Social Work Commons^™

Problems And Politics: A Multiple Streams Analysis Of The Excellence In Mental Health Act Of 2014, Megan Leopold

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Inadequate funding of community mental health has led to a variety of problems, including a shortage of available providers and services. After decades of being ignored, Congress acknowledged these difficulties in 2014 with the passage of the Excellence in Mental Health Act. The Excellence in Mental Health Act, one of the first to target community mental health in decades, created national standards of care and more adequate reimbursement rates for centers able to meet these new standards. The Multiple Streams framework is used to study the success of the Excellence in Mental Health Act in becoming law, examining how policy …

The Political Participation Of First Year Social Work Students: Does Practice Specialization Matter?, Jason Ostrander, Janelle Bryan, Addie Sandler, Paula Nieman, Maureen Clark, Emily Loveland, Tanya Rhodes Smith

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study identifies the types of political participation engaged in by MSW students (n=214). A self-report survey administered to MSW students at a Northeastern university indicates limited political involvement. MSW students participate in political activities not requiring significant time, energy, or resources. Furthermore, on the scale and its two subscales, micro-oriented students had less political participation than macro-oriented students. This study suggests first-year social work students may lack the tools to engage in the political process effectively. Schools of social work should include political participation education in both micro and macro foundation courses and field placements.

Deconstructing And Reconstructing Identity: How Queer Liberation Organizations Deploy Collective Identities, Ben Anderson-Nathe, Joseph Nicholas Defilippis, Gita R. Mehrotra

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The mainstream gay rights movement has made significant strides toward its agenda, at least in part due to the movement’s claim that it represents all the interests of all LGBTQ communities. However, a queer liberation movement (QLM) led by queer people of color and other marginalized LGBTQ people has existed alongside the mainstream movement since its inception. This movement pursues a radically different agenda and employs organizing strategies distinct from those of the mainstream movement, centering the interests of those LGBTQ people most often left behind by the mainstream agenda. This paper examines how the QLM negotiates and deploys collective …

Women’S Experiences With Microfinance In Urban Bangladesh: Results From A Qualitative Study, Nadine Shaanta Murshid, Navine Murshid

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In this qualitative study, in-depth interviews with 30 microfinance participants were conducted in Dhaka, Bangladesh. This article explores the experiences of women participating in microfinance through the lens of what we call neoliberal patriarchy. Thematic analyses of the textual data obtained from “rich description” from women indicated that the experience of microfinance was both liberating and burdensome for them. While navigating their ways though microfinance, women also found that men’s domination over women extended beyond the household; for example, they experienced harassment on the streets and at their places of business. Implications for practice are discussed.

Measuring And Addressing Elderly Bullying In A Senior Residential Community, Heather Jeffries, Karen Slovak, Sylvester Huston

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Elderly bullying lags far behind in research endeavors compared to related topics of youth bullying and elder abuse. This particular study is unique in its examination of bullying among elderly residents from independent and assisted living communities. This action-oriented study collected surveys from 98 residents of a Midwest senior residential community to determine levels, location, and responses to bullying by residents as well as to inform administration of appropriate responses. Results indicated that approximately one in four residents responded that they had seen or heard another resident being bullied at some point. Residents also reported their experiences with social, physical, …

Review Of The Three Pillars Of Transforming Care: Trauma And Resilience In The Other 23 Hours. Howard Bath And John Seita. Reviewed By Elizabeth Carey., Elizabeth Carey

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Review of:

Howard Bath and John Seita, The Three Pillars of Transforming Care: Trauma and Resilience in the Other 23 Hours. University of Winnepeg Faculty of Education Publishing (2018), 136 pages, $25.00 (hardcover).

Review Of Ending Homelessness:Why We Haven’T, How We Can. Donald W. Burnes And David L. Dileo. Reviewed Sondra J. Fogel, Stephanie Duncan, And Heather Larkin., Sondra J. Fogel, Stephanie Duncan, Heather Larkin

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Review of:

Donald W. Burnes and David L. DiLeo. Ending Homelessness: Why We Haven’t, How We Can. Lynne Rienner Publishers, Inc. (2016), 314 pages, $39.95 (hardcover).

Review Of Young People Leaving State Care In China. Xiaoyuan Shang And Karen R. Fisher. Reviewed By Mingyang Zheng., Mingyang Zheng

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Review of:

Xiaoyuan Shang and Karen R. Fisher, Young People Leaving State Care in China. Policy Press at the University of Bristol (2017), 264 pages, $120.00 (hardcover).

Review Of Welfare, Work, And Poverty: Social Assistance In China. Qin Gao. Reviewed By Jing Guo., Jing Guo

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Review of:

Qin Gao, Welfare, Work, and Poverty: Social Assistance in China. Oxford University Press (2017), 176 pages, $35 (hardcover).

Review Of Fragile Families: Foster Care, Immigration, And Citizenship. Naomi Glenn-Levin Rodriguez. Reviewed By Yue Xu., Yue Xu

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Review of:

Naomi Glenn-Levin Rodriguez, Fragile Families: Foster Care, Immigration, and Citizenship. University of Pennsylvania Press (2017), 222 pages, $59.95 (hardcover).

