Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

What's Right With Welfare? The Other Face Of Afdc, Ronald B. Dear

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Eleven million people, mostly mothers and children, depend on Aid to Families with Dependent Children, America's largest child welfare program. Much is wrong with AFDC welfare, and serious efforts are being made, again, to reform it. So far, no major attempts at reform have been successful. If reform is to succeed, we must understand what needs to be corrected and what does not.

What's right with welfare? This study, not an apology or excuse for AFDC, answers that rarely asked question. Part I surveys background. Part II cites myths and criticisms of AFDC and portrays poverty as it afflicts children …

Low-Income Mothers Without Custody: Who Are They And Where Are Their Children?, Susan Zuravin, Geoffrey Greif

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

As a focus of research, the noncustodial low income mother, particularly the mother who has received Aid to Families of Dependent Children, (AFDC) has been virtually ignored. Yet, she is central to many fields of study-foster care, child support enforcement, child maltreatment, and single parents. This article reports on 8 respondents from a cohort of 518, urban, AFDC mothers who lost custody of all children during the 17 months following their selection into the study sample. Findings reveal that most of the children were living with relatives; the majority of mothers had long-standing mental health problems; and most of the …

The Socializer, June 1989, Department Of Sociology

The Socializer

Volume 1, Number 28 of the Socializer, published June, 1989.

Religious Belief, Salience, And Social Action: Are They Related?, Timothy R. Tuinstra

Masters Theses

With the increasing size and social/political activity of theologically orthodox religious groups within the United States, research dealing with the relationship between orthodoxy and social action is necessary in better understanding the phenomena. Past research has been inadequate in that it has largely focused either on the clergy or, when using the laity, has only measured attitudes toward social action rather than participation in social action. This study measured social action participation among lay members drawn from three Grand Rapids area United Methodist Churches. A third variable, salience of religious belief, was also examined, which past research indicated could be …

The Predictive Validity Of The Millon Adolescent Personality Inventory To Assess Borderline Conditions In Adolescents, Juan Mario Herakovic

Dissertations

This study examined the predictive validity of the Millon Adolescent Personality Inventory (MAPI) (Millon, Green & Meagher, 1982) to evaluate Borderline Personality Disorder in adolescents. The hypothesis is that the MAPI tends to overdiagnose Borderline Personality Disorders. The origin of the term is placed first within the framework of psychoanalysis and its evolution through other theoretical constructs is then discussed. The concept of Borderline is surrounded by imprecise terminology which contributes to the confusion of a clinical diagnosis. While there is a movement in mental health to provide a more precise and behaviorally oriented description of this disorder, current explanations …

Personality Characteristics And Personality Styles Of Adult Children Of Alcoholics As Compared With Adult Children Of Nonalcoholics, George David Thomson

Dissertations

The focus of this study was to explore the impact of parental alcoholism on personalities of college students who identify themselves as adult children of alcoholics. There were two main areas of research. One explored the degree of difference between adult children of alcoholics and adult children of nonalcoholics on personality characteristics identified by the literature to be dominant traits of adult children of alcoholics. These traits were: (a) dominance, (b) serious-mindness, (c) social recognition, (d) abasement, (e) autonomy, and (f) defendence. The second explored the possibility that adult children of alcoholics are prone to certain personality styles. These personality …

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 16, No. 2 (June 1989)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

• EDITORIAL - Robert D. Leighninger, Jr.
• BACKGROUND
• WHAT'S RIGHT WITH WELFARE? THE OTHER FACE OF AFDC - Ronald B. Dear
• THE WORK INCENTIVE PROGRAM IN CURRENT PERSPECTIVE: WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED? WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? - Leonard Goodwin
• WORK AND WELFARE: HOW INDUSTRIALISTS SHAPED GOVERNMENT SOCIAL SERVICES DURING THE PROGRESSIVE ERA - Cynthia Hamilton
• PERSPECTIVES
• THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF WELFARE - Nancy E. Rose
• TOWARDS A CONSTRUCT OF EMPLOYMENT FOR SOCIAL WELFARE AND ECONOMIC PRODUCTIVITY - David C. Congdon
• A NEW PARADIGM FOR SOCIAL WELFARE - David Stoesz
• CASE STUDIES
• WELFARE REFORM: ONE STATE'S ALTERNATIVE - Anthony P. …

Towards A Construct Of Employment For Social Welfare And Economic Productivity, David C. Congdon

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article analyzes Marxian socialist, neo-classical, and Keynesian economic theories toward developing a construct of employment which supports social welfare and economic productivity. It considers their motivational approaches, outcomes, and requirements for social control. A Keynesian construct of employment is recommended as supportive of social well-being, high productivity, and a level of social control reduced from that in currently dominant economic systems. Implications and implementation issues are considered.

