Social Work Commons^™

Review Of Big Cities In The Welfare Transition. Alfred J. Hahn And Sheila B. Kamerman. Reviewed By John R. Graham, University Of Calgary., John R. Graham

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Alfred J. Kahn and Sheila B. Kamerman, Big Cities in the Welfare Transition. New York: Columbia University School of Social Work, 1998, $25.00 papercover

Beside The Golden Door: Policy, Politics And The Homeless. James D. Wright, Beth A. Rubin And Joel A. Devine.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for James D. Wright, Beth A. Rubin and Joel A. Devine, Beside the Golden Door: Policy, Politics and the Homeless. New York: Aldine de Gruyter, 1998. $ 39.95 hardcover, $ 19.95 papercover.

Privatizing Social Security. Martin Feldstein (Ed.).

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Martin Feldstein (Ed.), Privatizing Social Security. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 1998. $ 60.00 hardback.

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 26, No. 2 (June 1999)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• SOCIAL WORK AND DOWNSIZING: THEORETICAL IMPLICATIONS AND STRATEGIC RESPONSES - Samuel J. Rosenberg
• THE WILLINGNESS TO SEEK HELP: ITS ROLE IN SOCIAL WORKERS' PROFESSIONAL COMMITMENT - Ben-Zion Cohen
• HISTORICAL TRENDS IN STATE-LEVEL ADC/AFDC BENEFITS: LIVING ON LESS AND LESS - Sandra Wexler & Rafael J. Engel
• PROMOTING SOCIAL JUSTICE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MASS MEDIA - Edward A. Brawley & Emilia E. Martinez-Brawley
• PERCEPTIONS ABOUT POVERTY: VIEWS FROM THE GEORGIA GENERAL ASSEMBLY - Elizabeth L. Beck, Deborah M. Whitley & James L. Wolk
• E. FRANKLIN FRAZIER AND THE INTERFACING OF BLACK SOCIOLOGY AND BLACK SOCIAL WORK - …

Social Work And Downsizing: Theoretical Implications And Strategic Responses, Samuel J. Rosenberg

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The economic, political and social changes of the past 25 years have undermined most working American's assumptions about job security. Large segments of the population now find their jobs threatened by "downsizing" -which results from the reduction of staff by employers, usually for economic reasons. Downsized individuals typically experience personal and familial crises of major magnitude, and have increasingly been turning to social workers for assistance. Social workers, however-who have had relatively little experience delivering services to this clientele--are themselves being threatened by downsizing. Given this situation, the present study assesses-through interviews and participant observation-(a) how social workers are conceptualizing …

The Willingness To Seek Help: Its Role In Social Workers' Professional Commitment, Ben-Zion Cohen

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Providing help to persons in need is the central theme of the social work profession. The three elements essential to this process are the person offering the assistance, the assistance itself, and the person receiving it. The focus here is on the person offering the help and to what degree that person is willing to request help when he or she needs it. Social workers differ with regard to their willingness to seek help, and this study employs a variety of research tools to explore the relevance of these differences to their commitment to the profession and to their professional …

Historical Trends In State-Level Adc/Afdc Benefits: Living On Less And Less, Sandra Wexler, Rafael J. Engel

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper, using government statistics, describes state-level variation in ADC/AFDC benefits from 1940-1995. The findings illustrate that the "race to the bottom" began in 1975, especially among higher paying states. The concomitant declines in benefit value relative to the poverty line places TANF-dependent recipients in serious jeopardy. Implications for education and advocacy are discussed.

Promoting Social Justice In Partnership With The Mass Media, Edward A. Brawley, Emilia E. Martinez-Brawley

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Research on mass communications suggests that public understanding of social justice issues can be significantly enhanced by the appropriate use of the media. Indeed, without the access to the public that only the mass media can provide, social workers are unlikely to have much impact in the public's understanding of critical social justice issues and appropriate responses to these issues. Based on emerging research and practice, we identify opportunities for individuals, groups and organizations interested in addressing issues of social justice to engage in productive public communication activities through newspapers, radio and television.

Legislators' Perceptions About Poverty: Views From The Georgia General Assembly, Elizabeth L. Beck, Deborah M. Whitley, James L. Wolk

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study sought to explore legislators perspectives about causes of poverty. Members of the Georgia General Assembly rated the importance of 10 behavioral and structural explanations of poverty, and indicated whether they thought poor women and children would be better served under AFDC or TANF. Whereas all groups of legislators found behavioral explanations moderately important, there was significant variation by race, gender, and political party about the importance of structural explanations of poverty. Support for several structural explanations of poverty correlated with a preference for AFDC, but no correlations were found with behavioral explanations. This study holds implications for affecting …

