Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Saving For Post-Secondary Education In Individual Development Accounts, Min Zhan, Mark Schreiner

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Low-income people have less access to opportunities for post-secondary education, and the welfare reform in 1996 further limited access for welfare recipients. Since welfare reform, there has been an increasing interest in strategies meant to enhance the well-being of low-income people through education and the development of human capital. In this study, we examine how low-income people saved for post-secondary education in Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) in a nationwide demonstration. IDAs provide matches for savings used primarily for home purchase, microenterprise, and post-secondary education. We examine how savings outcomes differed between participants who intended to use their savings for post-secondary …

Social Theory: The Multicultural And Classical Readings. Charles Lemert.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Charles Lemert, Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classical Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 2004. $35.00 papercover.

Implications Of Media Scrutiny For A Child Protection Agency, Lindsay D. Cooper

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study examines media impact on job efficacy in a child protection agency. The research uses inductive, holistic research methods to examine the effect of media scrutiny on changes in management dictates, worker duties and responsibilities, and agency services. Data were collected from media sources, interviews, archival materials, and participant observation, then analyzed via qualitative content analysis, providing a basis for rich ethnographic description of perceptions and behavior of diverse groups of people involved in child protection. The study reveals how contradictions in American national culture generate a need for increased communication, understanding, agreement, and support, between various groups of …

Social Policy Analysis And Practice. Thomas M. Meenaghan, Keith M. Kilty, And John G. Mcnutt.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Thomas M. Meenaghan, Keith M. Kilty and John G. McNutt, Social Policy Analysis and Practice. Chicago, IL: Lyceum Books, 2004. $32.95. [January 31, 2005].

Culture As Deficit: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of The Concept Of Culture In Contemporary Social Work Discourse, Yoosun Park

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper is a critical discourse analysis of the usage of the concept of "culture" in social work discourse. The paper argues that "culture" is inscribed as a marker for difference which has largely replaced the categories of race and ethnicity as the preferred trope of minority status. "Culture" is conceived as an objectifiable body of knowledge constituting the legitimate foundationfor the building of interventions. But such interventions cannot be considered other than an instrument which reinforces the subjugating paradigm from which it is fashioned. The concept of culture, constructed from within an orthodoxic, hegemonic discursive paradigm, is deployed as …

Applying Rawlsian Social Justice To Welfare Reform: An Unexpected Finding For Social Work, Mahasweta M. Banerjee

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper sketches social workers' understanding of social justice and reliance on Rawls (1971), highlights findings about "hard to employ" welfare recipients facing welfare reform, and articulates the parameters of Rawlsian justice (Rawls, 1999a; 2001) with particular emphasis on people who have been on welfare for long. The paper shows that social workers do not have any space to maneuver in Rawlsian justice to uphold justice for long-term welfare recipients, and welfare reform's "work first" stipulation does not violate Rawlsian justice. The paper raises some questions about social workers' continued reliance on Rawls. It suggests social workers update the literature …

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 32, No. 3 (September 2005)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• EDUCATION PROBLEMS WITH URBAN MIGRATORY CHILDREN IN CHINA - Fei Yan
• CULTURE AS DEFICIT: A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF THE CONCEPT OF CULTURE IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL WORK DISCOURSE - Yoosun Park
• APPLYING RAWLSIAN SOCIAL JUSTICE TO WELFARE REFORM: AN UNEXPECTED FINDING FOR SOCIAL WORK - Mahasweta M. Banerjee
• ENGLISH NON-FLUENCY AND INCOME PENALTY FOR HISPANIC WORKERS - Song Yang
• REFORMING WELFARE REFORM POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION POLICY: TWO STATE CASE STUDIES IN POLITICAL CULTURE, ORGANIZING, AND ADVOCACY - Charles Price
• IMPLICATIONS OF MEDIA SCRUTINY FOR A CHILD PROTECTION AGENCY - Lindsay D. Cooper
• IS INTER-ORGANIZATIONAL COLLABORATION ALWAYS A GOOD …

