Sociology Commons^™

Case Studies On The Implementation Of The Workforce Investment Act: Spotlight On Minnesota, Sheila Fesko, Jaimie Ciulla Timmons, Allison Cohen Hall

Case Studies Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

The implementation of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) requires major organizational change for employment and training agencies. The initiative emphasizes coordination, collaboration and communication among organizations for better service delivery. At this time, states are developing systems that will enable them to address the needs of all customers seeking employment. The Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) has conducted state case studies for two purposes: (1) to identify how states have begun the process of collaboration under the new mandates of WIA; and (2) to understand the impact on customers with disabilities. This is the second in a series of publications …

Tools For Inclusion: Starting With Me: A Guide To Person-Centered Planning For Job Seekers, Melanie Jordan, Lara Enein-Donovan

Tools for Inclusion Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

A person-centered approach can help individuals with disabilities make satisfying job choices. This brief guides job seekers through a three-stage career development process that includes assessing their interests, researching the job market, and marketing themselves to potential employers.

Food Stamps: Available But Not Easily Accessible: A Study Conducted For Project Bread, Michelle Kahan, Elaine Werby, Jennifer Raymond

Center for Social Policy Publications

Concerned with growing hunger among Massachusetts families eligible for Food Stamps, and the paradoxical decline in the number of program enrollees, Project Bread asked the Center for Social Policy at the John W. McCormack Institute of Public Affairs, University of Massachusetts Boston (CSP) to study the process of securing and sustaining Food Stamp Benefits. Concurrent with the planning process for the study, the Massachusetts legislature, in an override of the Governor's veto in early December 2001, included language in the FY 2002 budget designed to expand access to the program. Among other requirements, the language requires the Department of Transitional …

Asian American Voter Registration In Massachusetts: A Preliminary Report On Ten Cities And Towns, Paul Watanabe, Michael Liu

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

The 2000 Census reports that Massachusetts’ Asian American population is the state’s fastest growing racial group, increasing by 68% since 1990. By 2025, the number of Asian Americans in Massachusetts is projected to expand to 534,000 from the current total of 238,124. This dramatic growth, however, has apparently not been accompanied by high levels of Asian American electoral participation and political clout. A major challenge for Asian Americans, therefore, is to substantially increase their participation and influence.

Support For K-12 Service-Learning Practice: A Brief Review Of The Research, Shelley Billig

Special Topics, General

Each year, more K-12 schools and districts are adopting service-learning as an educational reform strategy to help students achieve :important educational goals. The National Center for Education Statistics estimates that service-learning is being practiced in. more than one-third of all public schools in the United States and in about half of all public high schools. The 1999 National Student. Service-Learning and Community Service Survey found that rates of participation in service-learning progressively increase across grade levels. Passion for the practice of service-learning sometimes reaches evangelical proportions. However, by its nature, the practice of service-learning varies widely, and even ardent practitioners …

Outcomes In Research In Out-Of-School Time Program Design, Nancy Peter

Project Summaries

Overview
• "After-school programs keep children of all ages safe and out of trouble." (Safe and Smart)¹
• "Community-based youth development programs promote positive academic and social outcomes among teenagers."(Children's Aid Society) ²
• "Children who spend time in after-school programs are better behaved and more respectful toward others." (The After-School Corporation) ³
• "After-school programs have been shown to reduce the use of tobacco, drugs, and alcohol among adolescents. "(The After-School Corporation) ⁴
• "Quality youth development programs can cut crime immediately and transform this prime time for juvenile crime into hours of academic enrichment, wholesome fun and …

A State’S Gendered Response To Political Instability: Gendering Labor Policy In Semi-Authoritarian El Salvador (1944-1972), Leslie C. Gates, Kati L. Griffith

Sociology Faculty Scholarship

Unlike much of the gender and welfare literature, this study examines why a regime that constrains pressure from below would adopt gendered social policies. The Salvadoran case (1944-1972) suggests that political instability rather than societal pressures may prompt semi-authoritarian regimes to adopt gendered labor reforms. We extend the motivations for adopting gendered labor reforms to include co-opting labor by examining gendered labor reforms in the context of El Salvador’s historically contingent labor strategy. This gendered analysis helps explain how a semi-authoritarian regime secured political stability and reveals the special appeal gendered labor reforms may have to semi-authoritarian regimes.

Interracial Couples Experience Of Leisure: A Social Network Approach, Dan K. Hibbler Ph.D.

