Social Work Commons^™

Review Of Stayin' Alive: The 1970s And The Last Days Of The Working Class. Jefferson Cowie. Reviewed By Robert Forrant., Robert Forrant

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Jefferson Cowie, Stayin' Alive: The 1970s and the Last Days of the Working Class. The New Press (2010). $21.95 (paperback).

Sweden's Parental Leave Insurance: A Policy Analysis Of Strategies To Increase Gender Equality, Juliana Carlson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Sweden's parental leave insurance is recognized internationally as the premiere parental leave policy addressing gender equality. Since 1974, when the policy changed from maternal to parental leave, policy makers have employed a variety ofstrategies including inducements, rules, and rights, to increase more gender-equal leave taking. Using Stone's (2006) strategy conceptualization, together with the gender systems approach (Crompton, 1999) which frames the gendered and socially constructed nature of earner/caregiver, this analysis examines how each of Sweden's incremental reforms in parental leave policy moved toward the goal of gender equality, with particular attention to father participation in caregiving.

A Half-Century Of California Poverty, Robert G. Mogull

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In this article, poverty statistics are examined over the past 50 years for insights on trends. Data were tabulated by Decennial Censuses for the state of California and categorized by demographic group. Trends are revealed by evidence from unique calculations of Poverty Indexes, that is, of 'fair shares" of poverty. By examining 5 decades of evidence, it is found that some groups have clearly progressed-specifically Asians & Pacific Islanders, Blacks, and Hispanics, while others have found their recent poverty status deteriorate- especially the elderly, Native Americans, and Whites.

Remarital Chances, Choices, And Economic Consequences: Issues Of Social And Personal Welfare, Kevin Shafer, Todd M. Jensen

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Many divorced women experience a significant decline in financial, social, physical, and psychological well-being following a divorce. Using data from the NLSY79 (n= 2,520) we compare welfare recipients, mothers, and impoverished women to less marginalized divorcees on remarriage chances. Furthermore, we look at the kinds of men these women marry by focusing on the employment and education of new spouses. Finally, we address how remarriage and spousal quality (as defined by education and employment) impact economic well-being after divorce. Our results show that remarriage has positive economic effects, but that is dependent upon spousal quality. However, such matches are rare …

Black Women In The "Black Metropolis" Of The Early Twentieth Century: The Case Of Professional Occupations, Robert L. Boyd

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Little research has examined the employment of Black women as teachers, nurses, and librarians in the urban Black communities of the early twentieth century. The present study fills this void, analyzing Census data on the largest urban Black communities at the start of the Great Migration to cities. The results show that, in spite of the supposed advantages of the northern "Black Metropolis," Black communities in the urban North were relatively limited in their potential to offer opportunities for Black women to enter pursuits that were, at the time, mainstays of a nascent class of Black professional women.

Specialists, Generalists, And Policy Advocacy By Charitable Nonprofit Organizations, Heather Macindoe, Ryan Whalen

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Previous research finds modest levels of engagement in policy advocacy by charitable nonprofits, despite legal regulations permitting nonprofit advocacy and the significance of public policy to nonprofit constituencies. This paper examines nonprofit involvement in policy advocacy using survey data from Boston, Massachusetts. Nonprofit participation in policy advocacy is associated with professionalization, resource dependence, features of the institutional environment, and organizational characteristics such as size and mission. Drawing from population ecology theory, we examine an additional aspect of organizational mission: whether a nonprofit serves a specialized or general population. We find that nonprofits serving specialized populations are more likely to participate …

The "L" Word: Nonprofits, Language, And Lobbying, Jocelyn D. Taliaferro, Nicole Ruggiano

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Despite the many benefits associated with policy advocacy, many nonprofit organizations do not lobby. Recently, scholars have called attention to the possibility that the vagueness and ambiguity of the term lobbying may hinder policy advocacy activities, though few studies have systematically explored the relationship between nonprofit professionals' perception of this term and political activity. This study explored the social construction of the term "lobbying" by examining nonprofit leaders' beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors surrounding lobbying activities. Participants reported having a strong aversion to the term "lobbying" and preferred alternative language to describe their political activities. Implications for practice and research are …

Review Of For Love And Money: Care Provision In The United States. Nancy Folbre (Ed.). Reviewed By Jill B. Jones., Jill B. Jones

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Nancy Folbre (Ed.), For Love and Money: Care Provision in the United States. Russell Sage Foundation (2012). $35.00 (paperback).

Review Of Striving To Save: Creating Policies For Financial Security Of Low-Income Families. Margaret Sherrard Sherraden & Amanda Moor Mcbride, With Sondra G. Beverly. Reviewed By Carol B. Stack., Carol B. Stack

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Margaret Sherrard Sherraden & Amanda Moor McBride, with Sondra G. Beverly, Striving to Save: Creating Policies for Financial Security of Low-Income Families. University of Michigan Press (2010). 340 pages, $65.00 (hardcover).

