Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Historical Research Study Of The Evolution Of Attention Deficit Disorder, Eleonora R. Posner

Theses and Graduate Projects

Across the United States of America, schools and social service agencies have become increasingly aware of a disability called Attention Deficit Disorder (A.D.D.). Families and employers are learning the name for this confusing, frustration, seemingly uncontrolled problem. The focus of this thesis will be to trace the origin and historical development of this disorder. It examines the work of those who were involved in identifying, defining and treating the disorder. The author has attempted to draw connections between history, discovery, research and implications for treatment, practice and public policy.

What We Know About Effects Of Asset Holding: Implications For Research On Asset-Based Anti-Poverty Initiatives, Deborah Page-Adams, Michael Sherraden

Center for Social Development Research

Asset accumulation programs have emerged at local and state levels to help poor people save for purposes such as education, homeowership, and microenterprise development. These anti-poverty programs are built in part on the suggestion that assets have a wide range of positive effects on well-being, and they frequently use a system of Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) to structure asset accumulation. In addition, federal legislation for an IDA demonstration has increasing support. The emergence of asset accumulation programs at local and state levels, along with growing bipartisan support for a national IDA demonstration, makes applied research both possible and necessary. Studies …

Education, Assets, And Intergenerational Well-Being: The Case Of Female Headed Families, Li-Chen Cheng, Deborah Page-Adams

Center for Social Development Research

This paper reports findings from an analysis of economic well-being among female headed households. Previous theoretical and empirical work in this area suggests that poverty among female headed families is to some extent an intergenerational process, a vicious cycle. One common explanation for this pattern is that low socioeconomic status in a woman’s family of origin results in low educational attainment and, ultimately, in low earning capacity. However, an exclusive focus on education may overlook the long term dynamics of the household as an institution that can accumulate assets to enhance economic well-being across generations. Using data from the National …

Caregivers Information Seminar: Development Of A Program For Caregivers In The Work Place, Kathi L. Durkee

Theses and Graduate Projects

The fastest growing population in the United States today are people aged 85 and older. Consequently, more American families than ever before are involved in providing some type of care or support to an elderly family member. The resulting need for assistance with daily living comes at a time when increasing numbers of women, the traditional caregivers, are entering the work force. This paper examines the research about caregiving employees and presents remedies that have been presented in the literature. A work-site model is proposed for the use of time-limited psycho-educational support groups that recognize and address the special needs …

Contributing Factors For Battered Women Returning To Abusive Relationships In The Twin Cities Area In 1995, Kimberly R. Holleschau

Theses and Graduate Projects

The economic status of women impacts their ability to leave abusive relationships. A qualitative and quantitative methods survey was used to gather data from residential program directors of battered womens shelters in the metro area detrning their experiences in the field of domestic violence. Using measures of central tendency and interpretation of themes to evaluate the data. 50% stated that economic dependence and a lack of resources, including financial. were the main reasons women stayed. In shelters providing housing alternatives. 58Vo of battered women utilized that resource. It is necessary to improve state and federal policies and shelter programming to …

Culturally Sensitive Mental Health Practices From The Perspectives Of Agency Therapists And African American Clients, Thomas Adams

Theses and Graduate Projects

This portrayal of the African American client and family appeared to be unjustified, Working with some of the "more difficult" African American clients and families and inquiring about their difficulty in following through with treatment programs and continued therapy sessions, a central theme began to emerge as an explanation for their behavior. Many of these African American clients and families believed they were not respected by the agencies or by the therapist. Many said they did not like being the only African American in treatment an#or they wanted an African American therapist. When the writer began to compare this informal …

State Guardianship: A Look At Youth In Hennepin County, Kimberly Shannon Doran

Theses and Graduate Projects

This study is an explorative evaluation of the placement status and identifying characteristics of youth under state guardianship in Hennepin County, Minnesota. A survey design was used to ascertain information about youth ages 0-17, eligible for adoption in Hennepin County from January 1, 1994 and December 31, 1995. The information was provided by the Hennepin County Adoptions Unit. Data resulting from this study did not answer the primary research question regarding the placement status of youth awaiting adoption in the age category of interest results revealed that twelve percent were adopted. Study results revealed that twelve percent were adopted. The …

Review Of The Prostitution Of Sexuality. Kathleen Barry. Reviewed By Beth Cagan, Cleveland State University., Beth Cagan

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Kathleen Barry, The Prostitution of Sexuality, New York: New York University Press, 1995, $24.95 hardcover.

Review Of The Neutered Mother, The Sexual Family. Martha Albertson Fineman. Reviewed By Janice Wood Wetzel, Adelphi University., Janice Wood Wetzel

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Martha Albertson Fineman, The Neutered Mother, the Sexual Family (and Other Twentieth Century Tragedies). New York: Routledge, 1995. $16.95 papercover.