E. Franklin Frazier And The Interfacing Of Black Sociology And Black Social Work, Jerome H. Schiele

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

E. Franklin Frazier is known almost exclusively for his scholarly contributions after the publication of his seminal book, The Negro Family in the United States. Less is known about Frazier's professional life and scholarly contributions during the period when he was Director of the Atlanta School of Social Work between 1922 and 1927. Frazier was part of that generation of black scholars who benefited from the fluid interfacing of sociology and social work characteristic of the early part of the 20th century. While director of the Atlanta School, Frazier made significant contributions to the knowledge base of social work and …

A Socio-Economic Analysis Of The Three Paths To Social Security Reform, Rebecca A. Van Voorhis

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

As this century ends, old-age pension systems worldwide are experiencing tremendous strain and undergoing rigorous examination. At issue is the ability of current schemes to survive demographic changes which threaten to bankrupt most OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) members' old age pension systems by the early part of the twenty-first century (Peterson, 1996; Steuerle & Bakija, 1994; World Bank, 1994). A variety of proposals have been advanced in response to this concern, which reflect different underlying values and priorities. Varying significantly in their recommendations for the appropriate balance between public and private efforts, these proposals form a continuum …

Bridging The Divide: The Casework Policy Link, Peggy Pittman-Munke

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The professional history of social work in the United States of America is entering its second century. From this vantage point, it is possible to draw on. the past to develop ideas that will work for the future. Contemporary social workers often view the profession as dichotomized between those who deal with individual issues through counseling and private practice and those who are concerned with social change through policy reform. Mary Richmond, pioneer in the professionalization of social casework, offers a tightly integrated model which demonstrates how social casework and social reform can serve to reinforce and support one another …

Review Of Conservative Social Policy: A Description And Analysis. Leon Ginsberg. Reviewed By David Stoez, Virginia Commonwealth University., David Stoez

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Leon Ginsberg, Conservative Social Policy: A Description and Analysis. Chicago, Nelson Hall, 1998. $23.95 papercover.

Review Of The Poor Belong To Us: Catholic Charities And American Welfare. Dorothy M. Brown And Elizabeth Mckeown. Reviewed By Dorothy Van Soest, University Of Texas, Austin., Dorothy Van Soest

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Dorothy M. Brown and Elizabeth McKeown, The Poor Belong to Us: Catholic Charities and American Welfare. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1998. $45.00 hardcover.

Does America Hate The Poor? The Other American Dilemma. John Tropman.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for John Tropman, Does America Hate the Poor? The Other American Dilemma. Westport, CT: Praegar Published, 1998. $ 59.95 hardcover.

Review Of Critical Gerontology: Perspectives From Political And Moral Economy. Meredith Minkler And Carroll L. Estes (Eds.). Reviewed By Martin Tracy, Southern Illinois University., Martin Tracy

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Meredith Minkler and Carroll L. Estes (eds.), Critical Gerontology: Perspectives from Political and Moral Economy. New York: Baywood Publishing co., 1999, $ 35.00 hardcover.

Introduction, Jordan I. Kosberg, Nelson W.S. Chow

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The countries of the world, both developing and developed, are aging. Some already have sizeable populations of elderly persons and others are beginning to experience an aging of their populations for the first time. The causes of population aging in countries of the world are many and include improved medical technology, use of birth control, and emigration of younger members of a society. The demographic "explosion" of the elderly comes at a time of rapid Westernization with changes in the tradition of family caregiving responsibility for elderly members of the family. Simultaneously, even in advanced societies, economic recessions and competing …

Getting Old In The U.S.: Dilemmas Of Indo-Americans, Pallassana R. Balgopal

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Adapting to old age is an arduous task in every society. For Asian immigrants because of drastically different value systems getting old in the U.S. poses a number of dilemmas. For the Indo-American elderly and their families a major dilemma is whether to expect and abide by the value orientation of collectivism or follow the main stream American value of individualism. In this study the ethnographic approach operationalized through Interpretive Interactionism for an understanding of the interaction between the elderly and their families and their overall coping and adaptation process in the United States is presented.

The Use Of Senior Volunteers In The Care Of Discharged Geriatric Patients, Iryna M. Dulka, Mark J. Yaffe, Benita Goldin, William S. Rowe

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article reports on a project that utilized senior volunteers in the role of health advocates for geriatric patients discharged from a hospital. The project was evaluated to determine if healthy and active seniors could make a contribution to the health and social welfare of such discharged elderly persons. The study was conducted in Montreal, Canada and funded by a federal grant from Health Canada. The research collaborators came from a 414-bed secondary care university-affiliated community hospital, a community social service agency with a mandate to respond to the needs of its frail elderly constituents, and a university-based research centre

Policy Implications Of Australian Ageing: The Greying Of A Young Society, John Mccallum

