Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Call To Social Work: Life Stories. Craig Winston Lecroy

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Craig Winston Lecroy, The Call to Social Work: Life Stories. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2003. $ 19.95 papercover.

Aging In The New Millenium: A Global View. Terry Tirrito.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Terry Tirrito, Aging in the New Millennium: A Global View. Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press, 2003. $ 18.95 papercover.

Work-Based Welfare As A Ritual: Understanding Marginalization In Post-Independence Lithuania, Arunas Juska, Richard Pozzuto

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The paper analyzes the functioning of the newly created labor exchange in post-Soviet Lithuania. It is argued that the labor exchange in post-Soviet Lithuania operates under the conditions of a structural contradiction: welfare services are designed to reintegrate unemployed into the labor force under the conditions of (a) increasing competitiveness of the labor markets and (b) a rapid decline of employment within the Lithuanian economy. As a result, labor redundancy is produced which consists predominantly of low skill/education individuals. Because the economy is unable to generate employment, job searches for this segment of the population are transformed into a highly …

Making Tanf Work: Organizational Restructuring, Staff Buy-In, And Performance Monitoring In Local Implementation, Frank Ridzi

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

While research suggests that staff resistance to change and intentional subversion have hampered prior welfare reform efforts, this does not appear to be the case for the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA). This paper draws on data from a study of East County, New York to explicate the mechanisms that have enabled the unprecedented transformation in local implementation practice in this case. Interviews, participant observation, and textual analysis of legislative and program documents identify new program creation, staff buy-in, and the environment created by stern performance measures as instrumental in bringing about the PRWORA's successful implementation …

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 31, No. 2 (June 2004)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• WORK-BASED WELFARE AS RITUAL: UNDERSTANDING MARGINALIZATION IN POST-INDEPENDENCE-LITHUANIA - Arunas Juska & Richard Pozzuto
• MAKING TANF WORK: ORGANIZATIONAL RESTRUCTURING, STAFF BUY-IN, AND PERFORMANCE MONITORING IN LOCAL IMPLEMENTATION - Frank Ridzi
• LEGISLATIVE CASEWORK: WHERE POLICY AND PRACTICE MEET - Larry Ortiz, Cindy Wirz, Kelli Semion, & Ciro Rodriguez
• "WON'T BE WEIGHTED DOWN": RICHARD WRIGHT JR.'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO SOCIAL WORK AND SOCIAL WELFARE - Kevin Modesto
• DIGITAL DIVIDE IN COMPUTER ACCESS AND USE BETWEEN POOR AND NON-POOR YOUTH - Mary Keegan Eamon
• BATTERED AND ON WELFARE: THE EXPERIENCES OF WOMEN WITH THE FAMILY VIOLENCE OPTION - Judy L. Postmus …

Legislative Casework: Where Policy And Practice Intersect, Larry Ortiz, Cindy Wirz, Kelli Semion, Ciro Rodriguez

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Legislative casework is an ongoing activity in many state and federal legislative offices. Although the activity carries the implication of being a social work activity, there is little evidence from the literature, or in the field, that social workers are more than marginally employed in these positions. Reasons for the lack of professionally educated social workers in this important area of practice and politics are not clear. This paper explores the field of practice known as legislative casework, its history and purpose, and presents generalist social work examples from a Congressional district office wherein which professional social workers are employed. …

"Won't Be Weighted Down:" Richard R. Wright, Jr.'S Contributions To Social Work And Social Welfare, Kevin Modesto

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

African-American scholars, intellectuals, and social work practitioners made significant contributions to American thought and life during the Progressive Era. Unfortunately, their work is often overlooked by history. This paper explores the contributions of Richard R. Wright, Jr., an African- American, sociologist, social worker, and minister. His voice has rarely been heard beyond the walls of the African Methodist Episcopal Church; however, his contributions to sociology, social welfare, and the church serve as a model of integration for scholars, social workers, and ministers. Wright's example is particularly valuable as policy makers and the public look to organized religion for solutions to …

Digital Divide In Computer Access And Use Between Poor And Non-Poor Youth, Mary Keegan Eamon

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The main objectives of this study were to examine the "digital divide" in home computer ownership and to evaluate differences in academic and non-academic computer use between poor and non-poor youth. Data from a national sample of 1,029, 10- through 14-year-old young adolescents were analyzed. Results show that poor youth were .36 times as likely to own a home computer, but equally as likely to use their home computer for academic purposes as were non-poor youth. Poor youth did not differ from non-poor youth in how often they used any computer for academic purposes, but were less likely to use …