School of Continuing and Professional Studies Faculty and Staff Works

There has been a significant amount of research that has indicated divergent

patterns of leisure participation among African Americans and European Americans;however, there has been a paucity of research that addresses the leisure patterns of interracial couples and families. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the leisure patterns of interracial couples and families, specifically African American and European American couples. A qualitative design was employed to gather in-depth interview data from six couples. The findings indicated that the interracial couples felt socially isolated in various aspects of daily life, including work, family, and leisure. The primary cause …

Kinship Care In Massachusetts, Jan Mutchler, Alison S. Gottlieb, Lona Choi, Ellen A. Bruce

Gerontology Institute Publications

The population of kinship care families in the Commonwealth is diverse in its characteristics, resources, and needs. The often-referenced stereotype of the elderly single grandmother caring for a number of grandchildren holds for only a portion of the kinship care families. Many children are cared for by married couples; many of the grandparents are not elderly; and many of the caregivers are not grandparents, but rather aunts, uncles, grown siblings, or other relatives. Although the duration of the caregiving relationship is unknown for non-grandparental care, most of the grandparent caregivers are involved in long-term caregiving. As such, their needs are …

Discrimination And Social Adjustment Of 'New Arrival Women' From Mainland China, San Kiu, Sunday Tsoi

Lingnan Theses

This research examines the scope and the extent of discrimination experienced by (New Arrival Women) NAW as well as its impact on their social adjustment in Hong Kong Special Administration Region (HKSAR). It has been argued that discrimination slow down the adjustment process. Institutionalized discrimination and individual discrimination are examined in relation to NAW social adjustment in the HKSAR society.

The research framework is based on the concepts of institutionalized and individual discriminations. Unfair Government policies being seen as a socio-structural factor results in institutionalized discrimination while the unsatisfactory outcomes arising from the interaction between NAW and LPRs (Local Permanent …

Time-Based Work-Family Conflict: Myth Or Reality?, Karyn H. Bernas

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The present study examined a time-based model of work-family conflict for a sample of 176 working women with childcare responsibilities. Building on the work of Edwards and Rothbard (2000) and role theory, a model was proposed to test the specific variables that define time-based work-family conflict. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to test the proposed hypotheses. Contrary to assumptions about time-based conflict, the results suggest that role time has a very limited impact on work-family conflict. Variables that were related to role performance and satisfaction included traditional gender role expectations, family involvement, family instrumental support, leader-member exchange, role overload, and …

Welfare, Work, And Well-Being In Metro And Nonmetro Louisiana, Joachim Singelmann, Theresa Davidson, Rachel Reynolds

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

This paper examines the extent to which persons in the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) have been able to leave the TANF program. The analysis is based on the Louisiana Welfare Survey which is a panel study of 1,000 persons (500 in New Orleans and 500 in two labor market areas in northeastern Louisiana) who in 1998 and 1999 had been on welfare. The original respondents have been reinterviewed annually, with the fifth and final wave currently (May 2002) in the field. The findings reported in this paper are based on the first three waves of the panel survey, …

The Impact Of Welfare Reform On Rural Alabamians, David L. Klemmock, Lucinda Lee Roff, Debra Moehle Mccallum, John T. Stern

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

This exploratory study compared Alabama welfare leavers from two types of rural counties with those from two types of metropolitan counties. It was based on telephone interviews conducted during the summer of 1999 with a random sample of 4 16 people who had left TANF between July and November 1998. There were no statistically significant differences among leavers by county type in the likelihood they were employed and, if employed, in the rate of pay, number of hours worked weekly, or the types of benefits available at the job. Although many respondents no longer received benefits they had received while …

The Regionalization Of Poverty: Assistance For The Black Belt South?, Ronald C. Wimberley, Libby V. Morris

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Rural poverty is largely regional. The nation's primary region of rural poverty is the Black Belt South that stretches through 11 states from Virginia to Texas. In this area, like in other rural expanses of the United States, urban places typically fall within state lines while rural areas run across state lines and create multistate regions of rural poverty. The federal government provides block grants to address many of the public assistance needs of state populations. State-level block grants may be appropriate for serving urban areas within states, but they do not address regional-level poverty and welfare requirements across multistate …

Contextualizing Cash Assistance And The South, Julie N. Zimmerman

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

In 1996, the U.S. Congress passed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunities Reconciliation Act creating the most recent welfare reform and the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program. Unlike Aid to Families with Dependent Children, which was an income-based entitlement program, with TANF came time limits, sanctions for noncompliance, and requirements that recipients participate in "work or work-related activities." TANF is also a block grant program. As a result, not only did program requirements change, but they can now vary from state to state. This article provides a regional context for this special issue of Southern Rural Sociology by …

Food Security Of Low-Income Single Parents In East Alabama: Use Of Private And Public Programs In The Age Of Welfare Reform, Patricia A. Duffy, Ginger Grayson Hallmark, Joseph J. Molnar, Latoya Claxton, Conner Bailey, Steve Mikloucich

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Despite a strong economy, the use of private, nonprofit food assistance is increasing. To determine how single parenthood affects the use of both public and private food assistance, a sample of food bank clients and low-income, food-needy non-clients in East Alabama was interviewed. Overall, single-parent food-pantry clients indicated higher levels of food insecurity than other groups, but the non-clients who were not single parents also indicated high levels of need. Although 42 percent of food bank clients were single parents, results showed that married couples with children were more highly represented among the food bank clients than among food-needy individuals …

Racial Disparities And Welfare Reform In Mississippi, Curtina Moreland-Young, Kristie Roberts, Jody Fields, Royal Walker Jr.

