Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Skew Selection Theory Applied To The Wealth And Welfare Of Nations, Susan F. Allen, Deby L. Cassill

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

According to skew selection theory, working citizens who build wealth and, at the same time, share portions of their wealth with those in need are more likely to survive economic downturns than citizens who hoard wealth. In this article, skew selection is employed as a theoreticalframework to support governmental efforts to develop social policies that protect the income of working citizens and, at the same time, provide for vulnerable, non-working children and elders. To illustrate its applicability, the social policies of Japan, Sweden and the United States-all of which are challenged by decaying ratios of working to non-working citizens-are compared …

Preventing Violence In Low-Income Communities: Facilitating Residents' Ability To Intervene In Neighborhood Problems, Mary L. Ohmer, Barbara D. Warner, Elizabeth Beck

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The violence found in low-income communities, including areas of concentrated poverty, is often extensive and can involve illegal drugs, juvenile delinquency, and even homicide. A large body of research has emerged which points to the positive effects of informal social control and social capital in preventing violence in lowincome communities, including neighbors taking leadership roles by intervening themselves. This article contains a description of an exploratory study ofa pilot training program the authors developed to facilitate residents' ability to intervene in neighborhood problems in a low-income community in Atlanta, Georgia. The training incorporated concepts from restorative justice, peacemaking criminology, and …

Liminal Living At An Extended Stay Hotel: Feeling "Stuck" In A Housing Solution, Terri Wingate-Lewinson, June Gary Hopps, Patricia Reeves

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

As a result of unaffordable housing, many of America's working poor are forced to seek shelter in hotels to avoid homelessness. The concept of liminality has been used in discussions of place to describe the subjective experience of feeling in-between two states of being. Research is scant on the liminal experiences of low-income hotel residents, who are culturally invisible in society. This paper draws from data qualitatively collected via semi-structured interviews from ten low-income residents living in an extended-stay hotel. Descriptions of these residential experiences are presented along with recommendations for social workers practicing with families in this liminal situation.

Review Of Towards Positive Youth Development: Transforming Schools And Community Programs. Marybeth Shinn And Hirokazu Yoshikawa (Eds.). Reviewed By Amy D. Benton., Amy D. Benton

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Marybeth Shinn and Hirokazu Yoshikawa (Eds.), Towards Positive Youth Development: Transforming Schools and Community Programs. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008. $49.95 hardcover.

Review Of The Politics Of Exclusion: The Failure Of Race-Neutral Policies In Urban America. Leland T. Saito. Reviewed By Jaehee Yi., Jaehee Yi

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Leland T. Saito, The Politics of Exclusion: The Failure of Race- Neutral Policies in Urban America. Stanford, California: Stanford, 2009. $60.00 hardcover; $22.95 paperback.

Review Of Women's Health And Social Change. Ellen Annandale. Reviewed By Marcia Russell., Marcia Russell

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Ellen Annandale, Women's Health and Social Change. New York: Routledge, 2009. $45.95 papercover.

Review Of Homelessness In America (3 Volumes). Robert Hartman Mcnamara. Reviewed By John Q. Hodges., John Q. Hodges

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Robert Hartman McNamara, Homelessness in America (3 Volumes). Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers, 2008. $300.00 hardcover.

Review Of The Delinquent Girl. Margaret A. Zahn (Ed.). Reviewed By Cara Pohle., Cara Pohle

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Margaret A. Zahn (Ed.), The Delinquent Girl. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press, 2009. $54.50 hardcover, $31.95 papercover.

Reconstructing Citizenship In A Global Economy: How Restricting Immigrants From Welfare Undermines Social Rights For U.S. Citizens, Rupaleem Bhuyan

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Scrutiny of immigrants' use of public benefits is a reoccurring theme in U.S. politics. Yet while the tough stance on immigrants taps into popular anti-immigrant sentiment, the consequences of such scrutiny are shared by all welfare recipients. Drawing upon interpretive policy frames, I examine how new requirements to verify citizenship and identity for Medicaid directly impacts social entitlements for both citizen and non-citizen populations. Analysis of state reports and policy studies of citizenship verification requirements for Medicaid illustrate that verification costs may exceed the costs of fraudulent misuse by unqualified immigrants. I argue that devolutionary shifts in welfare and immigration …

Why You Should Care About The Threatened Middle Class, Jill Littrell, Fred Brooks, Jan Ivery, Mary L. Ohmer

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In the last two decades, the income and security of the individual middle class worker has declined and the gap between the middle class and the wealthy has widened. We explain how this is bad for democracy, the economy, and the aggregate health of the nation. We examine the governmental policies and interventions that increased the middle class following the depression and maintained its vigor through the post-World War II period. The impetus for these changes in governmental policies in the 1930s was to end the Great Depression. We pose the question of whether a nation can recover from a …

