Social Work Commons^™

From Isolation To Organization: Structural Barriers To Client-Induced Accountability In The Human Services, Robert A. Beauregard

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Human service organizations form an environment which is both difficult for an individual to transverse and antagonistic to the organizing of clients. The structure of these organizational environments is not conducive to the emergence of client organizations. This issue forms the focus of this paper: the interaction between the structural dimensions of human service, organizational environments and the potential for human service clients to form organizations geared to obtaining accountability from human service agencies. The basic argument is that the structural dimensions of these organizational environments (i.e., the characteristics which affect the basic interrelationships among component parts) have a depressing …

Discourse Management: Key To Policy Development, Joseph R. Steiner

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Skills in discourse management are necessary in order for democratic policy development groups to be productive. These skills, like other skills, are developed by practicing their utilization. A general cognitive framework, however, can assist one in this development. This paper develops and then describes the use of such a general framework.

Reactions To The Stigmata Of Inner City Living, Jerome Krase

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper discusses the problem of living in a stigmatized inner city community. The reactions of residents are categorized into "Four Moral Careers", and implications for the community of each career are discussed. Major attention is focused upon the "activist" career which aims to overcome the stigma of the community. The activists are discussed and described through the use df materials from intensive interviews of local community leaders who have tried to cope with the stigma of the area. Some suggested implications are made for the application of the ideas presented herein to urban research in general and the provision …

The Runaway Youth, Richard M. Grinnell, Monna Loftis

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

To date, few (if any) empirically based research studies have been executed in exploring the relationship between the recidivism rate of runaways and the three possible types of dispositions they may receive: (1) counseled and released at the intake level; (2) referred to another social agency; or (3) placed on probation. It is critically pertinent to examine this relationship before attempting to plan alternatives to divert the youths from the juvenile justice system. This article presents the results of an empirically based project where the findings indicate that, regardless of the type of disposition the youths received, they had approximately …

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 4, No. 7 (September 1977)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Planning Radical Change at the Grass Roots: The Story of New Communities, Inc. - SHIMON S. GOTTSCHALK - p. 980
• Reactions To The Stigmata Of Inner City Living - JEROME KRASE - p. 997
• Accountability Crises: Consequences of Professionalization - ROBERT W. WEINBACH - p. 1011
• Discourse Management: Key to Policy Development - JOSEPH R. STEINER - p. 1025
• Public Perceptions Of Rural County Social Service Agencies - ROBERT W. BILBY & ROBERT BENSON - p. 1033
• The Application Of Behavior Modification Technology To The Alleviation Of Selected Social Problems - JOHN S. WODARSKI - p. 1055 …

Training Social Work Students In A Practicum Setting, Linda L. Maier

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Scarlet "W" Public Welfare As Sexual Stigma For Women, Phyllis J. Day

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The purpose of this paper is to focus attention on sex role deviance as a major contributive factor in negative attitudes toward women on welfare. Our position is that part of the stigma toward welfare recipients arises from the fact that they are sex role deviants, and that the differential treatment accorded to men and women on welfare has to do with the difference in sex role expectations from which they deviate. Although negative attitudes toward men on welfare are as evident as those toward women, this article sets aside the issue of men on welfare (though cognizant of its …

A Perspective On The Psychotherapist's Response To The Women's Movement, Harold S. Bernard

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The women's movement constitutes one of the most powerful sociological phenomena of modern times. Like any important movement, it has elicited reactions from every stratum within our society. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the response to the women's movement on the part of women, men, and man-woman relationships. It will then describe in detail an actual clinical case in which the issues involved were directly related to the concerns addressed by the women's movement, and it will offer a recommended attitudinal stance on the part of the psychotherapist to such concerns.