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 40, No. 2 (June 2013)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• A HALF-CENTURY OF CALIFORNIA POVERTY - Robert G. Mogull
• THE POTENTIAL OF YOUTH SAVINGS ACCOUNTS IN THREE EAST AFRICAN COUNTRIES: KENYA, TANZANIA, AND UGANDA - Njeri Kagotho, Proscovia Nabunya, Fred Ssewamala, and Vilma Ilic
• THE MASARYKS OF CZECHOSLOVAKIA: CONTRIBUTIONS IN SOCIOLOGY, SOCIAL WELFARE AND POLITICS - Rebecca L. Hegar
• SWEDEN'S PARENTAL LEAVE INSURANCE: A POLICY ANALYSIS OF STRATEGIES TO INCREASE GENDER EQUALITY - Juliana Carlson
• REMARITAL CHANCES, CHOICES, AND ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES: ISSUES OF SOCIAL AND PERSONAL WELFARE - Kevin Shafer and Todd M. Jensen
• BLACK WOMEN IN THE "BLACK METROPOLIS" OF THE EARLY TWENTIETH CENTURY: THE CASE …

Educational Experiences Of Emancipated Foster Youth: An Exploratory Study, Cynthia Joyce Stunkard

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The data obtained in this qualitative study focused on the educational experiences of youth formerly in foster care after graduation from high school from the viewpoint of the youth. Data were gathered from interviews from 10 participants. Themes included: (a) How do youth emancipated from foster care perceive their educational experiences? (b) What could teachers have done differently to assist the foster youth when he/she first arrived in the classroom or when he/she was moving to another placement? (c) What did teacher do to help the foster youth feel welcomed and part of the classroom community?

Interviews were conducted and …

The Long-Term Costs Of Caring: How Caring For An Aging Parent Impacts Wealth Trajectories Of Caregivers, Jennifer Crane Greenfield

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Long-term care in the U.S. is a growing concern as our aging population exerts pressure on formal and informal care systems. Public expenditures on formal care are increasing rapidly, even as reliance on informal caregivers expands. Recent policy innovations are shifting Medicaid and Medicare funding toward home- and community-based services: HCBS) as an alternative to nursing home care. This may help reduce overall LTC care costs to states and the federal government, but it also shifts more responsibility to families and informal care networks. Not only can caregiving have negative impacts on the physical and mental health of caregivers, but …

The Effectiveness Of The Adult Tutoring Program In Increasing Reading Levels Within The Kalamazoo Literacy Population: A Research Proposal, Sarah Beu

Honors Theses

Purpose: The results of this study will examine the effectiveness of the Adult Tutoring Program in increasing adult reading levels within the population served by the Kalamazoo Literacy Council (KLC). Method: The data in this study will be collected using a quantitative design comparing the reading levels of subjects who participated in the Adult Tutoring Program to those who dropped out of Program. The researcher will collect subjects' reading levels using the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE), and will compare subjects' previously reading levels (collected between 13 weeks and two years prior to implementation of this study) to their …

Amount Of Knowledge About Sex Trafficking In The United States Among Valparaiso University Students, Taylor Fuller, Abigail Matter, Alyssa Kasper

Symposium on Research and Creative Expression (SORCE)

This research proposal will address awareness among students, concentrating on males, at Valparaiso University. Little research has been conducted on awareness alone, let alone awareness of college students. Therefore, this research will be filling a gap. It’s important for low awareness levels to increase because awareness is the first step toward change. The researchers will develop an online survey to be administered to a sample of the students attending Valparaiso University to gauge their awareness. After the results are collected, they will be analyzed, and reported upon. Sex trafficking is a major problem for the United States. Finding out college …

Awareness Of Contraceptive Availability At Valparaiso University, Katherine Cole, Charlotte Johnson, Megan Marimen

Symposium on Research and Creative Expression (SORCE)

Despite contradictory perspectives, college students are having sex. College-age students engage in high-risk sexual behavior despite their relatively higher rates of both sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancy compared to other age groups. Several studies suggest that the majority of college students rely on campus health clinics or condom distribution programs for obtaining contraceptives. Because of the prevalence in college students, this study was targeted toward full-time, sexually-active Valparaiso University students (aged 18-24). The researchers hypothesized that sexually-active students at Valparaiso University who were unaware of campus availability of contraceptives participated in unprotected sex more often than sexually-active students who …

Effects Of Electronic Communication On Face-To-Fare Communication, Bethany Garling, Colleen Bulow, Barb Larocco, Amy Wise

Symposium on Research and Creative Expression (SORCE)

In the past 20 years, electronic communication fundamentally changed how people communicate. Though there has been much speculation about the effects of using this type of communication, little formal research has been done. This study expands upon previous research asking, “Does more frequent use of electronic communication correlate with a lower reported level of comfort in dealing with face-to-face confrontation?” For this study, the researchers created an electronic survey targeting individuals ages 18-25. The survey consisted of three sections: first, a brief demographic section; next, a frequency checklist measuring how often participants used various types of electronic communication; and finally, …

Diversity In The Media, Jane Hurdish, Emily Penn, Ashley Watson

Symposium on Research and Creative Expression (SORCE)

Research has shown that a lack of diversity exists in the media, particularly regarding how two vulnerable populations, women and people of color, are portrayed. For example, usually only very thin women are portrayed, and people of color are misrepresented, perpetuating negative stereotypes. This study seeks to determine whether a sample of college students from Valparaiso University recognize the lack of diversity in the media and would like it changed. Through this study, society may become more aware of the lack of diversity in the media. This study may also encourage further research into how equal representation in the media …

Relationships Between College Savings And Enrollment, Graduation, And Student Loan Debt, William Elliott Iii, Hyun-A Song, Ilsung Nam

Center for Social Development Research

Relationships Between College Savings and Enrollment, Graduation, and Student Loan Debt

Research Evidence On The Cyfi Model Of Children And Youth As Economic Citizens, Margaret S. Sherraden, David Ansong

Center for Social Development Research

Research Evidence on the CYFI Model of Children and Youth as Economic Citizens

Conceptual Development Of The Cyfi Model Of Children And Youth As Economic Citizens, Margaret S. Sherraden, David Ansong

Center for Social Development Research

Conceptual Development of the CYFI Model of Children and Youth as Economic Citizens