Social Work Commons^™

Theory And The Generation And Subversion Of Knowledge, Dennis Saleebey

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This essay is an argument for the refurbishing of theoretical thinking in social work. In particular, the author calls for the infusion of generative as opposed to normative theory in the profession. Only generative theory has been proven to invigorate the thinking and doing of professional social workers.

Social Support Networks Of Gay Men, Raymond M. Berger, David Mallon

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Although social workers and other helping professionals frequently stress the importance of social networks among gay men, there has been little empirical research to describe these networks. In the present study, the authors analyze data on perceived social support from 166 gay men recruited through gay community groups and social networks. Most gay men were found to have large and diverse social networks. Frequent communication occurs between respondents and network members, most of whom know of respondents' homosexuality. The most frequent and supportive network member was a close friend, and the most common type of support received was emotional. Those …

Beyond An Underclass: An Essay On Up-Front Politics, Paula L. Dressel, Jeff Porterfield

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Debate about underclass conceptualization has once again forced sociologists to acknowledge the political context and implications of our work. This article extends the critical examination of underclass conceptualization to relatively undeveloped but politically important areas of concern. Initially we discuss the political economic context of conceptual controversies surrounding poverty. With a preference for structural analysis, we call for the return of class to economically marginalized people and suggest how that goal might be enhanced by a focus on relations of distribution as well as production. Valuing subjects' vantage points, we recommend how sociologists' work can return agency and diversity to …

Empirical Studies On Foster Care: Review And Assessment, Susan Horan, Gay Kang, Murray Levine, Caroline Duax, Barbara Luntz, Carolyn Tasa

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This is a selected review and critique of twenty articles which investigate psychosocial characteristics of children in foster care. Each article represents an effort to describe the foster care population and/or to test hypotheses about issues in foster care. Articles were selected within the time frame of 1974 to 1989. Data are presented in summary tabular form. Discussion focuses upon behavioral characteristics and emotional/health problems of the children. A general methodological critique of research is provided. Policy recommendations incorporate those variables/factors most frequently studied and suggest direction for further research.

Structuring Support For Volunteer Commitment: An Aids Services Program Study, Taryn Lindhorst, Ronald Mancoske

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Since the AIDS epidemic began over a decade ago, the bulk of services for people living with HIV in the community setting have been provided by volunteers. Volunteers are confronted with the stigmatized status of people with HIV and must learn to manage multiple crisis issues. This paper describes research on volunteerism in a buddy program for people living with AIDS and the perceptions of volunteers about the structural supports of the volunteer program. Issues around perceptions of stress and the relationship between bereavement and volunteering are explored.

Book Reviews, James Midgley, David Stoesz, Howard Jacob Karger, Henry J. D'Souza, Leslie Leighninger, Joel Blau

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

BOOK REVIEWS

• Poverty amidst affluence: Britain and the United States, Vic George and Irving Howards, Aldershot,England, Edward Elgar Publishers, 1991, Reviewed by James Midgley
• Separate societies: Poverty and inequality in American cities. William W. Goldsmith and Edward J. Blakely,Philadelphia, Temple University Press, 1992, Reviewed by James Midgley
• The new politics of poverty: The non-working poor in America Lawrence M. Mead, New York, Basic Books, 1992, Reviewed by James Midgley
• The End of Equality. Mickey Kaus. New York: Basic Books, 1992, Reviewed by David Stoesz
• The Moral Construction of Poverty: Welfare Reform in America. Joel F. handler and Yeheskel …