Postpartum Depression Among Low-Income Mothers Of Color: A Womanist Perspective, Rebecca S. Rouland Polmanteer, Robert H. Keefe, Carol Brownstein-Evans

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The ideals of “good mothering” are constructed by various social policies and institutions. Many mothers from traditionally oppressed groups may find them difficult to achieve. The intersections of multiple forms of oppression create harsh circumstances for mothers from minority groups that can contribute to postpartum depression (PPD). Left untreated, PPD can have long-lasting negative effects on the mothers’ and their children’s well-being. Despite the growing research on PPD that finds striking disparities in prevalence by race, ethnicity, and socio-economic class, virtually all of the research has focused on mothers from privileged backgrounds and none has used a well-established theory to …

Social Investments, Asset Building, And Social Development— The State Of The Art: A Special Issue In Honor Of James Midgley, David K. Androff, Mary Caplan

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

First Paragraph:

Social investment and social development approaches seek to promote human well-being by harmonizing social welfare with economic development (Midgley, 2014). Social development emerged from diverse traditions, including postcolonial social policy, international development, and institutional approaches to the welfare state; over the last two decades this approach has risen to prominence as a key policy and practice perspective around the globe. The social development perspective has yielded policy innovations and catalyzed practice models such as developmental social work (Midgley & Conley, 2010). From the 1995 World Summit on Social Development, subsequent Millennium Development Goals, and the current Sustainable Development …

Journal Of Sociology And Social Welfare Vol. 45 No. 4

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

No abstract provided.

Social Development, Asset Building, And Social Investment: The Historical And International Context, James Midgley

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article provides an historical background to the special issue by tracing the evolution of social development, asset building and social investment in different parts of the world. These approaches transcend remedial and service-oriented interventions and seek to promote progressive social change. They also stress the importance of investing in people and communities, and focusing on their strengths rather than deficits. The historical evolution of these three approaches in different countries and world regions is described, and their key features are highlighted. The article compares these approaches and considers some of their implications for social welfare, pointing out that they …

Asset Building As Social Investment, Michael Sherraden

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Inclusive asset building as a social policy innovation is a relative “newcomer” in policy discussions and research. The context is that since the middle of the 20th century, many countries implemented asset-building policy that is not inclusive, serves mostly the well-off, and is highly

regressive. In the United States, for example, the largest policy mechanisms are in tax benefits for home owning and saving for retirement. Altogether in the United States, such policies transfer about $500 billion dollars per year to the non-poor, most of this to the top 10%. This of course exacerbates inequalities in wealth and social development. …

Institutional Structuralism As A Process To Achieve Social Development: Aymara Women's Community Project Based On The Working With People Model In Peru, Adolfo Cazorla, Xavier Negrillo, Viviana Montalvo, Victor L. De Nicolas

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Institutional Structuralism draws on different social and economic institutions and seeks to mobilize them through an approach known as “managed pluralism” (Midgley, 2013). It also works as a process to promote social development for everyone. The state should usually play a key role in this process, although this is not always the case. This article analyzes a process which has been ongoing since 2007 promoted by a university institution with the Aymara Women’s Community in Peru to harmonize social welfare with economic development; taking into account the Working with People model through its three components: ethical-social, political-contextual and technical-entrepreneurial. The …

Social Protection In Africa: Beyond Safety Nets?, Leila Patel

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Social protection is one of the most recent, yet fastest growing social policy instruments in low and middle income countries to end poverty. At least 50 countries in Africa have non-contributory social protection programmes targeting poor and vulnerable households and individuals. Are these social policies an extension of residual social policies, or do they signal new directions in social policy in the Global South? This article reviews the theoretical approaches that inform social protection policies as well as their practical application in different African countries. The analysis suggest that there is a changing trend towards more expansive social investment-oriented poverty …

Asset Building And Property Owning Democracy: Singapore Housing Policy As A Model Of Social Investment And Social Justice, James Lee

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper discusses a fundamental issue that continues to haunt Western welfare states: despite rising levels of social expenditures and a rigorous social investment-oriented social policy, poverty and acute social inequalities persist. Using the concept of Property Owning Democracy (POD) advanced by John Rawls, this paper argues that an asset-based housing policy might be able to improve social justice and reduce poverty. Using Singapore’s housing system as an example, this paper illustrates the connection between asset building and POD, and suggests that Singapore’s housing system, to some extent, fulfills the requirements of Rawls’ theory of justice in terms of maintaining …

Investing In Adoption: Exploring Child Development Accounts For Children Adopted From Foster Care, Amy Conley Wright

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Adoption is arguably the most powerful intervention available for children in foster care who are unable to be restored to their birth families. Adoption promises stability and a family for life, in contrast to foster care or guardianship, which are expected to end when the child reaches adulthood. In comparison to foster care, adoption is associated with better educational, financial, and social outcomes. However, because children adopted out of foster care have had adverse experiences, they may have additional support needs in later years. These unknown costs can be off-putting to potential adoptive parents, who may not be in the …

