Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

An Examination Of The Relationships Between Value Conflict, Quality Of Worklife, Job Satisfaction And Job Retention Among Employees Working In Urban And Rural County Human Service Departments In The State Of Ohio, Laurie Gracheck White

Doctoral Dissertations

Public human service settings are highly bureaucratic organizations with tight centralization of policy decision-making. They can be inhospitable places for conducting professional work and most appropriate for performing routine tasks based on standardized procedures. Against this backdrop of control, human service workers are asked to respond to the unique and unpredictable problems of people struggling unsuccessfully in society. The inconsistency between work structure and professional responsibility can generate value conflict for public human service employees. There are conflicts of loyalty to employers, laws, clients, colleagues, funding sources, regulations, and the community at large. These conflicts can have profound implication for …

Review Of Alternatives To Social Security: An International Inquiry. James Midgley And Michael Sherraden. Reviewed By Eric Kingson, Boston College., Eric Kingson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

James Midgley and Michael Sherraden (Eds.), Alternatives to Social Security: An International Inquiry. Westport, CT: Auburn House, 1997. $49.95 hardcover.

A Formative Evaluation Of An Empathy Training Model, Beverly Mckee

Doctoral Dissertations

Statement of the Problem: No specific, short term model of empathy has been developed and tested with the general adult population even though researchers have established a link between empathic skills and the art of helping and caring for others. Additionally, as a major component of "emotional intelligence," it is argued that empathy enhances successful living in general (Gibbs, 1995). A large body of research suggests that more empathic people tend to engage in more altruistic behaviors, are less aggressive, are more affiliative, score higher on measures of moral judgement, and are more pleasant to be around (Mehrabian, Young, and …

Children Living In Poverty: Their Perception Of Career Opportunities, Susan Weinger

Social Work Faculty Publications

Growing up in poverty often diminishes a child's opportunity to pursue a rewarding career path. This qualitative study explored whether poor children are aware that their wealthier peers' chances for success may be greater than their own. Projective techniques employing photographs of two houses representing poor and middle-income families were used to interview twenty-four children between the ages of five and thirteen years, divided equally between white and African Americans. These respondents perceived that society provides better future job opportunities to non poor children while limiting those of the poor. Although respondents suggested that they and their friends could be …

Attitudinal Predictors Of Preferred Policy Options: Contrasting Afdc With Work Programs, Jill Littrell, Sahna Diwan

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Two studies were conducted in order to determine the attitudinal predictors of support for AFDC, work programs, and the option of the government playing no role in protecting the welfare of poor children whose families have no income. The first study evaluated this question in 362 students of Criminal Justice, Business, Urban Studies, and Public Administration at an urban university in Georgia. The second study evaluated the question in a telephone poll sample of 822 randomly sampled Georgians throughout the state. Majorities in both samples preferred work programs. In the student sample, all three choice groups were distinguishable on the …

Rethinking Selectivism And Selectivity By Means Test, Chack-Kie Wong

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article casts doubt on conventional thinking about selectivism and its narrow focus on the selective process. It is argued that selectivity is fairly neutral; even universal access to welfare is not free from the attachment of social stigma to welfare beneficiaries. The increase in benefits standards, another common strategy advocated by egalitarians, may not produce the desirable de-stigmatized effect for beneficiaries. Our status ranking conception of social relations, reflecting the operation of the success ideology, holds the key to the transfer of social stigma in the social exchange of welfare benefits. In this regard, we need .to study the …

Escape From Poverty: What Makes A Difference For Children? P. Lindsay Chase-Lansdale And Jeanne Brooks-Gunn (Eds.).

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

P. Lindsay Chase-Lansdale and Jeanne Brooks-Gunn (Eds.), Escape from Poverty: What Makes a Difference for Children? Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press, 1997. $ 49.95 hardcover, $ 24.95 papercover.

