Social Work Commons^™

Hermeneutics And The Social Sciences: An Evaluation Of The Function Of Hermeneutics In A Consumer Disability Study, Charles Ringma, Christopher Brown

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper explicates the hermeneutic procedure utilized in the development and interpretation of a questionnaire for consumers with a disability regarding their perspectives on the accessibility and quality of human services they are using. It finds that consumers experience difficulty in bringing into language their critique of existing services. The paper argues the value of a hermeneutic methodology in the social sciences and its usefulness in refining qualitative survey methods designed to explicate the perspectives of those experiencing relative powerlessness in using human services. It seeks, moreover, to establish the complementarity of the hermeneutics of suspicion and those of affirmation.

War, Peace, And "The System": Three Perspectives, Paul Adams

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Social workers have sometimes seen war as part of a larger system and as linked to other forms of violence or social evil. This article considers three kinds of analysis which identify different systems (capitalism, patriarchy, and exterminism), see the links in different ways, and lead to different practical conclusions. Each perspective is examined in terms of its capacity to explain the phenomena it describes and to identify a social change strategy that can eliminate them. It is suggested that social workers may be professionally predisposed to select among these perspectives for reasons other than their explanatory power or strategic …

Conservative Welfare Reform Proposals And The Reality Of Subemployment, Robert Sheak, David D. Dabelko

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article analyzes and critiques conservative welfare proposals and their assumptions. The concept of subemployment is introduced along with relevant data to identify the nature of the job problem in the U.S. since the early 1970s. Particular emphasis is placed upon the magnitude of employment difficulties during the 1980s. The article concludes that without a major job creation component, conservative welfare reforms intensify rather than ameliorate the subsistence living conditions of the poor.

An Examination Of Research Explaining Public Welfare Spending At The State Level, Robert G. Mogull

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

A large body of research has examined the determinants of welfare spending at various jurisdictional levels. This paper takes stock of the accomplishments of these studies within a limited framework. Primary socioeconomic and political factors are surveyed and reviewed with respect to their explanatory association with appropriations for public welfare at the level of states.

Family Ties During Imprisonment: Important To Whom And For What?, Creasie Finney Hairston

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper reviews research on the social functions of prisoner-family ties. Three areas are examined: the preservation of marital units and parentchild bonds; the individual well-being of prisoners, children and other family members; and the prisoner's post-release success. The literature indicates that the maintenance of family ties during imprisonment is desirable, but difficult. Benefits suggested by empirical findings include decreased rates of recidivism following imprisonment, improved mental health of inmates and other family members, and an increased probability of reunification of the family household following imprisonment. The paper concludes with the identification of an agenda to guide future policy and …

The Introductory Course In The Undergraduate Social Work Curriculum, Philip R. Popple

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The content of the Introduction to Social Welfare course in 168 bachelor of social work (BSW) programs is analyzed including major concepts presented, research results and statistical data presented or assigned, theoretical perspectives used, and the perceived importance of, and methods used to develop values. Several problems with the introductory course are identified: no set body of content, minimal support by research and statistical data, frequent lack of explicit theoretical content, and an overriding emphasis on developing values. More uniformity in content is necessary in order to facilitate the development of good teaching materials and to provide a firm foundation …

Private Child Support: Current And Potential Impacts, Donald T. Oellerich, Irwin Garfinkel, Philip K. Robins

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper examines the effects of a number of methods for enhancing private child support collections: increasing the proportion of those children potentially eligible for child support who get child support awards; using a uniform standard for determining child support obligations; and collecting a greater percentage of current obligations. The paper also estimates the potential of all three methods used in combination to provide income to needy custodial families.

The research demonstrates that the current private child support system falls far short of its potential to transfer income from noncustodial to custodial families. Although the use of a normative standard, …

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 18, No. 1 (March 1991)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

CONTENTS

• PRIVATE CHILD SUPPORT: CURRENT AND POTENTIAL
• IMPACTS - Donald T. Oellerich, Irwin Garfinkel, and Philip K. Robins
• AN EXAMINATION OF RESEARCH EXPLAINING PUBLIC WELFARE SPENDING AT THE STATE LEVEL - Robert G. Mogull
• CONSERVATIVE WELFARE REFORM PROPOSALS AND THE REALITY OF SUBEMPLOYMENT - Robert Sheak and David D. Dabelko
• WORKFARE PROGRAMS IN RURAL AMERICA: JOBLESSNESS IN OHIO'S APPALACHIAN COUNTIES - Karen V. Harper and Richard W. Greenlee
• FAMILY TIES DURING IMPRISONMENT: IMPORTANT TO WHOM AND FOR WHAT? - Creasie Finney Hairston
• SELF-EMPOWERMENT AMONG ADULTS WITH SEVERE PHYSICAL DISABILITY: A CASE STUDY - Nancy A. Brooks
• THE INTRODUCTORY COURSE IN …