A New Paradigm For Social Welfare, David Stoesz

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The American welfare state has been contained by several developments that have influenced social policy: the traditionalist movement, neoliberal ideology, and the budget deficit. These are evident in the minimal welfare reform of the Family Support Act of 1988. A new paradigm for organizing thinking about American social welfare is proposed around themes that have become central to discussions of social policy: productivity, reciprocity, community, and privatization. In order to become a viable institution again, social welfare policy should emphasize specific themes: voluntarization, access to services, social choice, social control, social obligation, transitional benefits, community enterprise, and national service.

Book Review - Social Security After Fifty: Successes And Failures By Edward D. Berkowitz, James L. Wolk

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In many ways, this compact little book is a celebration. It is a celebration of the cornerstone of the American social welfare system, the Social Security Act of 1935. It is a celebration of the flexibility of an American political economic system that adjusts, somewhat reluctantly, to the vagaries of a capitalist system. Mainly, it is a celebration of the personality and work of three people instrumental in the development, implementation, and maintenance of an American institution; Wilbur Cohen, Robert Myers, and Robert Ball.

The Work Incentive Years In Current Perspective: What Have We Learned? Where Do We Go From Here?, Leonard Goodwin

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

A review of the rationale, results, and research findings from worktraining efforts for welfare recipients is presented. Focus is on the Work Incentive (WIN) Program from its inception in 1968 to its heydays in the 1970s and its decline during the Reagan era. The review provides a basis for examining the recent welfare legislation and recongizing the elements needed for real welfare reform.

The Political Economy Of Welfare, Nancy E. Rose

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Analyses of the U.S. welfare system in the tradition of political economy have tended to focus on the maintenance of a pool of low-wage labor. This paper adds another dimension, as it incorporates government work programs into a theory of the functions and nature of the U.S. welfare system. Three dimensions of the welfare system are posited: (a) maintaining a stigma attached to welfare so that people are encouraged to hold low-wage jobs: (b) maintaining welfare payments at levels that do not interfere with the functioning of labor markets; and (c) basing government work programs on principles that are congruent …

Welfare Reform: One State Alternative, Anthony P. Halter

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Welfare reform has received a great deal of public attention in recent months. Historically, many states have enacted welfare reform legislation, with mixed reviews. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania implemented a Welfare Reform Act in 1982 which reduced the able-bodied General Assistance population to a maximum of 90 days of cash assistance in any twelve-month period. This study decribes the previous occupations of a segment of the Transitionally Needy in Philadelphia, the Transitionally Needy who did and did not find work, and how many were still receiving some form of in-kind benefits after discontinuance of cash assistance.

Factors Affecting Competition In State Contracting For Human Services, Peter M. Kettner, Lawrence L. Martin

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Competition has long been recognized as a necessary ingredient of our economic system. Competition, it is argued, is needed to combat the negative effects of monopoly.

Urban Emergency Food Center Clients: Characteristics, Coping Strategies And Needs, Marcia K. Petchers, Julian Chow, Karen Kordisch

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The clients of emergency hunger centers in an urban area were studied to assess the problem of hunger from the clients' vantage point. The findings indicate that hunger remains a problem even among those who have availed themselves of emergency food services. A great deal of time and effort is spent in activities to cope with hunger. The adequacy of the present system for meeting the needs of the hungry and implications for policy are discussed.

