Social Work Commons^™

Review Of State Work: Public Administration And Mass Intellectuality, By Stefano Harney, Sanford F. Schram

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Illusions Of Change: Rethinking The Current Welfare Retrenchment, Sanford F. Schram

Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Faculty Research and Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The Distributional Aspects Of Social Security And Social Security Reform. Martin B. Feldstein And Jeffrey B. Liebman (Eds.).

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Martin B. Feldstein and Jeffrey B. Liebman (Eds.), The Distributional Aspects of Social Security and Social Security Reform. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2002. $40.00 hardcover.

Indicators For Safe Family Reunification: How Professionals Differ, Brad R. Karoll, John Poertner

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Many professionals who work with substance-affected families consider the time limits prescribed by the Adoption and Safe Families Act (1997) to be unrealistically short. The high prevalence of substance use in child welfare cases requires professionals to quickly determine when it is safe to reunify children placed because of abuse or neglect in concert with this serious family problem. This exploratory study identified similarities and differences on different indicators of safe reunification between judges who hear juvenile cases, private agency child welfare caseworkers, and substance abuse counselors. The study examined these professionals' rating of the importance of each indicator. Judges, …

Review Of Colored White: Transcending The Racial Past. David R. Roediger. Reviewed By Kurt C. Organista, Kurt C. Organista

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of David R. Roediger, Colored White: Transcending the Racial past. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2002. $29.95 hardcover.

The Culture Of Race, Class, And Poverty: The Emergence Of A Cultural Discourse In Early Cold War Social Work (1946-1963), Laura Curran

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Through a primary source historical analysis, this article discusses the emergence of a cultural discourse in the early cold war (1946-1963) social work literature. It traces the evolution of social work's cultural narrative in relation to social scientific perspectives, changing race relations, and increasing welfare caseloads. Social work scholars originally employed their cultural discourse to account for racial and ethnic difference and eventually came to examine class and poverty from this viewpoint as well. This cultural framework wrestled with internal contradictions. It simultaneously celebrated and problematized cultural difference and foreshadowed both latter twentieth century multiculturalism as well as neo-conservative thought.

Review Of The Assault On Social Policy. William Roth. Reviewed By Larry Nackerud., Larry Nackerud

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of William Roth, The Assault on Social Policy. New York: Columbia University Press, 2002. $49.50 hardcover, $22.50 paper cover.

Review Of Tramps, Unfit Mothers And Neglected Children: Negotiating The Family In Late Nineteenth Century Philadelphia. Sherri Broder. Reviewed By Leslie Leighninger., Leslie Leighninger

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Sherri Broder, Tramps, Unfit Mothers and Neglected Children: Negotiating the Family in Late Nineteenth Century Philadelphia. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2002. $39.95 hardcover.

Strangers And Kin: The American Way Of Adoption. Barbara Melosh.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Barbara Melosh, Strangers and Kin: The American Way of Adoption. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2002. $29.95 hardcover.

Generational Equity, Generational Interdependence, And The Framing Of The Debate Over Social Security Reform, John B. Williamson, Tay K. Mcnamara, Stephanie A. Howling

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article analyzes the differences between the generational equity and generational interdependence conceptual packages used to frame arguments in the debate over policies such as Social Security reform. It begins with a history of the generational equity debate. This is followed by an analysis of the assumptions, values, and beliefs that inform each of these two ideological frames. It presents an analysis of why the generational equity frame has dominated the debate and highlights some of the limitations of this perspective.

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 30, No. 3 (September 2003)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• GENERATIONAL EQUITY, GENERATIONAL INTERDEPENDENCE, AND THE FRAMING OF
• THE DEBATE OVER SOCIAL SECURITY REFORM - John B. Williamson, Tay K. McNamara, & Stephanie A. Howling
• THE CULTURE OF RACE, CLASS, AND POVERTY: THE EMERGENCE OF A CULTURAL DISCOURSE IN EARLY COLD WAR SOCIAL WORK (1946-1963) - Laura Curran
• THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF WELFARE REFORM IN DRUG-USING WELFARE-NEEDY HOUSEHOLDS IN INNER-CITY NEW YORK - Eloise Dunlap, Andrew Golub, & Bruce D. Johnson
• SERVING THE "HARD-TO-SERVE": THE USE OF CLINICAL KNOWLEDGE IN WELFARE REFORM - Rufina Lee & Laura Curran
• PREVALENCE OF CHILD WELFARE SERVICES INVOLVEMENT AMONG HOMELESS AND …

