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Beyond The Rank And File Movement: Mary Van Kleeck And Social Work Radicalism In The Great Depression, 1931-1942, Patrick Selmi, Richard Hunter

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In this article we critically examine the radical views and actions of Mary van Kleeck during the Great Depression. As the Director of Industrial Studies for the Russell Sage Foundation, van Kleeck was arguably the most prominent radical woman affiliated with social work during the Great Depression; however, current scholarship has limited her contributions to social work's radical minded rank and file movement. In this study, we redress this situation through an analysis of her work both within and without the rank and file movement. We pay special attention to her efforts to promote social planning, organized labor, and advanced …