Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Welfare And Family Economic Security: Toward A Place-Based Poverty Knowledge, Deborah A. Harris, Domenico Parisi

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996 is viewed by many as a resounding success. Its success, however, is predicated primarily on caseload reduction rather than improvement of family well-being. In addition, provisions in the act ignore the importance of place in shaping one's life chances. Using Alice O'Connor's influential book, Poverty Knowledge, as a framework, we discuss findings from a qualitative study that examines how low-income families plan for a life without welfare in places with different opportunities and structural constraints. We find that returns to TANF are common among welfare leavers and that place …

The Untold Story Of Welfare Fraud, Richelle S. Swan, Linda L. Shaw, Sharon Cullity, Joni Halpern, Juliana Humphrey, Wendy M. Limbert, Mary Roche

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The experiences of women who have been charged with welfare fraud in the years following the passage of the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act cast a shadow over the claim that welfare reform has been an unequivocal success. This article addresses this under-explored issue by considering the face of welfare fraud in San Diego, California after the change to federal welfare law. After a brief discussion of the socio-historical context of welfare fraud prosecution and a summary of the scholarly findings related to welfare fraud post-PRWORA, the aiticle details a new "poverty knowledge" about welfare fraud drawn …

Lost In Appalachia: The Unexpected Impact Of Welfare Reform On Older Women In Rural Communities, Debra A. Henderson, Ann R. Tickamyer

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

A primary goal of welfare reform was to overcome welfare dependency through the promotion of work and the setting of lifetime limits. While atf irst blush thisg oal may have appearedr easonablef or young recipients, it does not address the needs of older recipients, particularly women. Based on in-depth interviews with welfare recipients in four impoverished rural Appalachian counties over a four year time span (1999-2001; 2004), this paper evaluates the experiences of older women as they confront the changes brought on by welfare reform legislation. Findings suggest that impoverished older women in isolated rural communities experience multiple crises as …

"It's All One Big Circle": Welfare Discourse And The Everyday Lives Of Urban Adolescents, Staci T. Lowe

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Welfare reform succeeded, in part, because of discourse that characterized the poverty problem as one of long-term dependency and personal irresponsibility. Adolescent pregnancy was targeted as both cause and manifestation of a welfare crisis. This study examined how welfare reform was perceived and experienced by lowincome, urban adolescents. Findings from interviews revealed that adolescents agreed with many of the basic tenets of welfare reform, largely because they had appropriated much of the discourse prevalent in wider society. However, their complex life stories contained a powerful subtext concerning structural determinants of poverty that ran counter to prevailing notions of "personal responsibility."

Review Of Gangs In The Global City: Alternatives To Traditional Criminology. John M. Hagedorn, Editor. Reviewed By Matthew T. Theriot., Matthew T. Theriot

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of John M. Hagedorn (Ed.). Gangs in the Global City: Alternatives to Traditional Criminology. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, 2007. $65.00 hardcover, $25.00 papercover.

Review Of Civic Engagement: Social Science And Progressive Era Reform In New York City. John Louis Recchiuti. Reviewed By John M. Herrick., John M. Herrick

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review for John Louis Recchiuti. Civic Engagement: Social Science and Progressive Era Reform in New York City. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2007. $59.95 hardcover.

The Promise Of Welfare Reform. Keith M. Kilty And Elizabeth Segal.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Keith M. Kilty & Elizabeth Segal, The Promise of Welfare Reform. Binghampton, NY: Haworth Press, 2006. $34.96 papercover.

Human Behavior And The Social Environment: Models, Metaphors, And Maps For Applying Theoretical Perspectives To Practice. James Forte.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for James Forte. Human Behavior and the Social Environment: Models, Metaphors, and Maps for Applying Theoretical Perspectives to Practice. Belmont, CA: Thomson Brooks/Cole, 2007. $67.95 papercover.

Understanding Social Inequality. Tim Butler And Paul Watt.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Tim Butler & Paul Watt. Understanding Social Inequality. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2007. $39.95 papercover.

Tearing Down The Gates: Confronting The Class Divide In American Education. Peter Sacks.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Peter Sacks. Tearing Down the Gates: Confronting the Class Divide in American Education. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2007. $24.95 hardcover.

Social Security Between Past And Future: Ambonese Networks Of Care And Support. Franz Von Benda-Beckmann And Kebeet Von Benda-Beckmann.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Franz von Benda-Beckmann & Kebeet von Benda-Beckmann. Social Security between Past and Future: Ambonese Networks of Care and Support. Berlin, Lit Verlag, 2007.