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 23, No. 2 (June 1996)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• ERRATA
• THREE DISCOURSES ON PRACTICE: A POSTMODERN RE-APPRAISAL - Peter Leonard
• POVERTY, FAMILY SUPPORT, AND WELL-BEING OF INFANTS: MEXICAN IMMIGRANT WOMEN AND CHILDBEARING - Margaret Sherrard Sherraden and Rossana E. Barrera
• SPEAK OF THE DEVIL: RHETORIC IN CLAIMS-MAKING ABOUT THE SATANIC RITUAL ABUSE PROBLEM - Mary deYoung
• FACTORS IN LENGTH OF FOSTER CARE: WORKER ACTIVITIES AND PARENT-CHILD VISITATION - MaryEllen White, Eric Albers, and Christine Bitonti
• MOTHERS WITH CHILDREN AND MOTHERS ALONE: A COMPARISON OF HOMELESS FAMILIES - Jennifer E. Glick
• MANAGED COMPUTER SYSTEM CONCEPTUALIZATION: KNOWING WHEN TO SAY NO - Menachem Monnickendam
• PURCHASE OF SERVICE CONTRACTING …

Review Of The Bell Curve Wars: Race, Intelligence And The Future Of America. Steven Fraser (Ed.) Reviewed By David Stoesz, Virginia Commonwealth University., David Stoesz

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Steven Fraser, ed., The Bell Curve Wars: Race, Intelligence and the Future of America (New York: Basic Books, 1995).

Crime And Inequality. John Hagen And Ruth Patterson (Eds).

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

John Hagen and Ruth Patterson (Eds), Crime and Inequality. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1995. $45.00 hardcover, $16.95 papercover.

Three Discourses On Practice: A Postmodern Re-Appraisal, Peter Leonard

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The current debate about the knowledge claims of modernity has profound implications for theories and practices of social welfare, though postmodern critiques of its foundational beliefs should be approached cautiously. This paper suggests that a postmodern critique of three historically significant discourses -American casework, British social administration and Marxist social work - illustrates what might be learned from a deconstruction of their modernist assumptions as a stage in a reconstruction of social welfare ideas appropriate to postmodern conditions.

Ecological Approach In Practice: A Case Study Of The Ounce Of Prevention Fund, Marilyn Fernandez, Laura Nichols

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In an attempt to suggest ecologically sensitive program models which are developmentally responsive to the needs of adolescent parents and their children, this paper reviews existing research to identify the critical ecologies in their lives, evaluates existing program models for their ecological sensitivity, and presents a case study of the ecological approach in practice. Drawing from Bronfenbrenner's ecological perspective and typology of systems, the paper identifies family, partner, school, work, health care, neighborhood, poverty, and ethnicity as critical ecological systems in the lives of the adolescent and her child. Many existing program models do not systematically address all of these …

Rights And The Common Good: The Communitarian Perspective. Amitai Etzioni.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Amitai Etzioni (Ed.), Rights and the Common Good: The Communitarian Perspective. New York, St. Martin's Press, 1995. $35.00 hardcover.

Factors Associated With Veteran Patients Decisions About Advance Directives At The Minnesota Vamc, Amy L. Marciniak

Theses and Graduate Projects

An estimated 30 million Americans are potentially eligible for care within the Veteran's Administration system. To better understand how veterans choose whether or not to complete an advance directive this study obtained self-reports from eleven men on an extended care ward, at a local VA. An exploratory study was conducted using a questionnaire that gathered quantitative and qualitative data regarding demographics, reasons for having or not having an advance directive, and preferred learning methods. Consistent with other research, the findings indicated varied reasons for not having an advance directive including: never received information, never thought about it, procrastination, family already …

Barriers To School Enrollment And Success Of Children Living In Shelters, Claire Kuennen Jordan

Theses and Graduate Projects

Nearly a decade since the passage of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act, barriers to school enrollment and education of children who are homeless remain. The extent to which these barriers exist varies from place to place. To identify the barriers in the St. Paul Public School District, this study surveyed school and shelter staff and interviewed key informants. Survey findings indicate that the most important barriers to enrollment are: difficulty in acquiring children's school records and lack of transportation from the shelter to the school. Once enrolled, the greatest obstacles to school success for these children are repeated …

Factors In Length Of Foster Care: Worker Activities And Parent-Child Visitation, Maryellen White, Eric Albers, Christine Bitonti

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This is an exploratory case study investigating factors potentially related to length of foster care placements in a small western state. Findings of earlier researchers are supported. More frequent visits by natural parents are associated with shorter foster care placements.