Contested Workplace: The Case Of The Strike Of The United Food And Commercial Workers Union Versus Meijer, Barbara Thomas Coventry, Marietta Morrissey

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper examines the struggle between labor and management at four, newly-opened supermarket/discount stores, culminating in a strike. It considers workplace control as an issue in the strike and its resolution. Edwards' typology of workplace control is reviewed, along with other indirect forms of control explored in recent literature. Workers complained most stridently about direct control mechanisms. Workers' objections to technical and bureaucratic control played only a minor part in workers' decision to strike and the work stoppage's outcome. Indirect controls, including customer and gender-specific control mechanisms, were seldom questioned or acknowledged by workers. On the other hand, both the …

Exposing And Reframing Welfare Dependency, Elizabeth Bartle

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Defining the phrase welfare dependency from a feminist perspective offers a way to understand how the rhetoric around the use of this phrase continues to legitimize current changes in Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) while simultaneously diverting the public's attention from the real issues of poverty of and discrimination against women. This article includes a detailed definition of welfare dependency, a brief history of its usage, and a reconceptualization of women's use of AFDC on a long-term basis. This reconceptualization expands on international dependency theory and reframes dependency as interdependency that builds on women's strengths, women's rights, and …

Women "Reading The World:" Challenging Welfare Reform In Wisconsin, Kristine B. Miranne, Alma H. Young

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The latest iteration of welfare reform, the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), endorses work requirements and time limits on benefits, while giving greater discretion to individual states in developing welfare programs. Linking personal responsibility with work indicates that policy makers believe that it only takes properg uidancea nd minimal trainingfo r welfare recipients( predominately women) to make the transition from welfare to work. We suggest, however, that focusing on incentive, sanction, or compulsion ignores the structural features of poverty, especially as they impact the multiplicities of poor women's lives. In order for the welfare system to …

Careers In Social Work. Leon H. Ginsberg.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Leon H. Ginsberg, Careers in Social Work. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon, 1997. $ 16.50 papercover.

Combating Child Abuse: International Perspectives And Trends. Neil Gilbert (Ed.).

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Neil Gilbert (Ed.), Combating Child Abuse: International Perspectives and Trends. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997. $45.00 hardcover.

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 25, No. 2 (June 1998)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• CONTESTED WORKPLACE: THE CASE OF THE STRIKE OF THE UNITED FOOD AND COMMERCIAL WORKERS UNION VERSUS MEIJER - Barbara Thomas Coventry and Marietta Morrissey
• EXPOSING AND REFRAMING WELFARE DEPENDENCY - Elizabeth Bartle
• THE FORGOTTEN MANY: A STUDY OF POOR URBAN WHITES - Reba L. Chaisson
• ATTITUDINAL PREDICTORS OF PREFERRED POLICY OPTIONS: CONTRASTING AFDC WITH WORK PROGRAMS - Jill Littrell and Sahna Diwan
• POOR CHILDREN "KNOW THEIR PLACE:" PERCEPTIONS OF POVERTY, CLASS, AND PUBLIC MESSAGES - Susan Weinger
• RETHINKING SELECTIVISM AND SELECTIVITY BY MEANS TEST - Chack-kie Wong
• ESTIMATING HOMELESS POPULATIONS THROUGH STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODELING - Christopher G. …

The Forgotten Many: A Study Of Poor Urban Whites, Reba L. Chaisson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Being White in America is thought to ensure social and economic stability, but the lives of Whites who are poor run contrary to these assumptions. Members of this group, the focus group of this study, receive food stamps, public aid and general assistance payments on a monthly basis. And they rely on public health clinics and food pantries to get by-programs and services that are viewed by the larger society as being tapped only by Blacks. This paper examines the differences and similarities between the poverty experiences of Blacks and Whites. The research for this analysis consisted of participant observation …

Poor Children "Know Their Place": Perceptions Of Poverty, Class, And Public Messages, Susan Weinger

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This qualitative study hears and clarifies some of the voices of children concerning how they feel their lives are circumscribed by living in poverty, by public messages about the poor, and by their views of their socioeconomic status. Twenty-four children between the ages of 5-12 years were interviewed using snapshots of different economic level homes in order to capture their uncensored responses. Findings reveal that the children view poverty as a deprivation, perceive societal messages as disparaging of the poor, and have some difficulty holding on to positive views of themselves. These children's thoughts about the realities of their lives …