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 20, No. 1 (March 1993)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• THEORY AND THE GENERATION AND SUBVERSION OF KNOWLEDGE - Dennis Saleebey
• BEYOND AN UNDERCLASS: AN ESSAY ON UP-FRONT POLITICS - Paula L. Dressel and Jeff Porterfield
• RACE, GENDER, OCCUPATIONAL STATUS, AND INCOME IN COUNTY HUMAN SERVICE EMPLOYMENT - R.L. McNeely, Jerome L. Blakemore, and Robert 0. Washington
• FROM WELFARE TO WORK: DOES IT MAKE SENSE? - Ann E. Kerlin
• CHILD SUPPORT SERVICES AND NON-WELFARE FAMILIES - Kimberly A. Folse
• FOCUS GROUPS, PROGRAM EVALUATION, AND THE POOR - Robert S. Magill
• INTERNATIONAL MIGRANTS OR WELFARE CLIENTS: THE SELECTION OF A MASTER STATUS FOR INDOCHINESE REFUGEES BY AMERICAN VOLUNTARY …

Race, Gender, Occupational Status, And Income In County Human Service Employment, R.L. Mcneely, Jerome L. Blakemore, Robert O. Washington

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Data obtained from more than 1,900 public welfare workers employed in five regions of the country were examined to compare occupational status and earnings by race and gender. The study group was stratified so that respondents' educational attainment and job seniority levels could be taken into account. Findings indicate the presence of significant sex and race-linked differences.

From Welfare To Work: Does It Make Sense?, Ann E. Kerlin

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

A great deal of thought and energy currently is being focused on moving welfare recipients off welfare and into the job market. This article reports the results of a study of the work versus welfare choice of women who are limited to the minimum wage job market. Due to the level of the minimum wage, these women face poverty even when working full time. Working often brings them little financial benefit compared to being on welfare, and does not include important benefits such as health coverage for their children. one might ask, then, why women facing this choice would be …

Child Support Services And Non-Welfare Families, Kimberly A. Folse

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Under the law, Child Support Enforcement services are supposed to be available to all single-headed families with absent parents who are not paying support, or not paying enough support. Using Alabama as a case study, it was determined that factors operating at the agency level effectively control how many non-public assistance clients are being served. The number of non-AFDC clients was found to be a function of the number of AFDC clients rather than a function of the free-market of services. It is proposed that the incentive structure for collections, which limits incentive payments for non-AFDC to 115 percent of …

Focus Groups, Program Evaluation, And The Poor, Robert S. Magill

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Focus groups are a qualitative research technique which can be applied to program evaluation with low income clients. Focus groups are relatively easy to organize and operate, can be less expensive than other research techniques, can provide quick feedback, and possess the potential to empower low income clients.

This paper discusses the development of focus groups, their strengths and weaknesses, and their utility in program evaluation. An example of their use in the evaluation of a state low income energy program is provided along with some guidelines for their use with low income respondents.

International Migrants Or Welfare Clients: The Selection Of A Master Status For Indochinese Refugees By American Voluntary Agencies, Jeremy Hein

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Government funding of nonprofit organizations is a dominant trend in American social welfare and it has greatly influenced the voluntary agencies resettling Indochinese refugees. Some agencies identify their clients as international migrants from the Third World, but others view them primarily as welfare recipients. These distinctive master statuses lead agencies to provide different services, thus affecting the refugees' initial adaptation to American society. Religiosity, period of creation, links to the welfare state, and international activities shape the selection of a master status for Indochinese refugees.

The Welfare Reservation: A Worst Case Scenario For A Federal Role In Homeless Assistance, Joseph M. Conforti

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The purpose of the little-known Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987 is stated as "... States, units of local government, and private voluntary organizations have been unable to meet the basic human needs of all the homeless and, in the absence of greater Federal Assistance, will be unable to protect the lives and safety of all the homeless in need of assistance: and the Federal Government has a clear responsibility and an existing capacity to fulfill a more effective and responsible role to meet the basic human needs and to engender respect for the human dignity of the …

Book Notes

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

BOOK NOTES

• Human Development Report 1992. United National Development Program, New York, Oxford University Press, 1992. 219
• The Impact of Tax Legislation on Corporate Income Security Planning for Retirees. Ruth Ylvisaker Winger. New York, Garland Publishing Inc., 1992. 219
• The Poverty Debate: Politics and the Poor in America. C. Emory Burton, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1992. 220
• Inequality Examined. Amartya Sen. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1992. 220
• The Political Economy of Poverty, Equity and Growth: Sri Lanka and Malaysia. Henry J. Bruton. New York, Oxford University Press, 1992. 221
• The Political Economy of Basic Needs. Bruce E. Moon. New …