Workfare Programs In Rural America: Joblessness In Ohio's Appalachian Counties, Karen V. Harper, Richard W. Greenlee

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In 1988 the Family Support Act was passed into law requiring welfare recipients to participate in work experience programs to receive their welfare benefits. This paper questions the effectiveness of mandatory workfare programs in rural impoverished regions of the United States. The Appalachian counties of Ohio are used as a case example to demonstrate the problems in implementing workfare programs in economically distressed regions where limited job opportunities exist. Implications for policy are examined, alternatives to mandatory work programs are discussed, and further research to determine the utility of workfare programs is called for.

Self-Empowerment Among Adults With Severe Physical Disability: A Case Study, Nancy A. Brooks

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

An independent living residential setting for severely physically disabled adults was studied through overt observation methods for twenty-two months. The purpose was observation of residents' council actions and expressions of group interests. The council displayed several phases of political structure and behavior. These phases were related to staff and administrative considerations as well as the residents emerging demonstrations of self-empowerment at the group level. The capacity for selfadvocacy emerges as a dynamic enterprise which is clearly related to the structure and interests of the service agency.

The Impact Of Drgs On Social Workers In A University-Affiliated, Teaching Hospital System, Joan M. Merdinger, Fredrick J. Garrity, Robert L. Treichler

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The impact of DRGs on social workers in four social work departments located in one Northeast State was assessed by interviews with all social work staff and administrators. The impact of DRGs was determined to be substantial. Implications for social work education and practice are considered.

The Privatization Of Housing In A Declining Economy: The Case Of Stepping Stone Housing, Judy Aulette

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The demand for housing for poor people in the United States has grown significantly in recent years. In response to the crisis, the federal government has recommended that housing policy should move in the direction of privatization, thereby removing the responsibility for housing from the federal government to the private sector. Stepping Stone Housing is a new program that is an example of privatization. Public housing residents who had been targeted by the program were surveyed and several problems with Stepping Stone Housing were discovered. The findings suggest that privatization may hurt poor people.

Do Respondents Who Pen Comments Onto Mail Surveys Differ From Other Respondents? A Research Note On The Human Services Job Satisfaction Literature, R. L. Mcneely

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

A current study has criticized the human services job satisfaction literature for relying solely on information obtained by "closed-ended" questionnaires. Stating that these studies may not accurately reflect the actual conditions under which public welfare employees function, the authors base their criticisms on an analysis of the extemporaneous comments of subjects participating in a national study. Nonetheless, whether or not those who pen comments are representative of the broader population of human service workers remains an open question. The study reported in this article sought to shed light on this issue by comparing respondents who commented versus those who did …

Response By Ralph Segalman To Isidore Walliman's Review Of The Swiss Way Of Welfare Which Appeared In Volume Xv, Number 2 (June, 1988), Ralph Segalman

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

I find the Walliman review deeply faulted in many ways.

A Redefinition Of The Problem Of Homelessness Among Persons With A Chronic Mental Illness, Donald M. Linhorst

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Two definitions of the problem of homelessness among persons with a chronic mental illness are examined, along with their implied solutions and ramifications for policy. Homelessness among this group is first viewed as the result of deinstitutionalization, and secondly, as the outcome of a critical shortage of low-income housing. Solutions stemming from the deinstitutionalization definition of homelessness, reinstitutionalization or improvement in the mental health system, are seen as inadequate to deal with the problem of homelessness among the mentally ill. Instead, state departments of mental health are called upon to provide a leadership role in the development of affordable housing.

Promoting Voting Behavior Among Low Income Black Voters Using Reminder Letters: An Experimental Investigation, William Kelly Canady, Bruce A. Thyer

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

A controlled experimental design applied in a field setting was used to determine the effectiveness of a bipartisan mailed letter reminding registered low income black voters to participate in the 1988 Presidential election. Each member of three groups of approximately 85 voters received either one, two or three such reminder letters shortly before the election. A fourth, control group of voters did not receive any letters. Statistical analysis revealed that the reminder letters appeared to have no effect on voting behavior.