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

This research is a part of a much larger study which has been conducted on the implementation of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Welfare Reform in the state of Mississippi. The study on the implementation of TANF employs qualitative and quantitative approaches to data collection and analysis. One of the quantitative components of that study is a statewide survey of former and current TANF and Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) recipients which includes 1688 respondents. This number represents roughly 10 percent of the 15,000 families on welfare in the state of Mississippi (the most available data). …

The Promise And Peril Of Charitable Choice: Religion, Poverty Relief, And Welfare Reform In The South, John P. Bartkowski, Helen A. Regis

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

This study analyzes narratives of welfare reform and faith-based poverty relief articulated by religious leaders in rural Mississippi congregations. These congregations are situated in and around Mississippi's Golden Triangle Region, a locale that includes a diverse group of small and mid-sized towns, as well as remote rural areas. As a state with entrenched social disadvantage, a thriving religious economy, and the nation's first faith-based welfare reform program, Mississippi is an ideal locale to study this important issue. We begin by discussing the charitable choice provision in welfare reform legislation. This legal provision bars discrimination against religious organizations as social service …

Southern Rural Family Economic Well-Being In The Context Of Public Assistance, Bonnie Braun, Frances C. Lawrence, Patricia H. Dyk, Maria Vandergriff-Avery

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

As Congress considers reauthorization of public assistance legislation in 2002, researchers are challenged to provide data about the economic well-being of rural, low-income families. This paper provides findings from three southern states (Kentucky, Louisiana, and Maryland) currently participating in a 15-state, longitudinal study monitoring the economic well-being of rural families in the context of welfare reform of cash and food assistance. Initial findings reveal that even families using assistance to supplement their earned income fall short of self-sufficiency. These families are at-risk of living in economic crisis, or critical hardship, with inadequate earned and unearned income to meet their basic …

Tanf/Welfare Client Decline And Community Context In The Rural South, 1997-2000, Domenico Parisi, Diane K. Mclaughlin, Michael Taquino, Steven Michael Grice, Neil R. White

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

This article examines the extent to which declines in welfare rolls relate to five major dimensions of community: (1) local demographic composition, (2) local labor market conditions, (3) local civic capacity, (4) local spatial characteristics, and (5) changes in local economic opportunities. Results based on data from the Mississippi Department of Human Services indicate that demographically, economically, and socially advantaged communities were more likely to experience high declines in welfare rolls. Rurality was associated with lower likelihood of high declines in welfare rolls across Mississippi counties. Clearly, a combination of a stronger local economy and social support in a local …

Time Limit And Sanction Effects Of The Texas Tanf Waiver, Tami Swenson, Steve White, Steve Murdoch

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Key provisions of the Texas TANF waiver, Achieving Change for Texans (ACT), allowed the state to implement variable time limits, sanctions, and geographically-targeted work assistance programs. An innovative aspect of ACT was the provision that the state's variable time limits did not begin until a case was notified of an available slot in the job assistance program. Thus, state time limits were directly linked with the provision of job services while sanction penalties were applicable to the entire caseload. In this paper, we examine the time limit and sanction effects on the duration of cash assistance for all families that …

Raising A Flag Of Caution In The Race For Community-Based Approaches To Rural Welfare Reform: Early Findings From Texas, Miguel Ferguson, Dennis Poole, Diana Dinitto, A. James Schwab

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

President George W. Bush's executive order establishing the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives heightens expectations that local organizations will provide superior services to support the objectives of welfare reform and address poverty. However, this expectation raises concerns about the capacity of community-based organizations (CBOs) to effectively implement reform projects in nonmetropolitan areas with limited access to important support services. This paper addresses these questions using early findings from an evaluation of four locally-organized welfare reform projects in rural Texas. We find that the reform projects experienced shortcomings in management, funding, and community involvement that appear to limit …

Ua68/13/4 Limited Edition, Wku Journalism

WKU Administration Documents

Newspaper created by students participating in the Minority Journalism Workshop hosted by the WKU Journalism Department.

