Social Work Commons^™

New Opportunities, New Responsibilities: Welfare Reform In Wyoming, Mark W. Lusk, Joseph D. Nies

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Early experiments with welfare-to-work programs and other welfare reform initiatives had disappointing results, but successful state trial programs since the Family Support Act of 1988 are changing the prevailing wisdom. With evidence that reform can enhance self-sufficiency, many states are embarking on a redefinition of public assistance. Wyoming, a conservative frontier state, is implementing a welfare reform plan that incorporates components shown to be successful elsewhere. In addition to enhanced child support enforcement and workfare, Wyoming welfare reform stresses job preparation, education, and training up to the university level. Degree programs utilize the state's video network and are adapted to …

Assets And Financial Management Among Poor Households In Extreme Poverty Neighborhoods, Cathleen M. Finn, Paz M-B. Zorita, Claudia Coulton

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Proposals supporting the accumulation of assets in poor households are hopeful of creating upward mobility. The experiences of poor families in managing assets and other elements of daily economic life were explored through interviews with low-income Hispanic and Anglo families. All families exhibited planning and management skills needed for assets accumulation, but were unable to escape the effects of unrewarding neighborhood environments. Assets did not provide clear avenues out of poverty. If assets-based programs are to raise the economic status of poor families in extreme poverty neighborhoods they must include mechanisms to protect value and reduce uncertainty.

Rooms For The Misbegotten: Social Design And Social Deviance, Bruce A. Arrigo

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Housing strategies designed to create a sense of community for our nation's at-risk and poverty-stricken citizens continue to be a source of debate. One major issue is the degree to which criminal behavior exists within these environments. In this article, the results from a seven year study of one single room occupancy (SRO) facility in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania are described. Analysis of two models used for intervening with the vulnerable tenant population of the SRO suggest that a "strengthfocused" strategy rather than a "need- focused" approach may be more effective in reducing crime and may contribute to the establishment of a …

Symbolic Violence And Social Control In The Post-Total Institution Era, John W. Murphy, John T. Pardeck, Woo Sik Chung, Jung Min Choi

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Subsequent to the passage of the Community Mental Health Act in 1963, the "Total Institutions" described by Goffman have for the most part disappeared. Nonetheless, many writers charge that social control is still the primary function of mental health programs, even those that are identified as community-based. The new methods of control have not received widespread attention. In community-based programs control is operationalized in the form of "symbolic violence." This paper examines the various factors that contribute to this style of violence.

Defining Success: The Politics Of Evaluation In Alcohol And Drug Abuse Treatment Programs, James L. Wolk, David J. Hartmann, William P. Sullivan

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Alcohol and drug abuse treatment programs must respond to several important stakeholders or beneficiaries of services who have an investment in how success is defined. Utilizing data from recent statewide studies of treatment outcomes of alcohol and drug abuse services, this paper concludes that a strict adherence to an abstinence-only model of success, rigidly adopted by many in the treatment industry is counterproductive. Multiple measures of success are essential to fully understand and assess a changing model of intervention in the chemical dependency field.

Review Of Juvenile Gangs. Herbert C. Covey, Scott Menard And Robert J. Franzese. Springfield, Il: Charles C. Thomas, 1992., James W. Callicut

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Herbert C. Covey, Scott Menard and Robert J. Franzese. Juvenile Gangs. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas, 1992. $54.75 hardcover.

Review Of Crime And Punishment In American History. Lawrence M. Friedman. Reviewed By James Midgley, Louisiana State University, James Midgley

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Lawrence M. Friedman. Crime and Punishment in American History. New York: Basic Books, 1993. $30 hardcover.

Review Of New Foundations For Scientific Social And Behavioral Research: The Heuristic Paradigm. Katherine Tyson. Reviewed By Gary Mathews, Western Michigan University., Gary Mathews

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Katherine Tyson. New Foundations for Scientific Social and Behavioral Research: The Heuristic Paradigm. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1995. Hardcover. $48.00.

Discretion In Criminal Justice: The Tension Between Individualization And Uniformity. Lloyd E. Ohlin And Frank J. Remmington.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Lloyd E. Ohlin and Frank J. Remmington (Eds.). Discretion in Criminal Justice: The Tension between Individualization and Uniformity. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 1993. $65.50 hardcover. $21.95 papercover.