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Australian population ageing is moderate by Western country standards but there are major issues emerging in national policy debates. The proportions 65+ will double and the proportions 85+ will more than quadruple by 2050. The first concern is the long-term trend to earlier retirement from work along with a nearly universal dependency on publicly funded age pensions rather than on private savings and superannuation. New mandatory superannuation guarantee scheme will ease some of the financial pressure from income dependency. Secondly heart, musculoskeletal, cancers, mental illness and digestive diseases are high cost conditions but musculoskeletal and mental conditions are a higher …

Religion, Adversity And Age: Religious Experiences Of Low-Income Elderly Women, Amanda Smith Barusch

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Elders throughout the world turn to religious organizations and rely on religious beliefs to cope with both the routine challenges of daily life and the hardships brought on by severe adversity. Hundreds of studies have documented a positive association between health or well-being and religious participation. Yet few have examined religious experiences of the elderly themselves. In-depth consideration of these experiences might shed light on the contribution of religion to individual lives. This study examines religious experiences of women living in poverty in the United States. Results underscore the deep-seated religious commitment of this group. The dominant theme, mentioned more …

Population Aging, Changes In Living Arrangement, And The New Long-Term Care System In Japan, Wataru Koyano

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

During the last five decades, family life of the Japanese elderly and longterm care have drastically changed. As a response to the rapid population aging and the increasing difficulty of family care, a new universalistic system of long-term care services is going to be introduced in 2000. The new system, called the Insurance Against Care, acknowledges societal responsibility for long-term care, and guarantees a certain level of provision of care services. While the insurance is a response to the changes in family life of the elderly, symbolized by the decrease of co-residence with adult children, it may further stimulate and …

Review Of Double Burden: Black Women And Everyday Racism. Yanick St. Jean And Joe R. Feagin. Reviewed By Wilma Peebles-Wilkins, Boston University., Wilma Peebles-Wilkins

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Yanick St. Jean and Joe R. Feagin, Double Burden: Black Women and Everyday Racism. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 1998. $35.00 hardcover.

Confronting Injustice And Oppression: Concepts And Strategies For Social Workers. David G. Gil.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for David G. Gil, Confronting Injustice and Oppression: Concepts and Strategies for Social Workers. New York: Columbia University Press, 1998. $ 49.50 hardcover, $ 22.50 papercover.

Opportunities For Social Workers In An Aging World, Jordan I. Kosberg

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

It is believed that there are professional opportunities for gerontological social workers in an aging world. To be discussed are potential social work roles within international organizations, multi-national businesses, foreign social service and academic institutions, with newly-arrived elderly immigrants, and in social work education, research, and training. It is concluded that-given global aging-if gerontological social workers do not respond to career opportunities, they will lose out to those from other professions.

Confronting Ageing As A Caribbean Reality, Joan M. Rawlins

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article acknowledges the increased life expectancy which Caribbean populations presently experience. It draws upon data collected throughout the region and identifies some of the main concerns which families, communities and governments need to address, in order to ensure that the elderly will not be severely disadvantaged as a consequence of their increased life expectancy. The article recommends closer cooperation between governmental agencies and non-government organizations (NGOs) in determining the needs of the elderly, as well as the provision of services for them.

Population Aging In Korea: Social Problems And Solutions, Ik Ki Kim

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Aging in Korea is discussed in light of the rapid growth in numbers and proportion of the Korean population and has a great impact upon planning and policy development. The demographic transition has implications on the traditional family caregiving system. Living arrangements and employment status of the elderly will be described, and the economic implications on society will be addressed. There are many roles for the Korean Government to provide for the welfare of the country's growing elderly population.

Aging In China, Nelson W. S. Chow

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article reports on a description of aging in China, in general, and Shanghai, in particular, with contrasts to the aging taking place in Hong Kong. Focused upon are the consequences of population aging on informal and formal support systems in the present and for the future. The efforts in the two cities of Shanghai and Hong Kong reflect differences in systems but are both influenced by traditional practices of a Chinese society.

Caregiving For And By Hispanic Elders: Perceptions Of Four Generations Of Women, Juanita L. Garcia, Jordan I. Kosberg, Wiley P. Mangum, Neil Henderson, Colleen Cuervo Henderson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

So as to learn about the experiences of acculturation among older Hispanic women, four generations were interviewed about their ethnic identity, perceptions of gender equity in the home, life satisfaction, and beliefs regarding family caregiving responsibilities. Findings reveal general differences between hopes for, and experiences with, gender equity and in their self-identification as a member of a minority group and their perceptions of others toward them. Differences were also found among the four age groups of Hispanic women.

Review Of Nothing About Us Without Us: Disability, Oppression And Empowerment. James I. Charlton. Reviewed By Stephanie Brzuzy, Arizona State University., Stephanie Brzuzy

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of James I. Charlton, Nothing About Us Without Us: Disability, Oppression and Empowerment. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1998. $27.50 hardcover