Attitudes Toward Abortion: A Comparative Analysis Of Correlates For 1973 And 1975, Theodore C. Wagenaar, Ingeborg W. Knol

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper contains an analysis of both the level of support for abortion and the correlates of such support for both 1973 and 1975, as indicated by National Opinion Research Center data. In comparison to previous research, which focused primarily on bivariate analyses of demographic variables, we examine the role of demographic and other variables (such as work status, unemployment history, receipt of government aid, and belief in an afterlife) at both the bivariate and multivariate levels of analysis. The result indicates an abatement of the previously increasing level of support; this datum plus the increase in persons responding "don't …

Indigenous And Non-Indigenous Paraprofessionals: An Empirical Comparison, John E. Blount Jr., Kirk W. Elifson, William Chamberlain

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper provides a comparative description of indigenous and nonindigenous paraprofessionals who were employed in a social service capacity in a large urban setting. Personal interviews were conducted with 88 paraprofessionals employed by the Fulton County Department of Family and Children Servives (Atlanta, Ga.). The primary variables discussed include an assessment of the respondent's background, their present employment situation, experience with and attitudes toward welfare and general attitudinal measures. The results provide a basic demographic profile of the indigenous and non-indigenous paraprofessional and indicate their differing characteristics. Briefly, the indigenous respondents were less anomic, felt more efficacious in terms of …

Work Incentive Policies: An Evaluation Of Their Effects On Welfare Women's Choice, Jacqueline Ballou

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

It is argued here that Work Incentive Policies treat the symptoms rather than the basic causes of poverty with high costs to society. The writer's own experience with WIN participants as well as attitudinal surveys has suggested that there is a very high motivation to work among welfare mothers, however, the low-wage jobs available to them are not very competitive with benefits available through AFDC with its various in-kind programs such as Medicaid and day care. As Sawhill (1976) notes, the combined benefit-loss rates associated with work incentive programs remain high, as budgetary constraints associated with raising net welfare- wage …

Debunking Sapphire: Toward A Non-Racist And Non-Sexist Social Science, Patricia Bell Scott

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The term "Sapphire" is frequently used to describe an age-old image of Black women. The caricature of the dominating, emasculating Black woman is one which historically has saturated both the popular and scholarly literature. The purpose of this paper is debunk the "Sapphire" caricature as it has been projected in American social science. By exposing the racist and sexist underpinnings of this stereotype, it is hoped that more students and scholars might be sensitized and encouraged to contribute to the development of a nonracist and non-sexist social science.

The Role Of The Female Mental Health Professional In A Male Correctional Setting, Cheryl E. Biemer

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

There are increasing numbers of women psychologists and other professionals working within predominately male correctional settings. One finds, however, nothing in the literature on how they are viewed by the system or what it is like to be a woman working within this traditionally male dominated sphere. The dearth of written material on the subject became apparent in a search through the National Clearinghouse of Mental Health and the Criminal Justice Reference Service. The Psychological Abstracts, Social Science Citation Index and the Criminology Index also have no references that shed any light on this issue. There is one particularly good …

Women In Communications, Janice L. Booker

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Rosalind Russell and Joan Crawford spearheaded the image in the forties; their perennial screen portrayals of newswomen scooping the men in the office and then falling in love with the hard-hearted city editor, or guiding the reorganization of the nation's number-one-rated-but-faltering-magazine to a successful resurgence attracted the identification of many aspiring young women. Abetted by Superman's reporter sidekick cum love-life Lois Lane and the magnificent Brenda Starr of the comic strips, the image was complete; what did many creative, talented and ambitious young women want but to become newshawks with editorial aspirations.

The Women's Liberation Movement And Its Various Impacts On American Men, Arthur B. Shostak

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Writing in 1974 about women and athletics 26 years ahead in the year 2000 journalist Lucinda Franks foresees a sexist backlash she tags the "New Male Chauvinist Movement." It all begins with a rebirth of the Age of Reason which, after 1980, includes a new celebration of the humanizing potentialities of sport and games. Women, as prime agents of this pivotal cultural reform, will have advanced so fast and so far in competitive and non-competitive athletics that "the Total Human has been born" and " the average body is no longer just a neglected dormitory for the mind." There is …

Reflections And Legacies, Cheryl A. Lieberman

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Adjustment to old age poses special problems. It requires an acceptance of being old and restructuring one's life around decreasing energy and body resources. "Old age is neither inherently miserable nor inherently sublime - like every stage of life, it has problems, joys, fears, and potentials."1 What is it like for an older woman as she experiences physical, emotional, and social changes?