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 37, No. 2 (June 2010)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• LIMINAL LIVING AT AN EXTENDED STAY HOTEL: FEELING "STUCK" IN A HOUSING SOLUTION - Terri Wingate-Lewinson, June Gary Hopps, and Patricia Reeves
• FAMILY CHARACTERISTICS, PUBLIC PROGRAM PARTICIPATION, & CIVIC ENGAGEMENT - Richard K. Caputo
• RECONSTRUCTING CITIZENSHIP IN A GLOBAL ECONOMY: HOW RESTRICTING IMMIGRANTS FROM WELFARE UNDERMINES SOCIAL RIGHTS FOR U.S. CITIZENS - Rupaleem Bhuyan
• WHY YOU SHOULD CARE ABOUT THE THREATENED MIDDLE CLASS - Jill Littrell, Fred Brooks, Jan Ivery, and Mary L. Ohmer
• SKEW SELECTION THEORY APPLIED TO THE WEALTH AND WELFARE OF NATIONS - Susan F. Allen and Deby L. Cassill
• WOMEN'S RIGHTS=HUMAN RIGHTS: PAKISTANI …

Women's Rights=Human Rights: Pakistani Women Against Gender Violence, Filomena M. Critelli

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Gender-based violence constitutes a major public health risk and is a serious violation of basic human rights throughout the world. Counter to many Western images of Muslim women as passive victims, women's groups in Pakistan have begun to organize to respond to these conditions. This study is based upon in-depth interviews conducted with the founders and senior staff of Dastak (Knock on the Door), a shelter for women in Lahore, Pakistan that uses a human rights framework to provide services and advocate for public support for women's rights to safety and security. The study explores how Pakistani women are taking …

Review Of Both Sides Now: The Story Of School Desegregation's Graduates. Amy Stuart Wells, Jennifer Jellison Holme, Anita Revilla, And Awo Korantemaa Ayamda. Reviewed By Kala Chakradher., Kala Chakradhar

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Amy Stuart Wells, Jennifer Jellison Holme, Anita Revilla and Awo Korantemaa Ayamda, Both Sides Now: The Story of School Desegregation's Graduates. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2009. $24.95 papercover.

Review Of Indigenous Social Work Around The World: Towards Culturally Relevant Education And Practice. Mel Gray, John Coates, And Michael Yellowbird (Eds.). Reviewed By Jon K. Matsuoka., Jon K. Matsuoka

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Mel Gray, John Coates and Michael Yellowbird (Eds.), Indigenous Social Work Around the World: Towards Culturally Relevant Education and Practice. Burlington, VT: Ashgate, 2008. $99.95 hardcover.

Review Of Our Bodies, Our Crimes: The Policing Of Women's Reproduction In America. Jeanne Flavin. Reviewed By Debra Durham., Debra Durham

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Jeanne Flavin, Our Bodies, Our Crimes: The Policing of Women's Reproduction in America. New York: New York University Press, 2009. $36.00 hardcover.

Review Of Children Families And Social Exclusion: New Approaches To Prevention. Kate Morris, Marian Barnes, And Paul Mason. Reviewed By James Midgley., James Midgley

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Kate Morris, Marian Barnes and Paul Mason, Children, Families and Social Exclusion: New Approaches to Prevention. Bristol: Policy Press, 2009. $36.95 papercover.

Review Of Childhood, Youth And Social Work In Transformation: Implications For Policy And Practice. Lynne M. Nebell, Jeffrey J. Shook, And Janet L. Finn. Reviewed By Ann Reyes Robbins., Ann Reyes Robbins

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Lynn M. Nybell, Jeffrey J. Shook, and Janet L. Finn (Eds.), Childhood, Youth and Social Work in Transformation: Implications for Policy and Practice. New York: Columbia University Press, 2009. $60.00 hardcover.

Review Of The Legacy Of Edward W. Said. William Spanos. Reviewed By James Midgley., James Midgley

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of William Spanos, The Legacy of Edward W. Said. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, 2009. $25.00 papercover.

Review Of Health Disparities In The United States: Social Class, Race, Ethnicity, And Health. Donald A. Barr. Reviewed By Krista Drescher-Burke., Krista Drescher-Burke

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Donald A. Barr, Health Disparities in the United States: Social Class, Race, Ethnicity, and Health. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008. $40.00 papercover.

The President's Emergency Plan For Aids Relief (Pepfar): A Social Work Ethical Analysis And Recommendations, Robert J. Barney, Stephan L. Buckingham, Judith M. Friedrich, Lisa M. Johnson, Michael A. Robinson, Bibhuti K. Sar

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is the most recent international social program instituted by the U.S. Government to combat HIV/AIDS. Since its inception in 2003, this foreign policy initiative has dedicated $63 billion for HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment in foreign countries. Despite PEPFAR's many accomplishments, it continues to promote controversial prevention strategies. This paper analyzes these prevention strategies, utilizing social work values as described in the NASW Code of Ethics. Policy, practice, and research implications are discussed.