English Non-Fluency And Income Penalty For Hispanic Workers, Song Yang

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Using the 2001-2002 California Workforce Survey, this paper examines the income gap between Hispanic and Caucasian workers. I attribute the income gap between Hispanic and Caucasian workers to differentials in their human capital. However, data analyses indicate that classical human capital indicators such as education,job training, and work experiences are not sufficient to account for the observed income gap between Hispanics and Caucasians. Instead, English fluency is a highly valuable aspect of human capital for Hispanic workers. English non-fluency, along with less education, job training, and work experiences explain why Hispanic workers earn less than Caucasian workers. However, variations in …

Reforming Welfare Reform Postsecondary Education Policy: Two State Case Studies In Political Culture, Organizing, And Advocacy, Charles Price

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Welfare reform had the unforeseen effect of causing large numbers of public assistance recipients to drop out of college, discouraging their pursuit and acquisition of postsecondary education (PSE) credentials. There is a growing body of research that shows the value of postsecondary education in getting public assistance recipients onto a path toward occupational and social mobility. The restrictions of Temporary Assistance to Needy Families PSE policy, coupled with the recognition that college participation should be an option for qualified welfare recipients, influenced the emergence of many successful state and county-level movements focused on reforming welfare reform PSE policy. Their work …

Welfare Recipients Attending College: The Interplay Of Oppression And Resistance, Karen Christopher

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This qualitative study uses Patricia Hill Collins' "both/and" conceptual framework to explore experiences of both oppression and resistance among welfare recipients attending college. It examines how children, social networks, integration into campus life, and interactions with caseworkers affect welfare recipients' college attendance and college persistence. As is well established in the sociological literature, having children complicates college attendance and persistence. But this research shows that children also provide the predominant incentive for poor mothers to attain higher education. Moreover, this study reveals complexities in welfare recipients' experiences with their social networks, work-study jobs, and caseworkers that are often overlooked by …

Review Of Social Work: Theory And Practice For A Changing Profession. Lena Dominelli. Reviewed By Mel Gray., Mel Gray

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Lena Dominelli, Social Work: Theory and Practice for a Changing Profession. Malden, MA: Polity Press, 2004. $69.95 hardcover.

Review Of Voices From The Edge: Narratives About The Americans With Disabilities Act. Ruth O'Brien. Reviewed By Juliet C. Rothman., Juliet C. Rothman

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Ruth O'Brien, Voices from the Edge: Narratives about the Americans with Disabilities Act. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004. $55.00 hardcover, $16.95 papercover.

Review Of The Decline Of Life: Old Age In Eighteenth-Century England. Susannah R. Ottaway. Reviewed By John M. Herrick., John M. Herrick

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Susannah R. Ottaway, The Decline of Life: Old Age in Eighteenth- Century England. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2004. $70.00 cloth

Review Of Technology And The African American Experience: Needs And Opportunities For Study. Bruce Sinclair (Ed.). Reviewed By John Mcnutt., John Mcnutt

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Bruce Sinclair (Ed.), Technology and the African American Experience: Needs and Opportunities for Study. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2004. $35.00 hardcover.

Review Of An American Travesty: Legal Responsibility To Adolescent Sexual Offending. Franklin Zimring. Reviewed By Matthew T. Theriot., Matthew T. Theriot

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Franklin E. Zimring, An American Travesty: Legal Responses to Adolescent Sexual Offending. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2004. $29.00 hardcover.

Review Of Lessons From Abroad: Adapting International Social Welfare Innovations. M. C. Hokenstad And James Midgley (Eds.). Reviewed By Doreen Elliott., Doreen Elliott

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of M. C. Hokenstad and James Midgley (Eds.), Lessons from Abroad: Adapting International Social Welfare Innovations. Washington, DC: National Association of Social Workers Press, 2004. $44.99 papercover.