For purposes of this study, twenty-five women ranging in age from 67 through 88 were interviewed either individually, in dyads, or in groups. Each woman was presented with the same basic information: the author was interested in and …

Women: Re-Entry And Challenge, Lita Linzer Schwartz

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Women are turning or returning to the world outside the home in ever-increasing numbers, partly due to the economic crisis of recent years and partly in response to the "consciousness-raising" and self-actualization aspects of the women's liberation and humanistic movements. When a woman re-enters the workaday or educational world, she meets a variety of challenges. Some she may have anticipated; others may come as a surprise - or a shock.

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 4, No. 6 (July 1977)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Editorial - FLORENCE KASLOW - p. 842
• Women: Re-entry and Challenge - LITA L. SCHWARTZ - p. 845
• Work Incentive Policies: An Evaluation of Their Effects on Welfare Women's Choice - JACQUELINE BALLOU - p. 850
• Debunking Sapphire:Toward a Non-racist and Non-sexist Social Science - PATRICIA BELL SO - p. 864
• The Scarlet "W":Public Welfare as Sexual Stigma for Women - PHYLLIS J. DAY - p. 872
• The Role of the Female Mental Health Professional in a Male Correctional Setting - CHERYL E. BIEMER - p. 882
• Women in Communications - JANICE L. BOOKER - p. 888 …

Sex Differences In Work Assertiveness Of Social Workers, Mary Valentich, James Gripton

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Despite comparable levels of educational qualifications and experience, women in social work occupy a status inferior to men with respect to positions, rates of promotion and salaries. In other words, sexism prevails in what has traditionally been a female profession. Because of the institutionalized preference for men in social work, it is unlikely that individual acts of women to attain professional equality will eliminate sexism. However, because women have been socialized to be Dassive and self-effacing, they nay be contributing to their secondary status by managing their careers less effectively than men.

What is involved in assertively pursuing one's career …

Depression And Physical Rehabilitation, Mary Jo Deegan

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Depression is often expected in our society during physical rehabilitation. This and similar expectations structure the experience of a physical disability. Contradictions in expectations and demands by providers to conform to this paradigm create barriers in the rehabilitation process. Changes in the physical rehabilitation paradigm are briefly suggested.

Shame And Public Dependency: A Literature Review, Norman L. Wyers

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

All research related to under-utilization of income maintenance programs as well as to their impact on recipients has discovered the presence of stigma. A survey of the pertinent literature points out that much is known about stigmatization but that social welfare has been slow to incorporate this knowledge in any attempt to reduce the destructive effect of stigma on program users. Both liberal and radical reform measures are proposed as remedies.

Ex Post Facto Evaluation Of Neighborhood Organization Programs, Shimon E. Spiro

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Quasi-experimental designs, which are currently dominant in the methodological literature on Evaluative Research, are mostly not appropriate for the evaluation of Planned Change in the social organization of urban neighborhoods. In this paper we propose an alternative approach, based on ex-post-facto case studies. Criteria for evaluation, as well as study design and instruments, are discussed in some detail. A concise summary of one local evaluative study is presented as an illustration.

The New Left And The Human Service Professions, Robert J. S. Ross

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

There are three characteristics of the New Left which had impact on social and human service professionals. Egalitarianism produced distrustof orthodox professional detachment from and power over poor and minority persons. The movement also gave expression to guilt, for some, over their "privileged" backgrounds. The New Left's decentralist views about power produced an orientation to local insurgency: the organization of neighborhood and community activist organizations. In combination, for those influenced by the movement and entering the professions, a characteristic type of new professionalism arose: advocacy for the interests and organizations of the oppressed. Illustrations of this process are found in …