Theories Of Deviance. Stuart H. Traub And Craig B. Little.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Stuart H. Traub and Craig B. Little (Eds.). Theories of Deviance (Fourth edition). Itasca, IL: F. E. Peacock, 1994. $30.00 papercover.

Wheeling And Dealing: An Ethnography Of An Upper-Level Drug Dealing And Smuggling Community. Patricia A. Adler.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Patricia A. Adler. Wheeling and Dealing: An Ethnography of an Upper-level Drug Dealing and Smuggling Community. New York: Columbia University Press, 1993. $45.00 hardcover; $14.00 papercover.

Women, Violence And Crime Prevention. Jalna Hanmer And Sheila Saunders.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Jalna Hanmer and Sheila Saunders. Women, Violence and Crime Prevention. Aldershot, England: Avebury, 1993. $59.95. (Distributed in the United States by Ashgate Publishing Co., Old Post Road, Brookfield, VT 05036)

Confronting Drug Policy: Illicit Drugs In A Free Society. Ronald Bayer And Gerald M. Oppenheimer.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Ronald Bayer and Gerald M. Oppenheimer (Eds.). Confronting Drug Policy: Illicit Drugs in a Free Society. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1993. $59.95 hardcover; $19.95 papercover.

Contructionist Controversies. Gale Miller And James A. Holstein.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Gale Miller and James A. Holstein (Eds.). Constructionist Controversies. Hawthorne, NY: Aldine de Gruyter, 1993. $22.95 papercover. James A. Holstein and Gale Miller (Eds.). Reconsidering Social Constructionism. Hawthorne, NY: Aldine de gruyter, 1993. $74.95 hardcover.

Beyond Coping: An Empowerment Perspective On Stressful Life Events, Lorraine M. Gutierrez

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Research on stressful life events has demonstrated their negative effects on health and mental health. The possibility of empowerment, how individuals can take action to change their situations, has been largely overlooked by this research. Empowerment theory and research suggest that the outcome of stressful life events can be less debilitating when individuals are encouraged to identify with similar others, to develop specific skills, to perceive the societal or institutional components of their problems, and to engage in change on a collective level. This article develops this perspective by proposing how an empowerment perspective can enhance our understanding of the …

The Greatest Of Evils: Urban Poverty And The American Underclass. Joel A. Devine And James D. Wright.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Joel A. Devine and James D. Wright. The Greatest of Evils: Urban Poverty and the American Underclass. Hawthorn, NY: Aldine de Gruyter, 1993. $34.95 hardcover; $17.95 papercover.

Designing Community Social Services, John O'Looney

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The literature is reviewed on the qualities of integrated and non-integrated organizational systems. Social service delivery has changed in recent decades such that organizational strategies and structures that may have once been successful no longer appear to be so. As tasks have changed, so too have the technologies that might assist in the more effective delivery of social services. A discussion of how organizational strategies might be designed, so as to link emerging tasks requirements with the ability to effectively use existing and potential technologies, concludes the paper.

Contemporary Political Idealogies. Roger Eatwell And Anthony Wright.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Roger Eatwell and Anthony Wright (Eds). Contemporary Political Ideologies. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1993. $48.50 hardcover, $16.95.

Review Of Diverging Pathways: Social Structure And Career Deflections. Alan C. Kerkckhoff. Reviewed By Karl L. Alexander, Johns Hopkins University., Karl L. Alexander

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Alan C. Kerckhoff. Diverging Pathways: Social Structure and Career Deflections. Cambridge University Press, 1993. $49.95 hardcover.

Editorial And Remarks, Gary Matthews, Charles Guzzeta

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

No abstract provided.