Burnout And Job Satisfaction: Their Relationship To Perceived Competence And Work Stress Among Undergraduate And Graduate Social Workers, David P. Himle, Srinika Jayaratne

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study investigated the effects of two types of social work competency on job satisfaction and burnout among undergraduate and graduate social workers. While previous research has suggested that perceived practice competence may increase job satisfaction and reduce burnout, the findings of this study suggest that there is a differential effect between various types of competence on these factors, especially among undergraduate workers. The findings did not support the contention that perceived practice competence was a primary cause of burnout reduction among graduate workers or undergraduate workers, when compared to other occupational stressors.

How Voluntary Agency Networks Fared In The 1980s, Margaret Gibelman, Harold W. Demone Jr.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Believing that the least government is the best government, the Reagan Administration favored, in both principle and practice, the transfer of functions to and fiscal independence of the private sector. This article provides a comparative analysis of the financial status of three major types of voluntary agency networks before and near the end of the Reagan era. Focusing on national voluntary health, child welfare league, and family service agencies, proportionate and absolute revenues, sources of income, and new income generating strategies are examined within the context of philanthropic trends and the compensatory role of state and local governments.

These agency …

Differential Perception And Adolescent Drinking In The United States: Preliminary Considerations, John B. Harms, James L. Wolk

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper addresses adolescent drinking from a perspective very similar to Sutherland's differential association theory. Drinking occurs when positive perceptions of drinking outweigh or outnumber negative ones. Our research focuses on images of drinking communicated by rationalized sources organized specifically to shape perceptions of drinking. We call these organizations "agencies" and assess their impact on perceptions of drinking. It is our contention that the political economic context of the United States in which these agencies function is such that positive images of drinking outnumber and outweigh negative ones, and that this is an important factor contributing to adolescent drinking.

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 17, No. 4 (December 1990)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Contents

• HOW VOLUNTARY AGENCY NETWORKS FARED IN THE 1980S - Margaret Gibelman and Harold W. Demone, Jr.
• DIFFERENTIAL PERCEPTION AND ADOLESCENT DRINKING IN THE UNITED STATES: PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS - John B. Harms and James L. Wolk
• A REDEFINITION OF THE PROBLEM OF HOMELESSNESS AMONG PERSONS WITH A CHRONIC MENTAL ILLNESS - Donald M. Linhorst
• PARAPROFESSIONAL SOCIAL SERVICE PERSONNEL IN SPAIN - Edward A. Brawley
• EXCHANGE RULES IN THE MEDIATION OF SOCIAL WELFARE WORK - Paula L. Dressel, Michelle Waters, Mike Sweat, and Obie Clayton
• BURNOUT AND JOB SATISFACTION: THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO PERCEIVED COMPETENCE AND WORK STRESS AMONG UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE …

Paraprofessional Social Service Personnel In Spain, Edward Allan Brawley

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study reveals the importance of front-line paraprofessional personnel in the rapidly expanding social services in Spain and identifies the functions they perform, the different kinds of training they receive, their opportunities for advancement, and several issues that must be addressed if they are to make their best contributions to Spain's social services.

Exchange Rules In The Mediation Of Social Welfare Work, Paula L. Dressel, Michelle Waters, Mike Sweat, Obie Clayton

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article demonstrates the utility of the concept of exchange rules for understanding welfare worker agency in the mediation of workplace ideologies and behaviors. The exchange rules of complementarity, reciprocity, and beneficence are applied to the issues of service worker burnout, worker-client interactions, and labor issues to illustrate their conceptual and practical power. This analysis from an interactionist perspective complements the macro-level observations of the fundamental contradictions within the social welfare enterprise. It also suggests avenues for the mediation and alleviation of certain workplace dilemmas.