The Europeanization Of Social Protection. Jon Kvist And Juho Saari, Editors.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Jon Kvist & Juho Saari (Eds.). The Europeanization of Social Protection. Bristol: Policy Press, 2007. $39.95 papercover, $99.00 cloth.

Introduction To The Special Issue, Mary Gatta, Luisa S. Deprez

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare has hosted a number of special editions since President Clinton "ended welfare as we know it." Special topics such as Evaluation of TANF in 2001, Coping with Poverty in 2006, Globalization and Social Justice in 2007 and Contemporary Social Welfare History earlier this year brought attention to issues of critical concern within the field. All have focused on human well-being in the wake of a society that appears less caring for those who are most vulnerable: the poor, immigrants, people of color, and single mothers on welfare. Additionally, each special edition framed the …

Women's Lives And Poverty: Developing A Framework Of Real Reform For Welfare, Mary Gatta, Luisa S. Deprez

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The historic 1996 welfare reform is typically regarded as a successful public policy. Using the limited success metric of "reducing welfare rolls," welfare evaluations and analysis have obscured the lived experiences of recipients, particularly among women, who are disproportionally represented among welfare recipients. While it is true that welfare numbers are down, those women who have been forced off or left behind are not doing well. In this paper we seek to explore and critically evaluate the lived experiences of women, to challenge mainstream understandings of women's "success" post-welfare, and propose a theoretical and methodological framework, based on an intersectional …

Dropped From The Rolls: Mexican Immigrants, Race, And Rights In The Era Of Welfare Reform, Alejandra Marchevsky, Jeanne Theoharis

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Welfare reform transferred considerable discretion over eligibility standards and benefits to individual caseworkers, contributing to a highly diffuse, yet system-wide, practice of discrimination against nonwhite and foreign-born families within the new TANF program. Based on a two-year ethnographic study of welfare reform's impact on Mexican immigrants in Los Angeles County, this article documents a pattern of heightened anti-immigrant sentiment and disentitlement within L.A. County's welfare system following the passage of PRWORA. The vast majority of eligible immigrant families in our study lost some or all of their cash and food stamp benefits, and were systematically denied access to the work …

Tracking The Transition From Welfare To Work, Cynthia Needles Fletcher, Mary Winter, An-Ti Shih

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

One of the primary goals of the 1996 federal welfare reform legislation was to reduce dependency on cash transfers and to promote self-sufficiency through employment in the paid labor force. This paper draws upon a qualitative study of 18 Iowa welfare recipients and tracks changes that occur over a three-year, post-reform period. Thick descriptions highlight the internal family dynamics of the choices made over time. The purposes of the study are twofold:first, to document changes in family composition, employment, housing, and program participation, and second, to report how recipients experience such changes. Findings reveal that the 11 families who left …

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 35, No. 3 (September 2008)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

SPECIAL ISSUE: BEYOND THE NUMBERS: HOW THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF WOMEN CHALLENGE THE "SUCCESS" OF WELFARE REFORM

• INTRODUCTION - Mary Gatta and Luisa S. Deprez
• WOMEN'S LIVES AND POVERTY: DEVELOPING A FRAMEWORK OF REAL REFORM FOR WELFARE - Mary Gatta and Luisa S. Deprez
• LONG-TERM TANF PARTICIPANTS AND BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT: A QUALITATIVE STUDY IN MAINE - Sandra S. Butler, Janine Corbett, Crystal Bond and Chris Hastedt
• DROPPED FROM THE ROLLS: MEXICAN IMMIGRANTS, RACE, AND RIGHTS IN THE ERA OF WELFARE REFORM - Alejandra Marchevsky and Jeanne Theoharis
• WELFARE AND FAMILY ECONOMIC SECURITY: TOWARD A PLACE-BASED POVERTY KNOWLEDGE - Deborah …

Review Of Civic Service Worldwide: Impacts And Inquiry. Amanda Moore Mcbride & Michael W. Sherraden, Editors. Reviewed By Barbara J. Robles., Barbara J. Robles

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Amanda Moore McBride & Michael W. Sherraden, (Eds.). Civic Service Worldwide: Impacts and Inquiry. Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharpe, 2007. $49.95 hardcover.

Review Of Drugs And Drug Policy: The Control Of Consciousness Alteration. Clayton J. Mosher And Scott M. Akins. Reviewed By Sean R. Hogan., Sean R. Hogan

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Clayton J. Mosher & Scott M. Akins. Drugs and Drug Policy: The Control of Consciousness Alteration. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2007. $54.95 papercover, $99.95 hardcover.