The Lived Experience Of Welfare Reform In Drug-Using Welfare-Needy Households In Inner-City New York, Eloise Dunlap, Andrew Golub, Bruce D. Johnson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Welfare reform has transformed a needs-based family income support into temporary assistance for persons entering the workforce. This paper uses observations from an ethnographic study covering the period from 1995- 2001 to examine the impact on drug-using welfare-needy households in inner-city New York. The analysis suggests that studies may underestimate the extent to which substance use is associated with welfare problems. Nearly all of these already distressed households lost their AFDC/TANF benefits, had difficulty with work programs, and were having more difficulty covering expenses. The conclusion highlights ways to better study this population and policy initiatives that could help them …

Serving The "Hard-To-Serve": The Use Of Clinical Knowledge In Welfare Reform, Rufina Lee, Laura Curran

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This critical analysis of recent research and evaluations of welfare reform efforts describes how states have increasingly drawn on clinical knowledge in their efforts to move "hard-to-serve" recipients into the labor force. It argues that a clinical perspective is helpful as it brings attention to the mental health needs of low-income women. At the same time, however, this article suggests that states' use of a clinical framework is problematic in so far as it based on limited knowledge, dampens a broad discussion of the relationship between poverty and mental health, contributes to policy ambiguity, and increases recipient oversight.

Prevalence Of Child Welfare Services Involvement Among Homeless And Low-Income Mothers: A Five-Year Birth Cohort Study, Jennifer F. Culhane, David Webb, Susan Grim, Stephen Metraux, Dennis Culhane

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper investigates the five-year prevalence of child welfare services involvement and foster care placement among a population-based cohort of births in a large US city, by housing status of the mothers (mothers who have been homeless at least once, other low-income neighborhood residents, and all others), and by number of children. Children of mothers with at least one homeless episode have the greatest rate of involvement with child welfare services (37%),followed by other low-income residents (9.2%), and all others (4.0%). Involvement rates increase with number of children for all housing categories, with rates highest among women with four or …

Spousal Abuse: Vietnamese Children's Reports Of Parental Violence, Yoko Baba, Susan B. Murray

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This exploratory study used mailed questionnaires completed by 131 Vietnamese students to examine domestic violence patterns in parents' marital relationships. Research objectives included: (1) gaining an understanding of spousal abuse among Vietnamese couples; and (2) assessing which variables (demographic characteristics, decision-making power, and cultural adaptation, beliefs in traditional gender roles, and conflicts in the family) are correlated with spousal abuse. Findings suggest that although both parents used reasoning, mental abuse and physical abuse in their marital relationships, Vietnamese fathers were more likely to be physically abusive than mothers. Additional variables associated with family conflicts are also examined. Research implications and …

The Social Problem Of Depression: A Multi-Theoretical Analysis, Rich Furman, Kimberly Bender

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the social problem of depression from a multi-theoretical perspective. It explores depression through the lens of two psychologically based theories of human behavior, existential theory and cognitive theory, as well as through the vehicle of two sociological theories, Marxist theory and the theory of oppression. By understanding how each of these theories explains depression, social workers may be helped to see the complexity of treating the problem. It is the belief of the authors that social work literature, which is often dominated by reductionist, quantitativelybased research studies, has increasingly ignored theoretical explorations …

Review Of Emotionally Involved: The Impact Of Researching Rape. Rebecca Campbell. Reviewed By Laura S. Abrams., Laura S. Abrams

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Rebecca Campbell, Emotionally Involved: The Impact of Researching Rape. New York: Routledge, 2002. $21.95 papercover.

Review Of Sociology Of Religion: Contemporary Developments. Kevin J. Christiano, William H. Swatos Jr. And Peter Kivisto. Reviewed By Ram A. Cnaan., Ram A. Cnaan

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Kevin J. Christiano, William H. Swatos Jr. and Peter Kivisto, Sociology of Religion: Contemporary Developments. Lanham, MD: AltaMira Press, 2002. $44.95 papercover.

Review Of The Making Of The Chinese Industrial Workplace: State, Revolution And Labor Management. Mark W. Frazier. Reviewed By M. K. Lee., M. K. Lee

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Mark W. Frazier, The Making of the Chinese Industrial Workplace: State, Revolution and Labor Management. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2002. $60.00 hardcover.