Estimating Homeless Populations Through Structural Equation Modeling, Christopher G. Hudson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article overviews the results from a test of a model of homeless populations throughout the 3,141 counties of the United States. The data were extracted from the 1990 Census, a Census Bureau survey of its enumerators at completion of the census, and other governmental sources. The model was tested using the generally weighted least squares algorithm, as implemented under the Extended LISREL model. It was found that urbanization, servicetization, McKinney funding, and systematic error arising out of more vigilant enumeration efforts in urban areas, collectively explained 80% of the variation in rates of homelessness. The model was then used …

Review Of Adoption, Identity And Kinship: The Debate Over Sealed Birth Records. Katarina Wegar. Reviewed By Terri Combs-Orme, University Of Tennessee., Terri Combs-Orme

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Katarina Wegar, Adoption, Identity and Kinship: The Debate over Sealed Birth Records. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1997. $22.50

Review Of Children In The Urban Environment: Linking Social Policy And Clinical Practice. Norma K. Phillips And Shulamith L. A. Straussner. Reviewed By Dorinda Noble, Louisiana State University., Dorinda Noble

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Norma K. Phillips and Shulamith L.A. Straussner, Children in the Urban Environment: Linking Social Policy and Clinical Practice. Springfield, IL. $57.96 hardcover, $43.05 papercover.

Review Of Who Will Care For Us: Aging And Long Term Care In Multicultural America. Ronald L. Angel And Jacqueline L. Angel. Reviewed By Martin Tracy, University Of Southern Illinois., Martin Tracy

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Ronald L. Angel and Jacqueline L. Angel, Who will Care for Us: Aging and Long-Term Care I Multicultural America. New York: New York University Press, 1997. $29.95 hardcover.

Review Of The Impact Of Managed Care On The Practice Of Psychotherapy: Innovation, Implementation And Controversy. Richard M. Alperin And David G. Phillips. Reviewed By Steven Segal, University Of California, Berkeley., Steven Segal

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Richard M. Alperin and David G. Phillips, The Impact of Managed Care on the Practice of Psychotherapy: Innovation, Implementation and Controversy. New York: Brunner/Mazel, 1997. $31.95 hardcover.

Mental Health Policy And Practice Today. Ted R. Watkins And James W. Calicutt (Eds.).

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Ted R. Watkins and James W. Calicutt (Eds.), Mental Health Policy and Practice Today. Thousand Oaks, Sage Publications, 1997. $ 58.00 hardcover, $ 27.95 papercover.

An Historical Review Of Empirical Research Regarding Homophobia, Andrew Klopp

Theses and Graduate Projects

This study sought to explore empirical research which exists regarding homophobia. Only within the last thirty years has there been a serious attempt by researchers to critically examine and discuss homophobia in our society with regard to heterosexuals' attitudes toward gays and lesbians. Three themes emerged from the literature: 1) discussions of how homophobia may be quantifiably measured; 2) how the fear of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is equated with the fear of homosexuals; and 3) how direct practice with clients is affected by a practitioner's own homophobia. This researcher found varied social, medical and political schools of thought …

Attempting Preventing Reinventing The Wheel: Establishing Chicano/A-Latino/A Studies At A Midwest Urban University, Joseph A. Valades, Theresa Barron-Mckeagney, Michael Carroll, Lourdes Gouveia, Lucy Garza

Social Work Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

“This session will focus on the personal observations of three faculty who sought to establish a minor in Chicano/a-Latino/a Studies . . . Follow our graphic accounts as we wrestle with the decision of actually embarking on such a quest amidst our thencurrent demands of doctoral coursework, research, teaching and tenure.” In the fall semester of 1995, Chicano/a Studies was formally recognized as a "minor" at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Two years previously, three faculty members from the College of Public Affairs and Community Service at UNO diligently worked to gather student and faculty support and put the …

Attitudes Of Paternalism Among Social Workers Working With Involuntary Clients Who Are Adolescents, Karol J. Jensen-Schneider

Theses and Graduate Projects

This study identified how social workers in one metropolitan county view the use of paternalism when working with involuntary adolescents. The social workers interviewed state that paternalism is becoming more and more a part of the role of social workers. The study also discusses what attributes of involuntary adolescents and factors are important to social workers in their decision to allow adolescents to make choices about their case plans. There were nine important attributes and factors identified in the data: they are best interest of the adolescent, offering choices to the adolescent and choices made by the youth, relationships with …