Battered And On Welfare: The Experiences Of Women With The Family Violence Option, Judy L. Postmus

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Noting the incidence of battered women on welfare, lawmakers passed the Family Violence Option (FVO), which allows states to offer waivers from welfare program requirements. Assumptions were made that many women would seek relief under the FVO. However, reports indicate that less than 5 percent of welfare recipients are receiving waivers. This paper presents the findings from a qualitative study that sought to explore the experiences of 29 battered women with the welfare system and the FVO in New York State. Their experiences suggest that changes in FVO screening process are necessary to fully implement the program in the way …

Voices From The Middle: How Performance Funding Impacts Workforce Organizations, Professionals And Customers, Roberta Rehner Iversen

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Under recent policy reforms, the landscape of authority relations in welfare and workforce development organizations has radically changed from one that privileged internal professional autonomy to one that privileges external authorities. Performance, rather than input funding is the medium for this change. Longitudinal ethnographic research reveals that performance requirements in workforce development both contribute to and challenge organizational structure and program design, professional practices, and job seeker outcomes. As such, when the "voices" of job-seeking customers, directly and through their affiliated workforce organizations, professionals, and employers, are added to the "voices" of funders under performance funding, polyvocality may result in …

Private Food Assistance In The Deep South: Assessing Agency Directors' Knowledge Of Charitable Choice, Suzie T. Cashwell, John P. Bartkowski, Patricia Duffy, Vanessa Casanova, Joseph Molnar, Marina Irima-Vladu

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In recent years,food banking has emerged as an important tool in America's fight against hunger and malnutrition. At the same time, the charitable choice provision of 1996 welfare reform law has significantly expanded the opportunity for public-private partnerships in the provision of social services. Given the new opportunities ushered in by this legislation, this study examines the knowledge that food pantry directors in Alabama and Mississippi possess about charitable choice. Our study reveals that food pantry directors are generally lacking in knowledge about key charitable choice provisions, thereby limiting the potential for this initiative to be utilized fully in this …

Review Of The Loss Of A Life Partner: Narratives Of The Bereaved. Carolyn Ambler Walter. Reviewed By Amanda Smith Barusch., Amanda Smith Barusch

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Carolyn Ambler Walter, The Loss of a Life Partner: Narratives of the Bereaved. New York: Columbia University Press, 2003. $52.50 hardcover, $26.50 papercover.

Review Of Realizing Rights: Transforming Approaches To Sexual & Reproductive Well-Being. Andrea Cornwall And Alice Welbourn (Eds.) Reviewed By Carol Tully., Carol Tully

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Andrea Cornwall and Alice Welbourn (Eds.), Realizing Rights: Transforming Approaches to Sexual & Reproductive Well-being. New York: Zed Books, 2003. $49.95 hardcover, $16.95 papercover.

Review Of Handbook Of Drug Abuse Prevention: Theory Science And Practice. Zili Sloboda & William J. Bukowski (Eds). Reviewed By Sean R. Hogan., Sean R. Hogan

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Zili Sloboda and William J. Bukoski (Eds.), Handbook of Drug Abuse Prevention: Theory, Science, and Practice. New York: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2003. $150.00 hardcover.

Review Of The Origins Of Justice: The Evolution Of Morality, Human Rights, And Law. John O' Manique. Reviewed By Dorothy Van Soest., Dorothy Van Soest

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of John O' Manique. The Origins of Justice: The Evolution of Morality, Human Rights and Law. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2003. $36.50 hardover, $26.00 papercover.

Pluralism At Yale: The Culture Of Political Science In America. Richard M. Merelman.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Richard M. Merelman, Pluralism at Yale: The Culture of Political Science in America. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press, 2003. $ 26.95 papercover.

Family Group Conferencing In Child Welfare: Responsive And Regulatory Interfaces, Joan Pennell

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

A regulatory approach compels the child welfare worker to make decisions according to set procedures and prevents responding flexibly to families. Differential response is a way that child welfare is departing from legal formalism. One means is convening a family group conference (FGC) to develop a plan. John Braithwaite's regulatory pyramid assists in concep- tualizing differential response. This article reports a factor analysis of data on achievement of FGC objectives to elaborate three interfaces for fostering responsive regulation. Each interface keeps the family group at the center of planning while firmly maintaining their connections with community and government programs.

Making Men Into Fathers. Men Masculinities, And The Social Policies Of Fatherhood. Barbara Hobson (Ed.).

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Hobson, B. (Ed.), Making Men into Fathers: Men, Masculinities, and the Social Policies of Fatherhood New York: Cambridge Univer- sity Press, 2002. $60.00 hardcover, $22.00 papercover.