Human Rights-Based Social Investments, David Androff

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Human rights provide a normative framework for social policy. Social investments are required for a state to realize the rights of its people. For example, the human right to health requires a well-funded system of health care infrastructure with a well-trained workforce of health care professionals. However, the implications of human rights for social development policies have not been examined. This paper attempts to fill in this gray area by exploring a rights-based approach to social investment. Human rights-based approaches to poverty, health, mental health, child welfare, and older adults are analyzed for their implications for social investment policy proposals. …

Review Of Unmaking The Global Sweatshop. Rebecca Prentice And Geert De Neve (Eds.), Jacob Van Pelt

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Review of: Rebecca Prentice and Geert De Neve (Eds.), Unmaking the Global Sweatshop. University of Pennsylvania Press (2017), 304 pages, $79.95 (hardcover).

Review Of Creative Teamwork: Developing Rapid Site-Switching Ethnography. By Pat Armstrong And Ruth Lowndes, Zhong Xin

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Review of: Pat Armstrong and Ruth Lowndes, Creative Teamwork: Developing Rapid Site-Switching Ethnography. Oxford University Press (2018), 194 pages, $55 (hardcover).

Review Of The War On Kids: How American Juvenile Justice Lost Its Way. By Cara H. Drinan, Rong Bai, Robert Fischer

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Review of: Cara H. Drinan, The War on Kids: How American Juvenile Justice Lost Its Way. Oxford University Press (2018), 215 pages, $27.95 (hardcover).

Review Of The Human Instinct: How We Evolved To Have Reason, Consciousness And Free Will. By Kenneth R. Miller, Daniel Liechty

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Review of: Kenneth R. Miller, The Human Instinct: How We Evolved to Have Reason, Consciousness and Free Will. Simon and Schuster (2018). 294 pages. $26.00 (hardcover).

Review Of Technology, Activism, And Social Justice In A Digital Age By John G. Mcnutt, Joel Izlar

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

No abstract provided.

Journal Of Sociology And Social Welfare Vol. 45 No. 1

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Dimensions of Charity versus Development: The Century-Old Debate in the Profession of Social Work- Héctor Luis Díaz and Antonio López Peláez

Common Law, Charity and Human Rights as Responses to the Socio-Economic Crisis in Galicia, Spain Francisco- Xabier Aguiar Fernández, Santiago Prado Conde, and Carmen Verde Diego

Maximization vs. Inclusion as a Value Conflict in Development Work- Johnny Ramírez-Johnson, Héctor Luis Díaz, and Vijayan Kumara Pillai

Use of Technology, Pedagogical Approaches and Intercultural Competence in Development - Dee Ann Sherwood, Marian Tripplett, Sarah Hoyle-Katz, and Joy Langereis

The Debate on Minimum Income in Spain: Charity, Development or Citizen Right -Arantxa …

Maximization Vs. Inclusion As A Value Conflict In Development Work, Johnny Ramírez-Johnson, Héctor Luis Díaz, Vijayan Kumara Pillai

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article builds on previous research studies strongly suggesting that high levels of social capital are positively associated with the economic and political progress of community residents. As previously proposed by the authors of this article, such findings may encourage policy makers of government and non-governmental development organizations to concentrate their efforts and resources in communities whose residents have been identified as having high levels of social capital. Policy- makers may view pre-existing high levels of social capital among community residents as a factor likely to increase the level of success of their respective socio-economic development initiatives. Such course of …

The Debate On Minimum Income In Spain: Charity, Development Or Citizen Right, Arantxa Hernández-Echegaray, Javier Pacheco-Mangas

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The current retrenchment of social protection in capitalist welfare economies has triggered the expansion of aid-based practices in response to vulnerability, far removed from the ideals of social work. This study analyzes the practices and strategies of social workers that take part in regional minimum income systems (MIS) in Spain, using a qualitative approach that makes it possible to demonstrate leading professional discourses. Findings show a limited consolidation of regional policies on minimum income in Spain, resulting in significant regional disparities. Authors emphasize the need to increase social work’s participation in formulating policies aimed at inclusion and consolidation of local …

Class Activist Lens For Teaching About Poverty, Susan Weinger, Linda C. Reeser

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The mission of social work is to serve the poor and oppressed and engage in social reform. This article proposes a conceptual framework, and teaching and practice strategies to equip students to understand poverty from a class perspective. The action component is to politicize practice and become allies with the poor in resisting injustice and promoting their social and economic development.

The Importance Of Social Work In The Latin American Association Movement Of People Affected By Low Prevalence Diseases, Enrique Pastor Seller, Juan Carrión Tudela, M. Bañón Hernández

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article analyses the experiences of the association movement in Latin America that brings together individuals and families with rare (RD) or low prevalence diseases (LPD). It also looks at their needs from global health, social, research and education perspectives. The nature of social work assessments and interventions in rare diseases helps us better understand the needs of people with RDs or LPDs and facilitates the creation of associations. Social work aims at consolidating the social fabric that will lead to the recognition of RDs as a health and social priority at an international level.