Migration And Immigration. Maura I. Toro-Morn., Clare Sheridan

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Maura I. Toro-Morn, Migration and Immigration. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2004. $49.95 hardcover.

Shut Out: Low Income Mothers And Higher Education In Post-Welfare America. Valerie Polakow, Sandra Butler, Luisa Stormer Deprez And Peggy Kahn (Eds.)., Sarah Carnochan

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Valerie Polakow, Sandra Butler, Luisa Stormer Deprez and Peggy Kahn (Eds.), Shut Out: Low Income Mothers and Higher Education in Post- Welfare America. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 2004. $75.00 hardcover, $24.95 papercover.

Inheritance Law And The Evolving Family. Ralph C. Brashier., Karen Jones-Mason

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Ralph C. Brashier, Inheritance Law and the Evolving Family. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2004. $69.50 hardcover, $24.95 papercover.

The Trials And Tribulations Of Eliciting American Indian Voice, Amber Madoll

Masters Theses

In this thesis I explored the application of oral history in the collection, preservation and interpretation of American Indian cultural history. Through the analysis of written ethnographies, published works, oral histories and case studies, this research addresses some of the major debates hindering oral history's admittance as a viable ethnographic and historical resource. The overall intention of this research was to elicit the major methodological issues anthropologists face when employing oral history techniques in American Indian studies so that solid, comprehensive strategies can be created and implemented to strengthen the acceptance and practice of oral history in modem cultural studies. …

“See Your Healthcare Provider For A Prescription Today!” The Influence Of Direct-To-Consumer Drug Advertising On Nurse Practitioners And Their Patients, Kelly A. Getman-Dissette

Masters Theses

In 1997, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration relaxed the guidelines regarding the advertising of prescription drugs directly to consumers (i.e., direct-to-consumer advertising, DTCA). The purpose of this research was to examine the impact of DTCA on the relationships of healthcare providers with their patients. In order to accomplish this task, in-depth, semistructured interviews were conducted with ten nurse practitioners (NPs). The interviews sought out provider perceptions on four topics as they relate to DTCA: diagnosis and treatment decisions, prescribing practices, additional burden on the provider, and patient trust in the provider. The findings reveal that DTCA has had both …

People Without Voice: Perceptions Of Social Bias Against Muslims In The United States, Dhiren Patel

Masters Theses

This paper is an ethnographic investigation of Muslim American perceptions of social marginalization in the United States as a by-product of various governmental and media forces, with the Kalamazoo, MI community being the regional focus. The existence of the violence-crazed zealot Muslim stereotype has had social repercussions for Muslims living in America. The first part of this research looks at the development of Muslim stereotypes before 9/11. The second half of this paper discuses the results from interviews with local Muslims Americans who have given me their perspective on prejudice against Islam in the United States.

The oral accounts provided …

A Bioarchaeological Investigation Of Two Unmarked Graveyards In Bridgetown, Barbados, Christopher Crain

Masters Theses

In 1996 and 1999 two previously unknown graveyards were discovered in separate sections of Bridgetown, Barbados. Emergency excavations of the sites recovered the skeletal material of at least thirty-two (MNI=32) individuals as well as a number of grave goods. While the artifacts were from the historical period there was continuing speculation as to the ancestry of the individuals interred within these graveyards. During the summer of 2004 the first preliminary osteological analysis of the skeletal material was conducted to identify the biological characteristics, including the ancestral affiliation, of these individuals. The analysis determined that the individuals interred at these sites …

Behavioral Skills Training For Parents Of Children With Autism: Teaching Implementation Of The Natural Language Paradigm, Jill N. Gillett

Masters Theses

The effects of the use of behavioral skills training to teach parents of children with autism to implement the Natural Language Paradigm (NLP) were examined. Data were collected on parent implementation and child behavior. Results indicated that parents of children with autism were able to learn to implement the NLP procedures and continued to implement the procedures accurately throughout the study. Child data indicated that parent-implemented NLP resulted in improvements in child play. These improvements consisted of a decrease in intervals with no toy engagement, a decrease in intervals in which inappropriate play occurred, and an increase in intervals in …