Family Structures And The Feminization Of Poverty: Women In Hawaii, Susan Meyers Chandler, Jennifer Williams

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The quality of life for many single mothers and their children is shrouded in economic hardship. Women outside the traditional nuclear family, attempting to raise children, are doing so in poverty and without much public support. Marital disruption, teenage mothers, and out of wedlock births have resulted in an alarming number of improverished children living in America. This paper examines census data in the state of Hawaii and the impact of family structure on the quality of lives of women with children. Women living in multigenerational family arrangements, rather than in "traditional" families have higher income, holding family size constant. …

Gender Differences And Training Effects On Empathy, Carol S. Jones

Dissertations

The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between the gender of aspiring therapists and empathy as well as the relationship between training and empathy. Four bodies of literature were reviewed: (1) feminine psychological development with a particular focus on how it differs from masculine development, (2) the relationship between empathy and gender, (3) the role of empathy in psychotherapy, and (4) the relationship between training and empathy.

An empirical study was conducted to test the proposed hypotheses that (a) there is a relationship between a student's gender and his or her self-report of empathy on cognitive and …

The Effectiveness Of Relaxation-Visualization Training On The Natural Killer (Nk) Cells Of Breast Cancer Patients, Morry Edwards

Dissertations

A large number of studies have found that stress qualitatively and quantitatively reduces a variety of immune components. Several recent studies have examined relaxation skills and their ability to increase immune measures. The primary hypothesis of this project was that relaxation-visualization training (RVT) would enhance Natural Killer (NK) Cell Activity. Two other major hypotheses were generated: (a) RVT would produce beneficial psychological effects and, (b) increased psychopathology would be inversely correlated with NK levels. Six volunteer breast cancer patients who were at least 3 months post treatment were taught a passive form of relaxation that included visualizing an increase in …

Interpersonal Skills In The Employment Interview: Intended Meaning, Sharron Mccarthy Meisenhelder

Masters Theses

Recently employers have been including references to communication skills in their advertising for employment opportunities. This research examined what people in business and industry mean when they use the phrase "interpersonal skills." A questionnaire was developed and administered to 60 people associated with personnel practices in business and industry. Content analysis of questionnaire responses found the subjects to identify the interpersonally skilled employee to be "effective," to be "sensitive" and to have a "positive attitude."

The Effectiveness Of Three Study Aids As Measured By Immediate Examinations And Delayed Examinations, Yousef Abdulwahab Abuhmaidan

Dissertations

Two experiments were performed to examine the effectiveness of three study aids: (1) information maps, (2) behavioral objectives, and (3) the students' own strategies in reorganizing written material. A training workshop was given prior to the first experiment to teach the students appropriate skills to use to read research articles (e.g., generating and answering questions, filling out and generating information maps). Eighteen undergraduate students participated in the study. In the first experiment, students were randomly assigned to three groups. The researcher provided students with a research article every week for three weeks, together with either an information map, a set …

Community College Student Success: The Relationship Of Basic Skills, Study Habits, Age, And Gender To Academic Achievement, Margaret Lynn Hills Wonnacott

Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to determine if a relationship existed between reading ability, writing ability, math ability, study skills, age and gender and first semester grade point average of Glen Oaks Community College students. A secondary purpose was to determine if these variables acting together could predict student academic success.

The subjects were 374 full and part time students matriculating at Glen Oaks for the fall semester, 1988. The ASSET instrument was used to measure basic skills and study skills. It was administered at orientation sessions in August and September prior to enrollment. Pearson product moment correlation coefficients …

Design Of A Program Of Instruction To Teach State Notation, Esther Hannah Shafer

Dissertations

The process of programming instruction involves a series of steps which include determining the need for programming instruction on a particular topic, choosing the appropriate programming method, and a series of approximations toward the final program through testing and revision. State notation (Michael, 1986), a notation system which is used to visually represent procedures such as those used in an operant laboratory setting, was deemed an appropriate topic for programmed instruction since the complex decisions that learners must make when diagramming are difficult to teach using conventional methods. Mathetics (Gilbert, 1962) was chosen as an appropriate programming method for state …

Sleep Disorders And The Elderly: The Effect Of Progressive Relaxation Training Versus Sedative-Hypnotic Treatment On Insomnia, Klaus J. Sauerbrey

Dissertations

Progressive relaxation training (PRT) and sedative-hypnotics (S-H) were compared as a treatment for insomnia in the elderly. This study used the following definition of insomnia: Sleeping less than six hours a night, a sleep onset latency (SOL) more than 30 minutes, and waking up one or more times a night. Individuals also had to exhibit these symptoms longer than six months and these complaints had to be present at least 50 percent of the time. This study was conducted with seniors ($N$ = 30) over a period of three weeks with the first week being baseline.