Review Of The New Middle Classes: Life Styles, Status Claims And Political Orientations. Arthur J. Vidich (Ed.) Both Books Reviewed By Charles M. Tolbert, Louisiana State University, Charles M. Tolbert

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Arthur J. Vidich (Ed.), The New Middle Classes: Life Styles, Status Claims and Political Orientations. New York: New York University Press, 1995. $50.00 hardcover, $17.50 papercover.

Rebuilding The Inner City: A History Of Neighborhood Initiatives To Address Poverty In The United States. Robert Halpern.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Robert Halpern, Rebuilding the Inner City: A History of Neighborhood Initiatives to Address Poverty in the United States. New York: Columbia University Press, 1995. $49.50 hardcover, $17.00 papercover.

The Economics Of Aging. James H. Schultz.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

James H. Schultz, The Economics of Aging. Westport, CT: Auburn House, 1995. $69.50 hardcover, $19.95 papercover.

Poverty, Family Support, And Well-Being Of Infants: Mexican Immigrant Women And Childbearing, Margaret Sherrard Sherraden, Rossana E. Barrera

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Data reveal that despite high levels of poverty, Mexican immigrants have relatively few low birth weight babies. This unusual pattern suggests that there are "protective" social factors mediating the effects of povertyperhaps especially family support. Our study, based on in-depth interviews with immigrant women in Chicago, finds that family support does protect some women from delivering a low birth weight infant but it does not protect women living in extreme poverty. Implications for services to Mexican immigrant women in childbearing years and their families are presented. These findings also speak to broad issues in social policy, especially the need for …

Speak Of The Devil: Rhetoric In Claims-Making About The Satanic Ritual Abuse Problem, Mary Deyoung

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper uses Toulmin's (1958) scheme to conduct a rhetorical analysis of claims being made in the construction of the satanic ritual abuse of children problem. The analysis reveals that the persistence of these claims over the last fifteen years is the product not of their compelling facts or their effective conclusions, but of their persuasive warrants. These implicit, "self-evident truths" resonate well with recent cultural concerns about the vulnerability of children to abuse, and the satanic menace.

Mothers With Children And Mothers Alone: A Comparison Of Homeless Families, Jennifer E. Glick

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Researchers usually define a homeless family as those parents accompanied by minor children. This study compares a sample of homeless mothers accompanied by their children to homeless mothers who report that their children are elsewhere. While there are some differences between these two groups such as age and number of children, there are also a number of similarities. Both groups of mothers report that they rely on family members and friends as sources of instrumental support. These networks are especially useful for housing children. The findings from this investigation suggest a need for a more inclusive definition of homeless families …

Purchase Of Service Contracting Versus Government Service Delivery: The Views Of State Human Service Administrators, Peter M. Kettner, Lawrence L. Martin

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Purchase of service contracting (POSC) as a mode of human service delivery is based largely on untested normative grounds. This article presents the results of a national study comparing the views of state human service administrators on the relative merits of POSC versus government service delivery in four issue areas: (1) service costs, (2) service quality, (3) bureaucracy and red tape, and (4) effect on government employees. The study results provide some support for POSC in three of the four issues areas. The study finds that geography plays no role in the views of state human service administrators, but that …

Review Of Incapacitation: Penal Confinement And The Restraint Of Crime. Franklin E. Zimring And Gordon Hawkins. Reviewed By William G. Archambeault, Louisiana State University., William G. Archambeault

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Franklin E. Zimring and Gordon Hawkins, Incapacitation: Penal Confinement and Restraint of Crime. New York: Oxford University Press, 1995. $27.95 hard cover.

Review Of Individual Voices, Collective Visions: Fifty Years Of Women In Sociology. Ann Goetting And Sarah Fenstermaker (Eds). Reviewed By Karen E. Campbell, Vanderbilt University., Karen E. Campbell

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Ann Goetting and Sarah Fenstermaker (Eds.) Individual Voices, Collective Vision: Fifty Years of Women in Sociology. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1995. $49.95 hardcover, $18.95 papercover.

Review Of Politics And The Class Divide: Working People And The Middle Class Left. David Croteau. Reviewed By Charles M. Tolbert, Louisiana State University, Charles M. Tolbert

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

David Croteau, Politics and the Class Divide: Working People and the Middle Class Left. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1995. $49.95 hardcover, $19.95 papercover.

A Second Chicago School: The Development Of A Postwar American Sociology. Gary Alan Fine (Ed.).

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Gary Alan Fine (Ed.), A Second Chicago School: The Development of a Postwar American Sociology. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1995. $70.00 hardcover, $22.50 papercover.

Race And Ethnicity In America: Meeting The Challenge In The 21st Century. Gail E. Thomas (Ed.).

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Gail E. Thomas (Ed), Race and Ethnicity in America: Meeting the Challenge in the 21st Century. Washington, DC: Taylor and Francis, 1995. $29.95 papercover.