Evaluating The Operative Mechanisms Underlying The High-Probability Request Sequence, Carrie L. Coleman

Dissertations

Failure to comply with requests in educational settings interferes with the learning process. The high-probability request sequence has been demonstrated to be an effective treatment for noncompliance. However, the operative mechanisms underlying this treatment remain unknown. This study sought to further elucidate high-p behavior change mechanisms through the manipulation of reinforcement and response rate variables. The purpose was to determine whether increases in compliance to low-probability requests could be obtained with either the high-p sequence or with the delivery of preferred stimuli on a response-independent basis. Math problems served as high-p and low-p requests, and data were collected on compliance …

Risk Sharing And Consumption Insurance In Poor Urban Economies: Theory And Empirical Evidence From Household Data, Seife Dendir

Dissertations

Households in poor economies often strive to protect consumption from fluctuations in income through various mechanisms. Due to the absence or scarcity of formal insurance, however, they are often forced to rely on informal means to achieve this objective. This dissertation consists of three essays that analyze the nature, performance and instruments of risk sharing and consumption insurance in poor urban areas.

The first essay identifies the peculiar problems poor urban households face in their attempt to pool risk from idiosyncratic income swings, and derives unique results pertaining to the level of insurance and effort. Two specific problems are identified: …

Career Experiences And Career Development Among Chinese American Professional Women: A Qualitative Study, Yi-Ling Linda Kuo-Rice

Dissertations

Only a few research studies have addressed the cultural transitions and career-related issues experienced by Chinese American women. These individuals represent a silent group whose career values, career choices, and vocational needs remain largely unexplored (Yang, 1991).

This qualitative study, using grounded theory methods, explored the career experiences, career development, and career decision-making of nine foreign-bornChinese American professional women from various career fields. The findings from the study are divided into two parts. The first part presents summaries of each study participant's career development, providing a context-rich description of each case. The second part of the findings offers the results …

Aid Effectiveness, Policies And Reform, Elias Kedir Shukralla

Dissertations

The effectiveness of foreign aid in developing countries is one of the most controversial topics in the development literature. In particular, issues relating to the link between aid and growth, and whether aid works better when good policies and reforms are undertaken, and how aid should be allocated have been hotly debated by economists and policy makers. As a matter of fact, developing countries continue to receive large amounts of foreign aid every year, and the controversies surrounding aid also remain strong. This dissertation reexamines the links between aid, growth, policies and economic reforms in aid recipient countries and sheds …

Pyramidal Staff Training: Teaching Play And Manding To Children With Autism And Developmental Disabilities, Koji Takeshima

Dissertations

This study involved pyramidal staff training and the teaching of play and manding to children with autism and developmental disabilities in an early intervention program. The following training components were sequentially introduced to each technician: (a) a written procedure; (b) video modeling; (c) a slide show and checklist, combined with video modeling; and (d) feedback. The trainees improved their skills in teaching play as these training components were introduced, and the children's performance in play and manding subsequently improved. For the skills of teaching play, the core component of the training that resulted in the largest improvement varied across technicians. …

The Relationship Between Counselor-In-Training Personality Traits, Family-Of-Origin Characteristics And Working Alliance, Anthony W. Tatman

Dissertations

Research has revealed that the working alliance between counselors-in-training (CITs) and their clients predict therapeutic outcome (Horvath & Symonds, 1991; Parish & Eagle, 2003). The amount of research is limited, however, concerning CIT traits that facilitate the development of the working alliance (Ackerman & Hilsenroth, 2001; Ligiero & Gelso, 2002; Wampold, 2001). The purpose of the present study was to identify the degree to which CIT personality traits and family-of-origin (FOO) characteristics are associated with working alliance evaluations. This study utilized the 5 domains of personality, measured by the NEO-FFI (Costa & McCrae, 1992), and alexithymia, measured by the TAS-20 …