Testing The Underclass Concept By Surveying Attitudes And Behavior, Kathleen J. Pottick

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Recent interest in the problems of an underclass has highlighted deficiencies in the conceptual understanding of the term and empirical investigation into its dynamics. This research note describes the current definition of the concept and presents recent empirical tests of it. By presenting available survey data sets that can identify underclass attitudes, values and behavior, the note refines the deliberations on measurement. Two underclass groups, welfare recipients and criminals, are used to illustrate the methodology

Child Support Enforcement Reform: Can It Reduce The Welfare Dependency Of Families Of Never-Married Mothers?, Ann Nichols-Casebolt, Marieka Klawitter

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Among all groups of single-parent families, those created by a birth to an unmarried woman have the least likelihood of receiving child support and the greatest risk of becoming dependent on welfare. Wisconsin data indicate that child support reform-specifically the immediate income assignment-is improving child support payment performance. But the modest increases in payments to nonmarital children will have little effect on their welfare recipiency. The fathers of these children lack the economic resources to aid their families much in the short term. However, cost effectiveness should not be the only criterion used in enforcing child support. It is important …

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 17, No. 3 (September 1990)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Contents

• PERCEIVED STRESS, SOCIAL SUPPORT AND SURVIVAL: NORTH CAROLINA FARM OPERATORS AND THE FARM CRISIS - Michael D. Schulman and Paula S. Armstrong
• CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT REFORM: CAN IT REDUCE THE WELFARE DEPENDENCY OF FAMILIES OF NEVER-MARRIED MOTHERS? - Ann Nichols-Casebolt and Marieka Klawitter
• PERMANENCY PLANNING AND THE CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT ACT: THE PARADOX OF CHILD WELFARE POLICY - Mary Ann Jimenez
• A CRITIQUE OF FAMILY CASEWORKERS 1900-1930: WOMEN WORKING WITH WOMEN - Beverly A. Stadum
• GENDER, EMPLOYMENT AND PSYCHOSOCIAL WELL-BEING - David C. Congdon
• ILLNESS CAREER DESCENT AND THE DESCENDING HIERARCHY: THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF A RETIREMENT …

Perceived Stress, Social Support And Survival: North Carolina Farm Operators And The Farm Crisis, Michael D. Schulman, Paula S. Armstrong

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The current farm crisis draws attention to the sources and consequences of the stress process among farm operators. Using panel data from statewide surveys of North Carolina farm operators collected during a period of economic and ecological crisis, the relationships among perceived stress, social support, and survival in agriculture are investigated. Analyses reveal that while the level of perceived stress has no relationship with survival, social support has a significant impact upon both social psychological (plans to remain in farming) and behavioral (continuing as a farm operator) dimensions of survival in agriculture. Perceived social support increased plans to remain in …

Permanency Planning And The Child Abuse Prevention And Treatment Act: The Paradox Of Child Welfare Policy, Mary Ann Jimenez

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act of 1974 and the Adoptions Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 have imposed conflicting mandates on the public child welfare system. CAPTA places the moral weight of the federal government behind professional intervention with troubled families, while the Adoptions Assistance Act was designed to protect the autonomy of families. As these policies currently stand, the goal of protection of vulnerable children is seriously undermined.

Illness Career Descent And The Descending Hierarchy: The Organizational Structure Of A Retirement Facility, Bradley J. Fisher

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Illness career descent is a process involving the downward trajectory of chronic illness and the residents' downward movement through the organizational structure of the retirement facility. This structure can be conceptualized as a "descending" hierarchy where residents experience downward mobility through successively lower statuses. These conceptualizations are grounded in three years of participant observation and interviews with over 150 residents at a multilevel care retirement facility. Downward mobility, within the facility, entails relocation to more regimented and stigmatized residency situations. The individual's goal is to slow down the pace of this illness career timetable. Descending hierarchical structures within facilities for …

The Use Of Volunteers By Governmental Social Services In Israel, Ram A. Cnaan

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article studies an important aspect of coprovision in social service agencies. It focuses on how social welfare departments utilize the resources of volunteers. An indepth study of 14 Local Departments of Social Service (LDSS) in Israel identifies several issues regarding the use of volunteers that have theoretical and practical implications not only for social services but also for other government service organizations engaged in coprovision.

A Critique Of Family Case Workers 1900-1930: Women Working With Women, Beverly A. Stadum

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Case records from a charity organization/family case work agency in the early century provide means for evaluating the interaction of nascent social workers with female heads of poor households receiving relief 1900-1930. Class differences and social control appear in retrospect as defining certain elements of this activity; although social workers provided needed material resources, positive impact on poor women's lives was limiited by workers' lack of knowledge and unquestioning commitment to traditional values. Casework, however, is shown as a complex process with concerned leaders in social work trying to shape professional behavior and recipient families engaged in their own problem …