Acting On Their Own Behalf: Affiliation And Political Mobilization Among Homeless People, Marcia B. Cohen, David Wagner

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Homeless people have been portrayed in the literature as passive, isolated, and unable to act on their own behalf. The authors discuss the findings of an ethnographic study of homeless activists which challenge the stereotypical view of homeless people as disaffiliated and disempowered. Collective social action was found to have a long term impact on access to material resources, development of social networks, and construction of positive homeless identity.

Entrepreneurial Activities Of Homeless Men, Steven Balkin

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Encouraging and assisting homeless people to become self-employed provides a way for some of them to increase their incomes, and may help close the gap between the cost of housing and labor market earnings. A survey of operators of homeless shelters was conducted to determine the types of work activities that adult homeless men participate in. Self-employment was found to be a common activity for a substantial proportion of adult homeless men; and a preferred mode of employment for many. Advantages and disadvantages of such an approach are discussed. Several program models are described which can be used to enhance …

Homelessness And The Low Income Housing Crisis, Cushing N. Dolbeare

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The cost of housing is beyond the means of a growing number of housholds. This "affordability gap" is the underlying cause of homelessness. Housing assistance to low income families is therefore a logical solution to the problem, in combination with other responses.

Rediscovering The Asylum, Sharon M. Keigher

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Spending a night at a typical big city shelter for the homeless has reminded the author of the massive and regimented environment in institutions that she had mistakenly believed no longer existed after the much acclaimed "deinstitutionalization" of America. St. Mary's is run by a religious order attempting to provide charitable care in a nondemanding environment. Many demands are made, however. The lack of privacy and respect for individuality inherent in institutional life tends to erode the "inmate's" very conception of self. It controls their activities, time, and choices, and thus creates barriers to exit. Providing "shelter" for the homeless …

Assessing The Impact Of Serving The Long-Term Mentally Disabled Homeless, Laura E. Blankertz, Ram A. Cnaan, Marlene Saunders

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Homelessness has emerged as a major social problem. In an attempt to understand this problem, attention has been focused on postulating its causes, describing the individuals who hold this status, and estimating its magnitude. This study assesses the outcome of one social service program for long-term mentally disabled homeless individuals. It includes a synopsis of the state of the art in serving homeless individuals with severe mental health problems; a description of a program created to meet their needs; and an analysis of the outcome of this program.

Absence Of A Family Safety Net For Homeless Families, Kay Young Mcchesney

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Analysis of data from interviews of 80 mothers in five shelters for homeless families suggests that the availability of housing support from kin may be a selection mechanism determining which families become homeless. The availability of kin housing support is seen as a function of four factors: family structure, proximity, control of adequate housing resources, and estrangement. Policy implications are discussed

Homeless In Philadelphia: A Qualitative Study Of The Impact Of State Welfare Reform On Individuals, Anthony Halter

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Although homelessness is not a new problem, the faces of the homeless are changing. For many, the term "homeless person" conjures up the image of a skid row alcoholic. However, the homeless now include unskilled middle-aged males, the chronically mentally ill, and families (Chaiklin, 1985). The reasons for the amplification of homelessness include unemployment, insufficient low-cost housing, alcohol and/or drug addiction, mental health deinstitutionalization and the inadequacy of community-based services. In addition, advocates for the homeless including Mitch Snyder (1986) and Jan Hagen (1986) have argued that federal and state welfare policy changes have served to shift potentially at-risk populations …

Poverty, Homelessness, And Racial Exclusion, John R. Belcher

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article reviews the societal forces that have made homelessness the end result of racial exclusion and inner city isolation. It is argued that significant societal change is necessary to reduce racial exclusion and prevent homelessness.

