Social Work Commons^™

The War On Drugs Is A War On African American Communities, Saundra Denise Massey

Theses and Graduate Projects

The "war on drugs" and the "get tough" attitudes associated with it have resulted in disproportionate numbers of incarcerated blacks. According to a report by Human Rights Watch, nationally one in every 20 black men over the age of 18 is in a state or federal prison. In contrast, the incarceration rate for white men is one out of every 180 (Human Rights Watch, 2000).

This paper is a policy analysis examining one law that may affect incarceration rates for blacks, the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984. Using the analytical model of Segal and Brzuzy, "Social Welfare Policy, Programs, and …

Aging And Family Policy: A Sociological Excursion, Jason L. Powell

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The contemporary focus on family policy and old age has become increasingly important in social discourses on aging both within the discipline of Sociology and social policy practices of welfare institutions that attempt to define later life. Using the United Kingdom as a case study, sheds light on wider current trends associated with aging in United States, Canada, Europe and Australia. Social welfare is a pivotal domain where social discourses on aging have become located. Narratives are 'played out' with regard to the raw material supplied by family policy for identity performance of older people. Therefore, grounding developments in 'narrativity' …

For The Children: Accounting For Careers In Child Protective Services, Joan M. Morris

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper analyzes autobiographical essays from women who work as social service workers in child-protection agencies. Working long hours in relatively low-paying jobs, these women have limited prestige and autonomy and increasingly, come under close scrutiny and public criticism. They are clearly exploited in terms of the emotional and "mothering" labor they are expected to perform and are held personally accountable for daily decisions that could have dire consequences for the children they serve to protect. This paper is an investigation of how their narratives explain and justify their willingness to continue working in these situations and how their professional …

Review Of Inequality In America: What Role For Human Capital Policies. James J. Hechman And Alan B. Krueger. Reviewed By Sondra Beverly., Sondra Beverly

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of James J. Heckman and Alan B. Krueger, Inequality in America: What Role for Human Capital Policies? Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2004. $40.00 cloth.

Review Of Social Security Programs And Retirement Around The World: Micro Estimation. Jonathan Gruber And David A. Wise (Eds.). Reviewed By John B. Williamson., John B. Williamson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Jonathan Gruber and David Wise (Eds.), Social Security Programs and Retirement Around the World: Micro Estimation. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2004, $99.00 hardcover.

Taking A Juvenile Into Custody: Situational Factors That Influence Police Officers' Decisions, Terrence T. Allen

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Situational factors that influence police officers decisions to take juveniles into custody were investigated. A cross-sectional self administered survey was conducted. Four-hundred and twenty-eight male and female police officers from six police districts in Cleveland Ohio completed and submitted a twenty-five item questionnaire. Using a logistic regression model the study identified: adolescents who disrespect police officers; adolescents who are out late at night; adolescent males; anyone looking suspicious; and the age of the police officer as the most significant predictors. This was an exploratory study that sought to investigate police/juvenile encounters from a street level situational perspective. The results provided …

Global Environmentalism And Local Politics: Transnational Advocacy Networks In Brazil, Ecuador, And India. Maria Guadalupe Moog Rodrigues.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Maria Guadalupe Moog Rodrigues, Global Environmentalism and Local Politics: Transnational Advocacy Networks in Brazil, Ecuador, and India. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 2003. $57.50 hardcover, $18.95 papercover.

Family Structure Effects On Parenting Stress And Practices In The African American Family, Daphne S. Cain, Terri Combs-Orme

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The predominant approach to African-American parenting research focuses on disadvantages associated with single parenthood to the exclusion of other issues. The current research suggests that this does not represent the diversity in family structure configurations among African-American families, nor does it give voice to the parenting resilience of single mothers. We argue that rather than marital status or family configuration, more attention needs to be given to the inadequacy of resources for this population.

In the current study, we examined the parenting of infants by African- American mothers and found that mothers' marital status and family configuration did not affect …

Review Of Home Bound: Growing Up With A Disability In America. Cass Irvin. Reviewed By Elizabeth Lightfoot., Elizabeth Lightfoot

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Cass Irvin, Home Bound: Growing Up with a Disability in America. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press, 2004. $59.50 hardcover, $19.95 papercover.

Partnering For Change: Unions And Community Groups Build Coalitions For Economic Justice. David B. Reynolds (Ed.).