Journal Of Sociology And Social Welfare Vol. 4, No. 5

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

• The New Left and the Human Service Professions - Robert J. S. Ross
• Ryan Revisited: Updating the Prevalence of Bastards – Hudson R. A. Rosen, Lois J. Martindale
• The Non-Verbal Communication of the Physical Handicapped - Mary Jo Deegan
• Social Welfare and Danish Communes: An International Case Study - Thomas H. Shey
• Russia and America Compared: How Heavy is Our Welfare Burden – David Makofsky
• Ex Post Facto Evaluation of Neighborhood Organization Programs - Shimon E. Spiro
• The Prestige and Effectiveness of the Public Welfare Worker - Richard M. Grinnell, Nancy S. Kyte
• Three Strategies for Reducing Involuntary Segregation – …

Social Welfare And Danish Communes: An International Case Study, Thomas H. Shey

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The implementation of public assistance and related forms of social insurance, based on existing social welfare legislation, often discriminates against new and emerging social institutions such as collective families residing in a communal situation. A recent case study of the Danish experience has shown that, while members of such communes are in fact discriminated against by the authorities (as a communal entity), the system has simultaneously proven flexible enough to accomodate the majority of "problem cases" on an individual basis and in the process served to minimize potential social unrest and dislocation. Unlike their American counterpart, research has verified that …

Russia And America Compared: How Heavy Is Our Welfare Burden, David Makofsky

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

A non-Western comparative model, totalitarianism, has conventionally been employed to describe qualitative differences between the United States on one hand, and the nations of the Communist world on the other. This paper explores welfare-related aspects of Communist (USSR) - Western (US) differences: First, the quantity of welfare and second, the mode of welfare distribution. In measuring the volume of welfare as the proportion of the state welfare expenses to the GNP or NMP respectively, the Russian proportion from 1958 (USSR l8.S8,, U.S. 10.6%) until the latest available comparative figures (USSR 23- 24%, US 15.2%) remains substantially greater. In terms of …

The Prestige And Effectiveness Of The Public Welfare Worker, Richard M. Grinnell Jr., Nancy S. Kyte

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

An empirically-based study was conducted to determine how BSW and MSW social work students differentially assess the relative prestige and effectiveness of public welfare work in relation to the fifteen other social work methods and to ascertain what methods they would ideally like to enter upon graduation from their programs. The study findings point dramatically to a wide discrepancy between the BSW and MSW student's view of the public welfare worker. Not only was the average prestige and effectiveness of welfare work rated significantly higher by the BSW students, but more than five times as many BSW as MSW students …

Ryan Revisited: Updating The Prevalence Of Bastards, Hudson R. A. Rosen, Lois J. Martindale

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Ryan, in Blaming the Victim, discusses welfare mothers in terms of an ideology of illegitimacy, and its impact on welfare policies. He then refuted the ideology. Since then several conditions have changed. This paper assesses how those changes may have affected Ryan's conclusions, and whether AFDC recipients most likely to fit the ideology differ from other unmarried, pregnant women. Hypotheses: AFDC and non-AFDC recipients will not differ significantly in (1) "promiscuity;" (2) contraceptive usage; (3) number of children being raised; and (4) solution to their problem pregnancy. The sample was 424 AFDC and 741 non-AFDC pregnant, unmarried women. While some …

The Non-Verbal Communication Of The Physical Handicapped, Mary Jo Deegan

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper explores the types of problems which may arise as a function of a physical disability and its effects on non-verbal communication. Examples of social interaction problems were obtained through participant observation at a physical rehabilitation hospital. The author assumes that social skills based on communication through and by the body need to be conceptualized and have implications for their use in therapeutic settings.

Three Strategies For Reducing Involuntary Segregation, Juliet Saltman

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The involuntary aspects of residential segregation in this country are examined, a conceptual model of involuntary segregation is presented, and four causative factors of involuntary segregation are noted. These four factors are the targets of three recent corrective strategies which have been used in an attempt to reduce involuntary segregation. The three strategies -- fair-share plans, exclusionary zoning lawsuits, and community housing audits -- are reviewed and analyzed in terms of their potential success in reducing involuntary segregation. Though no single strategy would be sufficient, all three strategies in combination may ultimately achieve a reduction of involuntary segregation in our …