Birth Parent Participation In Foster Care Placement Planning: Relationship To Discharge Outcomes, Karen A. Hulteen

Theses and Graduate Projects

Prior studies have found a positive relationship between contact of birth family and foster children and reunification, as well as with children's well-being, adjustment, and development during and after foster care. Law requires and research validates social work practice which places children in the least restrictive, most normative living situation possible to meet their needs. Examining records of 188 youth discharged from treatment foster care from Human Service Associates from January 1, 1995 to December 31, 1996, this investigation discovered that birth parent participation in placement planning meetings and quarterly reviews, one indicator of birth family involvement, was related to …

Factors That Contribute To Resiliency In Anishinabe/Ojibwe Children Overcoming Adversity, Jeffrey S. Rodin

Theses and Graduate Projects

The object of this research is to examine the resilience of the Native Americans from the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. This group of people have faced many forms of adversity over the generations. These adversities include poverty, racism, and cultural separation just to name a few. From the perspective of ecological systems theory, family systems theory, and the strengths perspective, this study focuses on individuals that grew uP on the Mille Lacs reservation and have been recognized as being successful by their tribal community. Reflecting on their childhood, these individuals discussed three factors that contributed to their resiliency. These …

Maintaining Social Services After-Hours In A Hospital Emergency Department: Health Care Preferences With On-Call And In-House Programs, Michelle L. Nash

Theses and Graduate Projects

This research describes the satisfaction of emergency department staff in relation to the social service after-hours coverage at Fairview Southdale hospital. The participants of the study were physicians, nurses, health unit coordinators, and social workers of Fairview Southdale hospital working with the emergency department. The participants completed a 17-question mailed survey. The findings illustrated the desire of staff to expand the current after-hours coverage of the emergency department to more in-house availability. The information gathered and compiled for this study will be used to help support the increase of social work services role in the emergency department at Fairview Southdale …

Exploring The Differences In Autonomy For Residents With Alzheimer's Disease Between Those Living In A Special Care Unit And Those In A Residential Group Home: A Comparative Study, Michelle Mari Jensen

Theses and Graduate Projects

Dementia of the Alzheimer's type (DAT) is a progressive, terminal disease marked by the loss of cognitive function. Due to cognitive impairments, residents with dementia exhibit behaviors that indicate disordered person in environment transactions. Due to the resulting disordered transactions, residents with dementia living in long-term care settings offen experience diminished opportunity to choose.

This paper is a comparative/descriptive study based on nursing assistant responses from an anonymous questionnaire in two long-term care facilities. Autonomy is defined by Callopy (1988) as freedom, independence and choice.

The results indicate that the residents at each respective facility seem to experience autonomy in …

A Policy Analysis Of The Minnesota Family Investment Program - Statewide: The Employment And Training Component, Rachel E. Friesen

Theses and Graduate Projects

Minnesota has just began one of its biggest welfare overhauls ever through the state's new policy: The Minnesota Family Investment-statewide (MFIP-S). The Federal welfare policy reform, Temporary Assistance for Needy families (TANF), initiated this revamp and has shifted focus to temporary assistance and mandatory work requirements for welfare participants. The employment and training component of the MFIP-S policy is currently being implemented and has proven to play an important role in this major effort that will affect thousands of people. This paper analyzes the employment and training component of MFIP-S, specifically concentrating on how it will affect single-mothers. The following …

When Dreams Wither And Resources Fail: The Social-Support Systems Of Poor Single Mothers, Susan Weinger

Social Work Faculty Publications

Recent political decisions to redesign the welfare system compels single mothers to work. With concern for the women and children so effected, this qualitative study explores the views of 42 poor single mothers regarding (1) their aspirations and dreams in relation to work and (2) the helpfulness of their social support networks in enabling them to make transitions to work or to study. Analysis was performed on both the sample as a whole and on subgroups of respondents who were divided by work category, e.g. employed fulltime, employed part-time, women who were students and full-time mothers. Developing meaningful subgroupings of …