results of a study on interest group behavior are reported. Social workers, as an interest group, can be more effective in advancing the goals of the profession if they have a better understanding of the political process and thereby maximize the impact of …

Interagency Conflict, Power, And Sanctioning Systems: An Alaskan Example, Dorothy M. Jones

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The covert processes in the interagency system in Anchorage social services is the subject of this paper. The emphasis is on (1) conflicts between explicit goals of planning and rationality in social services and covert or hidden goals concerning protection of organizational jurisdiction; (2) the structure of interagency power; and (3) the socialization and regulation of member agencies' behavior. The data for the study derive from focused interviews with agency administrators and staff members and observations at community planning meetings. The major finding of the study is that the explicit goals of rationality, integration, and planning in social services are …

Paraprofessionals In Oregon: An Exploratory Study Of The Status Of Associate Degree Human Service Workers, Richard William Hunter

Dissertations and Theses

The concern in human services as to how to provide skilled manpower of sufficient training and in sufficient numbers to meet public demand has been a source of experimentation and controversy over the past decade. In recent years the rapid growth of social and mental health services has provided a multitude of programs and services for both the poor and non-poor. Traditional services of social welfare -- health care, education, housing and employment -- have been increasingly supplemented by new forms of services (e.g., community organization, youth work, recreation, and personal growth therapy), thus vastly expanding the numbers of actual …

Symbolic Interaction And Social Planning: Perspectives From The Early Years, Roger A. Lohmann

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The principal thesis of this paper is that the inadequacies of recent efforts at social planning are essential failures of theory, rather than failures of practice. Economic, land use and social welfare planners it is suggested have all shared a common unwillingness or inability to abandon commitments to an essentially utilitarian rhetoric of reasoned behavior, wherein means are matched with ends, persons are viewed as essentially self-interested and goal-directed rational problem solvers operating on schedules of goal attainment known or predictable by the planners. Symbolic interaction theory has resources to revitalize planning theory. Selected publications by John Dewey, G.H. Mead, …

Destined To Die, Carol O'Connell

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

It is my belief that if society were better able to cope with death, then perhaps the individual would be better prepared for his own death. Death has always been distasteful to people because it is such a frightening happening. It is such an unpleasant and painful topic that no one wants to talk about it and discussions do not easily surface. How are we ever to understand it if it is never discussed? Perhaps we will never understand it fully, but we can at least try to prepare ourselves and others.