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 19, No. 4 (December 1992)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

SPECIAL ISSUE ON HOMELESSNESS - Edited by Padmini Gulati

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• EDITORIAL - Padmini Gulati
• HOMELESSNESS IN PHILADELPHIA: A STUDY OF THE IMPACT OF STATE WELFARE REFORM ON INDIVIDUALS - Anthony Halter
• ACTING ON THEIR OWN BEHALF: AFFILIATION AND POLITICAL MOBILIZATION AMONG HOMELESS PEOPLE - Marcia B. Cohen and David Wagner
• POVERTY, HOMELESSNESS AND RACIAL EXCLUSION - John Belcher
• ABSENCE OF A FAMILY SAFETY NET FOR HOMELESS FAMILIES - Kay Young McChesney
• FIVE-YEAR COHORT STUDY OF HOMELESS FAMILIES: A JOINT POLICY RESEARCH VENTURE - John Stretch and Larry W. Kreuger
• WOMEN AND HOMELESSNESS: THE NEED TO LOOK BEYOND SHELTERS …

Five Year Cohort Study Of Homeless Families: A Joint Policy Research Venture, John J. Stretch, Larry W. Kreuger

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Over the past ten years there have been significant investments in families uprooted by homelessness, but no data which clearly delineated what types of families had been helped, and how long help may have sustained them. Reported are preliminary data on 875 families who resided in a 60 day family shelter from 1983 through 1987. Field interviews in 1989 with 201 of those families provide data on residential history, employment, familial and demographic changes, service needs and additional homeless episodes. Policy questions focus on current residential stability and community reintegration.

Women And Homelessness: Evidence Of Need To Look Beyond Shelters To Long Term Social Service Assistance And Permanent Housing, Elizabeth Huttman, Sonjia Redmond

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Based on two surveys of staff in 25 homeless shelters in the San Francisco Bay area, this study focuses on services to homeless women and their children. Both the advantages and disadvantages of shelter living are discussed, as well as obstacles to moving homeless women and their children into permanent housing. The survey finds that there is a need for rapid movement out of the shelters and a concomitant need for long term social services.

Ideology. Public Policy And Homeless Families, Padmini Gulati

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper was originally presented at the session of Ad hoc Committee on Housing and the Built Environment of the World Congress of Sociology held in Madrid. July 1990.

Homeless Persons' Interest In Basic And Health Services: The Role Of Absolute, Relative, And Repressed Needs, Russell K. Schutt

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study describes and explains the interest of homeless persons in housing, economic, and health-related services with intake interview data collected by a large urban shelter for single adults. Shelter guests were most interested in assistance with housing, job, and economic benefits, rather than health services. Three explanations of variation in service interests are identified: the "absolute needs" explanation expects service interests to vary directly with service needs, the "repressed needs" explanation expects service interests to vary inversely with alcoholism and mental illness, while the "relative needs" explanation expects interest in health-related services to be related to health needs, but …

To Survive And To Thrive: Integrating Services For The Homeless Mentally Ill, Marie D. Hoff, Katherine H. Briar, Kristin Knighton, Angie Van Ry

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

An intervention research project with homeless, chronically mentally ill persons demonstrated that linking rehabilitation services, such as employment skills and psycho-social stabilization, with survival services promotes success in serving this population. The project confirmed the central role of case managers in promoting engagement with mental health services and re-integration into stable community living.

Book Review: The Visible Poor: Homelessness In The United States By Joel Blau, Larry Kreuger

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

THE VISIBLE POOR: HOMELESSNESS IN THE UNITED STATES Joel Blau New York: Oxford University Press, 1992. $22.95 hardcover.

Black Pink Collar Workers: Arduous Journey From Field And Kitchen To Office, Judith B. Bremner

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The black female workers' journey from field to office was a long and arduous one. This paper examines the transition of black women from agricultural laborers to pink collar workers during the period 1900 to 1980. More black women than white women have had to work in paid employment in order to maintain their families economically. Discrimination against black pink collar workers in career advancement and the better-paying positions, is especially critical because so many black families are female-headed households in need of all the economic resources that the mother-breadwinner can obtain.