• Sebastian, Kandace. Shake Rag Preparing for Revival
• Clark, Ashlee. Concerts in Park Sizzling
• Byrd, Candice. Actor Relives Washington's Brave Legacy - Josephy Bundy
• Clark, Ashlee. Multi-faceted Clemette Haskins Returning to Start Foundation
• Davis, AnCharlene. Uncle Merv Aubespin Tells Students To Make a Difference
• Relerford, Patrice. Sullivans Share Success to Support Scholarships
• Long, Michelle. Teacher Trying to Draw Minorities into Profession - Leislie Godo-Solo
• Tucker, Harold. Army Sets Up Quarters on Hill
• Belcher, Tammy. Shake Rag Deserves Support
• Clark, Ashlee. Teach Black History Year Round …

Forming And Sustaining Partnerships, Pat Schene

Partnerships for Children and Families Project

This paper will discuss reasons to move in the direction of partnerships for child and family services. As well, strategies for developing less adversarial responses in child protection will be examined. A number of efforts to build partnerships for child protective services have taken place in several US communities, and specific examples of these attempts will be discussed. Given the ideal of partnerships, the paper will attempt to understand the role of the formal child welfare agencies in partnership with families and communities. Finally, lessons learned from these partnerships will be addressed and challenges to sustaining broader-based approaches to child …

‘When One Door Shuts, Another Opens’: Turning Disadvantages Into Opportunities, A.W.M. Veldkamp

Partnerships for Children and Families Project

For many years, the child and family welfare and the child protection systems in the Netherlands have been under heavy criticism. Numerous experts in these fields have been advocating more intensive co-operation and a better coherence between both systems. The relationship between both fields seems to be a never ending issue for political and public discussion that has filled many bookshelves during the last decades. In spite of this, until now, the criticized relationship between the two has not fundamentally changed. In this paper, the characteristic differences between child and family welfare systems and child protection systems will be considered. …

Child And Family Welfare In Sweden, Gunvor Andersson

Partnerships for Children and Families Project

Sweden has no special Children’s Act because regulations on children are included in the Social Services Act from 1980, supplemented by an act regulating compulsory care. Child and Family welfare has a family support orientation rather than a child protection orientation. No time limit provided by the law put an end to family support or out-of-home care, but interventions are reviewed every six months. The paper presents some facts about Sweden, gives and overview of the legal framework, family maintenance services and out-of-home care. Further details are given about contact person/family as one of the most frequently used statutory support …

First Nations Child And Family Services And Indigenous Knowledge As A Framework For Research, Policy And Practice, Marlyn Bennett, Cindy Blackstock

Partnerships for Children and Families Project

This paper provides an overview of the exciting national developments in First Nations child and family service delivery in Canada with a focus on progressive research, policy and practice. Examples of how traditional concepts of interdependence and the holistic worldview inform program design and delivery within First Nations communities are reviewed. In addition, the paper introduces the mandate, strategic directions and services of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada. This national organization brings together the 105 First Nations Child and Family Service Agencies in Canada to share best practices, develop professional development programs and conduct research. …

The Plight Of Paternalism In French Child Welfare And Protective Policies And Practices, Alain Grevot

Partnerships for Children and Families Project

For 40 years, the French child protection system has been based on a structure set up at the dawn of the Fifth Republic, giving a strong role, and a monopoly to the State to support families in trouble. The role of Children’s Judges has been designed to personify the constitutional duty of the State to control and support the role of parents as defined by the civil code. The evolution of the structure of French society (family models, multicultural communities), the impact of more liberal economic and social policies (in a country strongly characterized by centralization and Jacobinism), the growth …

Learning From Difference: Comparing Child Welfare Systems, Rachael Hetherington

Partnerships for Children and Families Project

Child welfare and child protection are integral aspects of the welfare regimes of all post-industrial societies. However, although the needs of children and the dangers of child abuse are so widely acknowledged, the ways in which these needs and risks are met varies considerably, even between countries with similar structures. By studying the ways in which other countries deal with similar problems, we can learn about new ways of responding and may find ideas that we can adapt for use in our own context. But we can do much more than this. By looking at differences, and using the power …

Maori Perspectives On Collaboration And Colonisation In Contemporary Aotearoa/New Zealand Child And Family Welfare Policies And Practices, Catherine Love

Partnerships for Children and Families Project

Colonization involves the appropriation and disfigurement of resources, the most valuable of these being people. In Aotearoa/New Zealand, indigenous Maori experiences of colonization parallel those of indigenous peoples around the world. The British modelled child welfare system in particular has been held responsible for the fragmentation of Maori families/whanau and communities. In 1989, new legislation was heralded as a radical departure from the previous legalistic, coercive and punitive system. The ‘Children, Young Person’s and their Families Act’ (CYP&F, 1989) signalled a partnership approach whereby Western welfare authorities and indigenous Maori communities would collaborate to protect ‘the best interests of the …