The purpose of this …

Salt Ii: A Study, Daniel G. Rathbun

Masters Theses

The issue addressed in this thesis is whether the SALT II treaty, signed in 1979, should have been ratified by the United States Senate following its submission in the spring of that year. The author began by exploring the background of the arms control agreements of the late 1960s and early/mid 1970s, then explored that SALT II treaty itself in some detail. Research data were drawn from a number of sources during the compilation of this paper. The conclusion drawn in this thesis is that the SALT II treaty, in its submitted form, should not have been ratified. While the …

A Comparison Of Minimal-Therapist-Contact Programs In The Treatment Of Chronic Headaches, John Kesselring

Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to compare the relative efficacy and cost-efficiency of two reduced-therapist-contact formats for delivery of a behavioral package to treat chronic headaches. The 8-week treatment was delivered in a group-administered format to one treatment group and in a self-administered format to a second. A waiting-list control group was also included. Treatment components included education about headaches and their precipitants, relaxation training, and cognitive-behavioral stress management techniques. The participants in the study suffered from migraine, mixed, or tension headaches. Eleven subjects were assigned to each of the 3 treatment conditions. At posttreatment subjects in the group-administered …

The Effectiveness Of Correspondence Training In Controlling Aggressive Behavior Between Children In Play Settings, Naiel Albkower

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of say/do correspondence training in controlling aggressive behavior between children in play settings. Two experiments assessed the effects of children's verbal statements, to play in a friendly manner with others, on the incidence of aggressive behavior during actual play. The results of the first experiment indicated that, in most instances, the number of aggressive incidents decreased as a result of the correspondence training in all subjects except one where the effects of treatment are not clear.

In the second experiment, the incidents of aggressive behavior decreased during the intervention to …

The Concept Of Foreseeability As It Relates To Personal Injury Litigation In College And University Residence Halls, F. Bruce Johnston Jr.

Dissertations

The study of the concept of foreseeability as it relates to personal injury litigation for assaults in college and university residence halls reveals three significant implications for higher education. Duarte v. State of California (1978), Mullins v. Pine Manor College (1983), and Miller v. State of New York (1984) are three important cases reviewed. Each case is analyzed using foreseeability, the student/institutional relationship, the various duties owed to the student, the breach of the duty, the presence of negligence, and the imposition of liability.

The implication involves the student/institutional relationship. This implication demonstrates the incongruity of the legal duty to …

The Medicalization Of Senile Dementia: From "Normality" To “Pathology”, Rosamond Robbert

Dissertations

Once considered an uncommon presenile condition, Alzheimer's disease is today claimed to be one of the major causes of death in older persons. This study examines the process of changing definitions that led to this reconstruction. The method employs both unstructured non-quantitative and structured quantitative content analysis. The data base includes journal articles, media reports, government documents, professional manuals and conference proceedings. Alzheimer's disease is treated as a putative condition and all statements concerning the condition are treated as claims. Focusing specifically on the years 1970 to 1985, we show that cognitive impairment in older persons, once claimed to be …

A Study Of Personality Factors And Music Preference, Involvement, And Use Among Youth, Sheila Ann Smith

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship exists between the music preferences, level of music involvement, and music uses among young people and the personality dimensions of internality (introversion), norm-acceptance, and sense of self-realization and psychological integration as measured by the Structural scales of the California Psychological Inventory.

An investigator-developed instrument was used to assess subjects' music preferences, level of music involvement, and uses of music. One hundred and sixty-three females and 137 males attending various southwestern Michigan colleges volunteered to complete both instruments. Subjects ranged in age from 18 to 20 years.

A one-way MANOVA …

Choice In The Classroom: Human Impulsivity And Self-Control, John W. Esch

Dissertations

Eight high school students' choice behavior was studied in an applied educational setting. Students were divided into two groups based on choice patterns for immediate grade points and academic on-task performance. Students were classified as dependent-impulsive when they chose immediate points and their on-task performance was good. Students were classified as avoidance-impulsive when they chose delayed points (avoidance) and their on-task performance was poor. Dependent-impulsive choice patterns were considered maladaptive because constant information on good performance promotes dependence on support from others. Avoidance-impulsive choice patterns were considered maladaptive because they allowed students to avoid immediate aversive information on performance that …