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for David B. Reynolds (Ed.), Partnering for Change: Unions and Community Groups Build Coalitions for Economic Justice. Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharpe, 2004. $66.95 hardcover, $24.95 papercover.

The Welfare Experiments: Politics And Policy Evaluation. Robin H. Rogers-Dillon.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Robin H. Rogers-Dillon, The Welfare Experiments: Politics and Policy Evaluation. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2004. $55.00 hardcover, $21.95 papercover.

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 32, No. 2 (June 2005)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• DISTRIBUTION OF THE FEDERAL TAX BURDEN, SHARE OF AFTER-TAX INCOME, AND AFTER-TAX INCOME BY PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION AND HOUSEHOLD TYPE, 1981-2000 - Richard K. Caputo
• FAMILY STRUCTURE EFFECTS ON PARENTING STRESS AND PRACTICES IN THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN FAMILY - Daphne S. Cain
• THE POVERTY OF UNATTACHED SENIOR WOMEN AND THE CANADIAN RETIREMENT INCOME SYSTEM: A MATTER OF BLAME OR CONTRADICTION? - Amber Gazso
• AGING AND FAMILY POLICY: A SOCIOLOGICAL EXCURSION - Jason L. Powell
• GENDER POVERTY DISPARITY IN US CITIES: EVIDENCE EXONERATING FEMALE-HEADED FAMILIES - Sara Lichtenwalter
• THEORIES OF URBAN POVERTY AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HOUSING POLICY - Alexandra …

The Poverty Of Unattached Senior Women And The Canadian Retirement Income System: A Matter Of Blame Or Contradiction?, Amber Gazso

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Structural and financial inadequacy of Canada's retirement income system, especially with respect to income support benefits (i.e. Old Age Security), are often identified as one major reason unattached senior women experience poverty. While it may be compelling to blame low benefit levels and changing eligibility requirements, particularly because 'crisis' policy discourses have influenced questionable restructuring over time (i.e. the clawback), this paper argues that this is too simplistic of an account of the relationship between these women's poverty and the retirement income system. Other broad social-structural factors are at play in women's lives that have the potential to disentitle their …

Gender Poverty Disparity In Us Cities: Evidence Exonerating Female-Headed Families, Sara Lichtenwalter

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Utilizing data from the 2000 Census, this study examines the impact of family composition, education, and labor force factors on the difference between female and male poverty rates in the 70 largest U.S. cities. A stepwise regression analysis indicates that 41 % of the difference between female and male poverty rates can be explained by the percent of women in the three US Bureau of Labor Statistic's lowest wage occupations. There was no evidence of a unique impact from the percentage of female headed families in each city, or the study's other independent variables, on the gender poverty gap, with …

Theories Of Urban Poverty And Implications For Public Housing Policy, Alexandra M. Curley

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Urban poverty has been the subject of sociological and political debate for more than a century. In this article I examine theories of urban poverty and their place in American housing policy. I first discuss theories that have arisen out of the sociological and policy discourse on urban poverty and the research that supports and challenges these theories. I then review current public housing initiatives and discuss the impact of these theories on current housing policy.

Engendering Citizenship? A Critical Feminist Analysis Of Canadian Welfare-To-Work Policies And The Employment Experiences Of Lone Mothers, Rhonda S. Breitkreuz

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Like other liberal-welfare states, Canada, in a climate of balanced budgets and deficit reduction, has been active in developing policies intended to move welfare recipients into employment in order to achieve selfsufficiency. The purpose of this paper is to employ a critical feminist analysis to examine the extent to which these policies, developed under the ideological umbrella of neo-liberalism, are gender sensitive. Literature on the economic and non-economic impacts of welfare-to-work policies is reviewed to evaluate whether these initiatives, while mandating lone-mothers into employment, recognize the gendered nature of work, employment and poverty. Gaps in current research are identified and …

Review Of Kids And Media In America. Donald F. Roberts And Ulla G. Foehr. Reviewed Allan Brawley., Allan Brawley

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Donald E Roberts and Ulla G. Foehr, Kids and Media in America. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2004. $75.00 hardcover, $25.00 papercover.

Review Of Coming Home? Refugees, Migrants And Those Who Stayed At Home. Lynellyn D. Long And Ellen Oxfeld (Eds.). Reviewed By Miriam Potocky-Tripodi., Miriam Potocky-Tripodi

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Lynellyn D. Long and Ellen Oxfeld (Eds.), Coming Home? Refugees, Migrants and Those Who Stayed at Home. Philadephia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2004. $42.00 hardcover, $14.00 papercover.