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 21, No. 3 (September 1994)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• EDITORIAL AND REMARKS
• TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY INVITED PAPER:... AND WE KEEP ON BUILDING PRISONS: RACISM, POVERTY, AND CHALLENGES TO THE WELFARE STATE - Paula L. Dressel
• RACIAL DIFFERENCES IN TIMING AND FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH RETIREMENT - Namkee G. Choi
• THE ELUSIVE BOUNDARIES OF SOCIAL WORK - Arnon A. Bar-On
• PUBLIC CHILD WELFARE PROFESSIONALS: THOSE WHO STAY - Rhonda Reagh
• ECONOMIC STRAIN, FAMILY STRUCTURE AND PROBLEMS WITH CHILDREN AMONG DISPLACED WORKERS - Carolyn C. Perrucci
• HOW QUALIFIED ARE SOCIAL WORK EDUCATORS? - Carol T. Tully
• DESIGNING COMMUNITY SOCIAL SERVICES - John O'Looney
• COMMODIFICATION, THE WELFARE STATE AND THE ISRAELI …

Public Child Welfare Professionals - Those Who Stay, Rhonda Reagh

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Public child welfare workers-especially those working in the "trenches" -are the life blood of child protection. Yet, the ever present challenge is keeping committed and talented professionals in the field. This article is based on a 1990 study which examined the phenomena of staying in the field through the eyes of the professionals who have done so. The study investigated the life histories and work experiences of 18 selected child welfare workers in a mid-western state through data gathered from in-depth written and oral life histories. Findings provide insight into the world of the child welfare worker.

Economic Strain, Family Structure And Problems With Children Among Displaced Workers, Carolyn C. Perrucci

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

For a small sample of Indiana families that had recently experienced unemployment due to a plant closing, perceived economic strain was related to a larger number of academic and interpersonal problems for their oldest child at home, average age thirteen. The relationship between parental economic strain and children's difficulties lessened with the introduction into the analysis of selected parental psychological resources and coping strategies. Family structure was also related to children's problems, despite parental resources and coping strategies.

The Effect Of Corporatism On Contemporary Public Attitudes To Welfare, Michael Wearing

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article examines evidence for the possible link between public support for increased spending on government welfare programs and the strength of government welfare intervention in six OECD countries; Austria, Germany, Britain, the USA, Australia and Italy. Data is used from a 1985 international survey to question the congruence between the public's support for state welfare and the degree of corporatism as an indicator of state intervention in these countries. The concept of corporatism is limited to an analytic device that indicates the form of state intervention and policy making in particular historical periods and within sectors of state activity. …

Review Of Inequalities In Labor Market Areas. Joachim Singlemann And Forrest A. Deseran (Eds.). Reviewed By Wayne J. Villemez, University Of Connecticut., Wayne J. Villemez

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Joachim Singleman and Forrest A. Deseran (Eds.) Inequalities in Labor Market Areas. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1993. $44.00 papercover.

State Against Development: The Experience Of Post-1965 Zaire. Mondonga M. Mokoli.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Mondonga M. Mokoli. State Against Development: The Experience of Post-1965 Zaire. Westport, CT: Grenwood Press, 1992. $45 hardcover.

Creating Social Democracy: A Century Of The Social Democratic Labor Party In Sweden. Klaus Misgeld, Karl Molin, And Klas Amark.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Klaus Misgeld, Karl Molin and Klas Amark (Eds.). Creating Social Democracy: A Century of the Social Democratic Labor Party in Sweden. University Park, PA: Penn State Press, 1993. $65.00 hardcover, $16.95 papercover.

Critical Theories Of The State: Marxist, Neo-Marxist, Post-Marxist. Clyde W. Barrow.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Clyde W. Barrow. Critical Theories of the State: Marxist, Neo- Marxist, Post-Marxist. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press. $38.00 hardcover, $15.95 papercover.

Markets And Managers: New Issues In The Livery Of Welfare. Peter Taylor-Gooby And Robyn Lawson.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Peter Taylor-Gooby and Robyn Lawson (Eds.). Markets and Managers: New Issues in the Delivery of Welfare. Buckingham, England: Open University Press, 1993. $27.50 papercover. (Distributed in the United States by Taylor and Francis, 1900 Frost Road, Bristol, PA 19007)

... And We Keep On Building Prisons: Racism, Poverty, And Challenges To The Welfare State, Paula L. Dressel

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Prison-building is argued to be an intervention of last resort when a nation loses faith in the social welfare enterprise. Recent proposals for more punitive regulations for means-tested benefits, along with the recent dramatic growth in the construction of prisons and in the size of the inmate population, indicate that we are moving as a society toward heightened levels of scapegoating and victim-blaming as a response to troubles generated by significant structural shifts in the economy. This paper analyzes the connections between poverty, punishment, and prisons, with particular emphasis on the scapegoating of people of color. The role of racism …