Reaching Higher: The Power Of Expectations In Schooling. Rhona Weinstein.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Rhona Weinstein, Reaching Higher: The Power of Expectations in Schooling. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2002. $39.95 hardcover.

Review Of Engendering International Health: The Challenge Of Equity. Gita Sen, Asha George And Piroska Osltin (Eds.). Reviewed By Deborah Schild Wilkinson., Deborah Schild Wilkinson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Gita Sen, Asha George and Piroska Osltin (Eds.) Engendering International Health: The Challenge of Equity. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2002 $24.95 papercover.

Working Together To Stop Domestic Violence: State-Community Partnerships And The Changing Meaning Of Public And Private, Kristin A. Kelly

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The increasing reliance in the United States on state-community partner- ships to address social problems represents both new opportunities and new dangers. This article presents examples of both possibilities through a consideration of contemporary collaborations between state and nonstate actors in the development of a public response to domestic violence. This discussion provides the basis for an elaboration of a conceptual approach to public/private relationships that replaces the traditional dichotomy with a triangular relationship, of state, family and community. By improving on our ability to think through the complex relationships between these three spheres, it is argued that this model …

Review Of Family Health Social Work Practice: A Macro Level Approach. John T. Pardeck (Ed.) Reviewed By Marsha Blachman, Marsha Blachman

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of John T. Pardeck (Ed.), Family Health Social Work Practice: A Macro Level Approach. Westport, CT: Auburn House, 2002. $ 67.95 hardcover.

Review Of Controversial Issues In Social Policy. Howard Jacob Karger, James Midgley, & C Brene Brown (Eds.). Reviewed By Mizanur R. Miah., Mizanur R. Miah

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Howard Jacob Karger, James Midgley and C. Brene Brown (Eds.), Controversial Issues in Social Policy. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 2003. $ 24.67 papercover.

Achieving Justice In Child Protection, Rob Neff

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

As formal systems for the protection of children have evolved in this country, certain barriers to achieving justice within the child protection system have emerged concomitantly. Specifically, these barriers involve ambiguous definitions of abuse and the appearance of social inequality and bias within the child protection system. One means of surmounting these barriers to justice is family group conferencing (FGC). Support for this assertion comes from the integration of the restorative justice model and procedural justice theory. When applied to the practice of FGCs in child protection, the integration of these theoretical perspectives provides a strong rationale for the use …

Restructuring The Welfare State: Political Institutions And Policy Change. Bo Rothstein & Sven Steinmo (Eds.).

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Bo Rothstein and Sven Steinmo (Eds.), Restructuring the Welfare State: Political Institutions and Policy Change. New York: Pal- grave, 2002. $ 75.00 hardcover, $ 24.95 papercover.

Moving Beyond The Criminal Justice Paradigm: A Radical Restorative Justice Approach To Intimate Abuse, Peggy Grauwiler, Linda G. Mills

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article traces the history of the development of the treatment of domestic violence as a crime in the United States and the conceptual and practical limitations of this approach in addressing this important social issue. An extensive body of research on restorative justice practice suggests that restorative approaches may contribute to reducing and preventing family violence. Drawing on restorative justice principles, an alternative or supplement to criminal justice approaches is outlined for working with all parties involved in abusive relationships.

Review Of Growth And Convergence In Metropolitan America. Janet Rothenberg Pack. Reviewed By Joseph A. Deering., Joseph A. Deering

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Janet Rothenberg Pack, Growth and Convergence in Metropolitan America. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press, 2002. $19.95 papercover.

Review Of Meds, Money, And Manners: The Case Management Of Severe Mental Illness. Jerry Floersch Reviewed By Rafael Herrera, Rafael Herrera

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Jerry Floersch, Meds, Money and Manners: The Case Management of Severe Mental Illness. New York: Columbia University Press, 2002. $22.50 papercover, $49.50 hardcover.

Review Of Addiction Treatment: A Strengths Perspective. Katherine Van Wormer & Diane Rae Davis. Reviewed By Mike Gorman., Mike Gorman

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Van Wormer, Katherine and Davis, Diane Rae, Addiction Treatment A Strength's Perspective, Pacific Grove, CA: Thomson Brooks Cole, 2003. $ 51.92 papercover.

From Children's Services To Children's Spaces: Public Policy, Children, And Childhood. Peter Moss & Patt Petrie

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Peter Moss and Pat Petrie, From Children's Services to Children's Spaces: Public Policy, Children and Childhood. New York: Rout- ledgeFalmer, 2002. $25.95 papercover.