Review Of Developing Practice Guidelines For Social Work Intervention. Aaron Rosen And Enola K. Proctor (Eds.). Reviewed By Eric R. Hardiman., Eric R. Hardiman

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Aaron Rosen and Enola K. Proctor (Eds.), Developing Practice Guidelines for Social Work Intervention. New York: Columbia University Press, 2004. $62.50 hardcover, $29.50 papercover.

Fatherhood Politics In The United States: Masculinity, Sexuality, Race And Marriage. Anna Gavanas.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Anna Gavanas, Fatherhood Politics in the United States: Masculinity, Sexuality, Race and Marriage. Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Press, 2004. $32.50 hardcover.

The Mystery Of Economic Growth. Elhanan Helpman.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Elhanan Helpman, The Mystery of Economic Growth. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2004. $5.95 hardcover.

Tribal Workers' Knowledge And Perspectives On The Effectiveness Of The Indian Child Welfare Act, Linda L. Strong

Theses and Graduate Projects

This exploratory study surveyed tribal workers' perspectives on the effectiveness of the Indian Child Welfare Act. The purpose of this study was to gain front line perspectives from the people who work directly with the enforcement of the Indian Child Welfare Act. Do the various tribal workers involved with this study feel knowledgeable, trained, supported and most of all do they feel the Indian Child Welfare Act has been effective? If not, Why? What changes if any need to be made to ensure the effectiveness of the Indian Child Welfare Act? Questionnaires were mailed to tribal workers employed by eleven …

The Children’S Aid Society Of Brant: A Community-Based Model Of Child Welfare Service Delivery (Full Report), Karen Frensch, Gary Cameron, Lirondel Hazineh

Partnerships for Children and Families Project

No abstract provided.

Family & Children’S Services Of Guelph And Wellington County: A Community-Based Model Of Child Welfare Service Delivery (Summary Report), Lirondel Hazineh, Gary Cameron, Karen Frensch

Partnerships for Children and Families Project

No abstract provided.

Children’S Aid Society Of Halton: A School-Based Model Of Child Welfare Service Delivery, Gary Cameron, Lirondel Hazineh, Karen Frensch

Partnerships for Children and Families Project

No abstract provided.

Family & Children’S Services Of Guelph And Wellington County: A Community-Based Model Of Child Welfare Service Delivery (Full Report), Lirondel Hazineh, Gary Cameron, Karen Frensch

Partnerships for Children and Families Project

No abstract provided.

The Children’S Aid Society Of Brant: A Community-Based Model Of Child Welfare Service Delivery (Summary Report), Karen Frensch, Gary Cameron, Lirondel Hazineh

Partnerships for Children and Families Project

No abstract provided.

An Exploration Of Self-Esteem And Racial Identity Among Children Placed In Transracial And Same-Race Foster Homes, Shanay Barrett-Hugan

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

The number of children in foster care continues to grow. Unfortunately this increase in children is far greater than the number of foster families available. Children are being placed in homes in which the race of the foster parent is different from that of the foster child. Legislative policies have also been enacted to eliminate discrimination in foster care placement. This study is designed to explore the impact of transracial foster care on adolescent children’s racial identity and self-esteem. Three children ages 11-17, who were placed in transracial and same-race foster homes, were interviewed in order to explore whether children …

Health Care Workers' Expectations And Empathy Toward Patients In Abusive Relationships, Christina Nicolaidis, Maryann Curry, Martha Gerrity

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Purpose: To understand attitudes that may affect health care workers' ability to provide appropriate long-term care for patients who stay with abusive partners.

Methods: We surveyed 278 health care workers in 31 primary care practices before their participation in an educational intervention.

Results: More than half of participants (51% to 60%) found it easy to empathize with a patient who decided to remain in an abusive relationship if the patient was described as poor or disabled, but few (25% to 39%) could empathize if the patient was described as educated or financially secure. A majority (57% to 59%) agreed with …

Ua61/5 Social Work Newsletter, Wku Social Work

WKU Administration Documents

Social Work newsletter includes articles:

• Seeing Red – Student Social Workers
• Note from the Department Head
• Focus on Field: Field Supervisor, Joanne Engelland, MSW
• MSW Program News
• Social Work Humor
• Departmental Faculty: Scholarly Activities – Dean May, Jan Peeler, Dale Smith, Susan Wesley