Review Of God's Heart Has No Borders: How Religious Activists Are Working For Immigrant Rights. Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo. Reviewed By Jennifer Morazes., Jennifer Morazes

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo, God's Heart has no Borders: How Religious Activists are Working for Immigrant Rights. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2008. $21.95 papercover.

Review Of The Nordic Model: Scandinavia Since 1945. Mary Hilson. Reviewed By Anupama Jacob., Anupama Jacob

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Mary Hilson, The Nordic Model: Scandinavia Since 1945. London: Reaktion Books, 2008. $24.95 papercover. (Available From the University of Chicago Press.)

Social Justice Implications Of The Organism Metaphor, Gerald V. O'Brien

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The denigration of marginalized groups is frequently supported through the widespread employment of metaphors that present a pejorative image of the group in question. The organism metaphor, wherein the target group is portrayed as a threat to the integrity of the social body, is a particularly important metaphoric theme in the advancement of social injustice. Drawing largely from primary source documents, this paper provides an overview of the organism metaphor as it has been employed historically to denigrate various social subgroups. Implications for the social work profession are discussed.

The Changing Nature Of Accountability In Administrative Practice, Lawrence L. Martin, Kathryn Frahm

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article looks at the subject of accountability in the administration of the human services. The history of accountability over the last four decades is chronicled and discussed. The point is made that during this period, funders have largely determined the nature of accountability. Because funders have been primarily concerned with funding, accountability has tended to be financial in nature. The authors argue that the focus on financial accountability had two major detrimental effects. First, programmatic accountability was reduced to secondary importance. Second, a wedge was driven between macro administrative practice and micro direct practice as social work managers and …

Review Of Reassembling Social Security: A Survey Of Pensions And Health Care Reforms In Latin America. Carmelo Mesa-Lago. Reviewed By James Midgley, James Midgley

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Carmelo Mesa-Lago, Reassembling Social Security: A Survey of Pensions and Health care Reforms in Latin America. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008. $150.00 hardcover.

Review Of The Politics Of Identity: Solidarity Building Among America's Working Poor. Erin E. O'Brien. Reviewed By Robert D. Weaver., Robert D. Weaver

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Erin E. O'Brien. The Politics of Identity: Solidarity Building Among America's Working Poor. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 2008. $80.00 hardcover, $28.95 papercover.

Review Of Against The Wall: Poor, Young, Black And Male. Elijah Anderson. Reviewed By Paul G. Wright., Paul G. Wright

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Elijah Anderson, Against the Wall: Poor, Young, Black and Male. Philadelphia: Pennsylvania University Press, Reissue edition, 2009. $24.95 papercover.

Confronting Oppression Not Enhancing Functioning: The Role Of Social Workers Within Postmodern Practice, Phillip Dybicz

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article represents a philosophical hermeneutic endeavor to explore the meaning of oppression as it expresses itself within social work practices based in both modern and postmodern thought. Practices based within the Modern Discourse, drawing from an authority base of scientific expertise, exhibit a disconnect between the goal of enhancing functioning and social work values and concerns such as confronting oppression; this disconnect must be bridged by the social worker. Practices based within the Postmodern Discourse are founded upon the notion of confronting oppressive narratives as their main goal; social work values are an essential component in this process.

Exploring Homeowner Opposition To Public Housing Developments, Joanna Duke

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper examines the beliefs and attitudes of homeowners in two receiving communities of public housing units. Opposition to housing mobility programs is generally attributed to fear offalling property values and increased crime rates. Given the spatial and redistributive nature of the programs, this paper proposes and explores space and liberty-based ideologies as causes ofdormant opposition persisting beyond relocation. Survey data were collected from two neighborhoods where developments containing public housing were located. Results indicate that ideologies about space and liberty are important to understanding receiving community opposition as well as the extent to which members of the receiving community …

Evaluation Of The House Of Healing: An Alternative To Female Incarceration, Sara Lichtenwalter, Maria L. Garase, David B. Barker

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The House of Healing (HOH) is a court-mandated, community based residential program for female offenders. Women reside with their children at the HOH, which serves as a base from which to receive health/mental health care and substance abuse treatment while working toward successful community reintegration. An evaluation based on the records of 94 female offenders residing at the HOH for various time periods between 1998 and 2006 revealed a significant relationship between residents' reunification with their children and successful completion of the HOH program. Furthermore, there was a significant relationship between successful program completion and female offenders' recidivism.