Drug Courts In Theory And Practice. James L. Nolan Jr. (Ed.).

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for James L. Nolan Jr. (Ed.), Drug Courts in Theory and Practice. Hawthorne, NY: Aldyne de Gruyter. $51.95 hardcover, $25.95 papercover.

Fatherhood Arrested: Parenting From Within The Juvenile Justice System. Ann M. Nurse.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for

Prostitution Policy: Revolutionizing Practice Through A Gendered Perspective. Lenore Kuo.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Lenore Kuo, Prostitution Policy: Revolutionizing Practice through a Gendered Perspective. New York: New York University Press, 2002. $40.00 hardcover.

Practicing Sociology: Selected Fields. Robert A. Dentler.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Robert A. Dentler, Practicing Sociology: Selected Fields. Westport, CT: Praegar, 2002. $22.95 papercover.

Nadia Yakoob On Best Practices For Social Work With Refugees And Immigrants By Miriam Potocky-Tripodi. New York: Columbia University Press, 2002. 538 Pp., Nadia Yakoob

Human Rights & Human Welfare

A review of:

Best Practices for Social Work with Refugees and Immigrants by Miriam Potocky-Tripodi. New York: Columbia University Press, 2002. 538 pp.

Stories Of Mothers And Child Welfare (Full Report), Gary Cameron, S. Hoy

Partnerships for Children and Families Project

The voices we hear describing the lives of mothers who come into contact with child welfare agencies are usually those of service providers and researchers. How do mothers make sense of their own lives and what happened to their families when they became involved with child welfare? This report provides an opportunity to listen to what 16 of these mothers had to say over conversations averaging 5 - 6 hours with each woman. Aspects of these stories will be familiar to some readers. Nonetheless, these stories challenge both popular and professional perceptions of who these mothers are and how they …

Mothers’ Everyday Realities And Child Placement Experiences (Full Report), Nancy Colleen Freymond

Partnerships for Children and Families Project

Placing a child in substitute care is one of the most challenging aspects of child welfare work. In situations of apprehension, child welfare workers may be required to make quick decisions about child placement sometimes with very limited information. This paper is based on interviews with mothers whose children were placed in substitute care. Mothers’ daily lives, including the nature of adversity in their lives, will be discussed. Mothers’ response to adversity and how they are impacted both positively and negatively by child welfare interventions will also be explored. Their experiences of placement reveals there is a disconnection between the …

Child Placement And Mothering Ideologies: Images Of Mothers In Child Welfare, Nancy Colleen Freymond

Partnerships for Children and Families Project

No abstract provided.

Bridging Or Maintaining Distance: A Matched Comparison Of Parent And Service Provider Realities (Full Report), Karen Frensch, Gary Cameron

Partnerships for Children and Families Project

When service providers and parents engage with each other to improve family circumstances, do they have similar impressions of what is important and what is helpful? Our purpose in interviewing parents who have been involved in child protection services and their service providers was to understand how parents and service providers view each other, their interactions, and the services they are engaged in. We were also interested in the “official record”—the files that describe parents, children, their needs, and the services provided in response. A comparison of the perspectives of service providers, parents, and files highlights some of the barriers …

Invisible Lives: The Experiences Of Parents Receiving Child Protective Services (Full Report), Sarah Maiter, Sally Palmer, Shehenaz Manji

Partnerships for Children and Families Project

Involvement with child protective services (CPS) may be expected to be a stressful experience for parents. Usually their involvement is involuntary, initiated because someone believes they are not caring adequately for their children: this tells them that the community, or someone in the community, does not approve of them as parents. As families who become involved with CPS tend to be economically deprived and socially marginalized, they may view agency intervention as one more sign that they are not accepted by their community. Moreover it brings the fear of losing their children, perhaps forever. In this context, it is especially …

Family Talk: Parents And Children Involved With The Child Welfare And Children's Mental Health Systems (Full Report), Marshall Fine, Deena Mandell

Partnerships for Children and Families Project

Our project focussed on families who had been involved in services with child welfare and children’s mental health. Sixteen families were interviewed and asked to describe their experiences as clients, including positive and negative experiences, what they experienced as helpful and unhelpful, changes they identified as a result of their involvement, and characteristics and practices of the workers they liked most and least. We present their perspectives in order to build understanding of what contributes to making a positive difference in the lives of families in difficulty.