The First Year Out: Understanding American Teens After High School. Tim Clydesdale.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Tim Clydesdale. The First Year Out: Understanding American Teens After High School. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2007. $20.00 papercover.

America Transformed: Globalization, Inequality And Power. Gary Hytrek And Kristine M. Zentgraf.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Gary Hytrek & Kristine M. Zentgraf. America Transformed: Globalization, Inequality and Power. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007. $29.95 papercover.

Busier Than Ever: Why American Families Can't Slow Down. Charles N. Darrah, James M. Freeman And J. A. English-Leuck.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Charles N. Darrah, James M. Freeman & J. A. English-Leuck. Busier Than Ever: Why American Families Can't Slow Down. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2007. $19.95 papercover.

Review Of Biomedicalization Of Alcohol Studies: Ideological Shifts And Institutional Challenges. Lorraine T. Midanik. Reviewed By E. Michael Gorman., E. Michael Gorman

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Lorraine T. Midanik. Biomedicalization of Alcohol Studies: Ideological Shifts and Institutional Challenges. New Brunswick, NJ: Aldine Transaction, 2006. $ 39.95 hardcover.

Restructuring Family Policies: Convergences And Divergences. Maureen Baker., Mary Ager

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Maureen Baker. Restructuring Family Policies: Convergences and Divergences. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2006. $65.00 hardcover, $29.95 papercover.

When Welfare Disappears: The Case For Economic Human Rights. Kenneth J. Neubeck., James Midgley

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Kenneth J. Neubeck, When Welfare Disappears: The Case for Economic Human Rights. New York: Routledge, 2006. $90.00 hardcover, $29.95 papercover.

Paradigm Wars: Indigenous Peoples' Resistance To Globalization. Jerry Mander And Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, Editors.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Jerry Mander and Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, Editors. Paradigm Wars: Indigenous Peoples'Resistance to Globalization. Berkeley, CA: Sierra Club Books, 2006. $19.95 papercover.

Risk And Protective Factors Of Micronesian Youth In Hawai'i: An Exploratory Study, Scott K. Okamoto, David T. Mayeda, Mari Ushiroda, Davis Rehuher, Tui Lauilefue, Ophelia Ongalibang

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This exploratory, qualitative study examined the risk and protective factors of Micronesian middle and high school students in Hawai'i. Forty one Micronesian youth participated in 9 focus groups that explored their experiences within their schools, families, and communities. The findings describe youths' experiences of ecological stress beginning with their migration to Hawai'i, and the potential outcomes of this stress (e.g., fighting, gangs, and drug use). Cultural buffers, such as traditional practices and culturally specific prevention programs, were described as aspects that prevented adverse outcomes. Implications for prevention practice are discussed.

Transforming Caregiving: African American Custodial Grandmothers And The Child Welfare System, S. Yvette Murphy, Andrea G. Hunter, Deborah J. Johnson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Growing numbers of African American grandmothers are raising grandchildren under the auspices of the child welfare system; however, little is known about the manner in which child welfare policies and practices impact custodial grandparenting. Based on focus groups with African American grandmothers who are raising grandchildren as formal kinship caregivers, this study explored the ways in which the new formalized relationship between the child welfare system and African American custodial grandmothers is transforming the meanings and practices related to intergenerational caregiving in African American families. Drawing on cultural and historical traditions, grandmothers forge a transformative partnership with child welfare that …

Potential Impact Of Eitc Adjustments On Financial Self-Sufficiency Among Low-Income Families: A Simulation Model, Younghee Lim, Catherine Lemieux

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Policies that help low-income mothers find and keep employment as a means of obtaining self-sufficiency have been a focal point of the welfare reform debate in the past decade. In the midst of this dialogue, the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) has gained popularity as one of the core work support programs for America's low- and moderately low-income families with children. This study compares the estimated effects of EITC when its value deteriorated in the late 1990s with that of a simulated EITC for which the real value kept pace with the actual cost of living on welfare caseload reductions. …

Documentary Photography In American Social Welfare History: 1897-1943, Peter Szto

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This is a study of documentary photography in American social welfare history. The study examines the emergence of photography as a tool of social policy, and in particular, key practitioners who shaped the perception of American social welfare. Within the social welfare literature, this topic is largely unexamined yet invaluable to an understanding of American social welfare. Photography performed a highly instrumental role by providing visual evidence as an innovative way of seeing and analyzing social problems. This image-based approach to social welfare analysis influenced how society viewed itself and the social environment. The goal of this study is to …