Social Work Commons^™

Hate Crime Laws And Sexual Orientation, Elizabeth P. Cramer

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article provides definitions for hate crimes, a summary of national data on hate crime incidents, and descriptions of federal and state hate crime laws. The author presents various arguments in support of and against hate crime laws, and the inclusion of sexual orientation in such laws. The author contends that it is illogical and a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment to exclude sexual orientationf rom hate crime laws. The perpetratorso f hate crime incidents, regardess of the target group, have similar motives and perpetrate similar types of assaults; the victims experience similar physical and psychological harm. Excluding a class …

The Place Of Historical Research In Social Work, Robert Fisher, Phillip Dybicz

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study addresses the incidence, persistence, decline, and marginalization of historical research in social work by examining one indicator of that research, social work dissertations. This study reveals that despite the dominance of other research methods, historical research was a legitimate method for doctoral research in social work, but its use has declined over time. Before World War II historical dissertations were common. Through the 1950s almost 13% of all social work dissertations were historical. In the 1960s and 1970s interest in history as a research method declined, but social welfare history was still a legitimate option for doctoral research. …

A Path Analysis Of The Effect Of Welfare On Infant Mortality, Michael A. Lewis

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Social epidemiologists have found a relationship between poverty and infant mortality. Welfare policy experts have found that welfare benefits affect work effort, family structure, migration, and the rate of intergenerational transmission of welfare receipt. Social epidemiologists have paid little attention to the effects of poverty policies on infant mortality. Welfare policy experts have paid little attention to the effect of welfare on infant mortality. This paper merges the concerns of social epidemiologists and welfare policy experts by examining the relationship between welfare and infant mortality. The key finding is that welfare directly and indirectly affects infant mortality rates. States with …

In The Service Of Market Socialism: The Quest For A Welfare Model In China, Bong-Ho Mok, Jitong Liu

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The socialist market economy in China has brought about impressive economic growth. It has also resulted in serious social problems such as unemployment, deteriorating family relations, prostitution, and poverty among the disadvantaged groups. This paper discusses a welfare model proposed by the Chinese Government to contain the destabilizing effects of the social problems and to serve the newly adopted market socialism. The authors argue that although this welfare model is still very much residual by western standards, it is a big step forward in building a modern Chinese welfare system.

Review Of Social Work In Rural Communities. Leon H. Ginsberg (Ed.). Reviewed By Marie D. Hoff, Boise State University., Marie D. Hoff

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Leon H. Ginsberg (Ed.). Social Work in Rural Communities. Council on Social Work Education: Alexandria, VA. 1998. $17.00 papercover.

Review Of Social Work With Children And Their Families: Pragmatic Foundations. Christopher G. Petr. Reviewed By Dorinda N. Noble, Louisiana State University., Dorinda N. Noble

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Petr, Christopher G. (1998). Social Work with Children and their Families: Pragmatic Foundations. New York: Oxford University Press.

Social Work After The Americans With Disabilities Act: New Challenges And Opportunities For Social Service Professionals. John T. Pardeck.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for John T. Pardeck, Social Work After the Americans with Disabilities Act: New Challenges and Opportunities for Social Service Professionals. Westport, CT: Auburn House, 1998. $17.95 papercover.

Contemporary Issues In Social Work: Western Europe. Steven Shardlow And Malcolm Payne (Eds.).

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Steven Shardlow and Malcolm Payne (Eds.), Contemporary Issues in Social Work: Western Europe. Ashgate Publishing Co., Brookfield, VT: 1998. $63.95 hardcover.

Social Work Practice In Nontraditional Urban Settings. Melvin Delgado.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Melvin Delgado, Social Work Practice in Nontraditional Urban Settings. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. $45.00, hardcover, $21.95 papercover.

Already Hit Bottom: General Assistance, Welfare Retrenchment, And Single Male Migration, Thomas Vartanian, Joe Soss, Sanford Schram, Jim Baumohl

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The claim is often made that welfare recipients move to states where benefits are more readily available in more generous amounts. To test that claim, this study uses data on state General Assistance (GA) programs, as well as data on single men from the Public Use Microdata Set of the 1990 U.S. Census. We find only slight evidence that men who lack access to GA seek it elsewhere, and overall we find that the availability of GA has no more than a marginal effect on the location decisions of the men we studied. It seems that poor people, like other …

America's Changing Attitudes Toward Welfare And Welfare Recipients, 1938-1995, Laurie Macleod, Darrel Montero, Alan Speer

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper examines American national public opinion on welfare, welfare recipients, and the government's role in welfare programs. The data were gathered from published public opinion polls of national samples of adults taken between 1938 and 1995. The findings indicate that public opinion has remained relatively stable over this 57-year period, with the majority of Americans believing that the government has a responsibility to help those in need. At the same time, the majority of those polled believed that the government spends too much on welfare. The findings also show that the public is in favor of reducing income differences …

Social Security And The Incremental Privatization Of Retirement Income, Neung-Hoo Park, Neil Gilbert

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study examines the process of "incremental privatization" of retirement income--a slow decline in the proportion of retirement income from Social Security relative to retirement income derived from employerprovided pensions (private and government) and IRA-type Accounts. The findings reveal that since the mid 1970s the elderly in the bottom 40% of the income distribution experienced a minimal increase in retirement income from pensions other than Social Security, while those in the upper ranges showed steady gains in income from private sources. This trend is accompanied by increasing inequality in the ratio of retirement income of those in the lower quintiles …

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.

Review Of Confronting Racism: The Problem And The Response. Jennifer L. Eberhardt And Susan T. Fiske (Eds.). Reviewed By Eric Swank, Morehead State University., Eric Swank

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Jennifer L. Eberhardt and Susan T. Fiske (Eds.), Confronting Racism: The Problem and the Response. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1998. $29.50 papercover.

Fragile Families: Fragile Solutions. Robert Halpern

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Robert Halpern, Fragile Families: Fragile Solutions. New York: Columbia University Press, 1998. $ 49.50 hardcover, $ 17.50 papercover.

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.

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 …