Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Exploitation-The Invisible Hand Guided By A Blind Eye: Confronting A Flaw In Economic Theory, Phillip Dybicz

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Economics is alone among the social science disciplines in failing to have a sound theory to explain behaviors when people do not act according to their self-interest, that is, with compassion. This has resulted in a fundamental flaw in economic thought. As economies have grown in scale and complexity, there has been a corresponding distancing between consumers and producers. This flaw has revealed itself through a lack of economic structures which bridge this distance, restore a level of intimacy within the economic interaction, and hence facilitate the expression of compassion.

Work And Economic Outcomes After Welfare, Thomas P. Vartanian, Justine M. Mcnamara

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Using data from the 1969 to 1993 Panel Study of Income Dynamics, this article examines a number of models to determine the characteristics of AFDC recipients who fare well economically after they initially leave the welfare system. The study includes analyses of income levels, time spent employed and not employed, and time spent below the poverty line. Hypotheses regarding state welfare payments, area economic conditions, human capital and time spent receiving welfare are examined. The findings indicate that area employment conditions and the ability to quickly find work greatly affect the likelihood of faring well economically after welfare. We found …

Conflicting Bureaucracies, Conflicted Work: Dilemmas In Case Management For Homeless People With Mental Illness, Linda E. Francis

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This ethnographic study finds a case management agency torn between the rules of two conflicting bureaucracies. Funded by a federal grant, the agency is administered by the county, and the regulations of the two systems turn out to be incompatible. This conflict creates dilemmas in providing services to clients: meeting eligibility criteria for services from the federal grant meant the clients did not meet the eligibility criteria for many County services. Agency staff reacted to this dilemma by bending rules, finding loopholes, and investing extra time and emotional labor in each client. The role-conflict engendered by bureaucratic disjunction creates frustration, …

Racial And Gender Variations In The Process Shaping Earnings' Potential: The Consequences Of Poverty In Early Adulthood, C. Andri Mizell

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This research investigates the effects of poverty in early adulthood on future earnings. While social scientists are beginning to amass a considerable literature on the effects of poverty on outcomes for children, few have investigated the damage that impoverishment may do in early adulthood when individuals are in the midst of completing education and planning careers. The findings in this study indicate that poverty does dampen earnings' potential. However, individual characteristics (e.g., aspirations, esteem and ability) and structural location (e.g., educational attainment, occupational status and job tenure) may assuage the otherwise negative effects of poverty. Other findings reveal that the …

The Impact Of Education And Family Attributes On Attitudes And Responses To Unemployment Among Men And Women, Liat Kulik

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The study deals with differences between jobless Israeli women (n = 361) and men (n = 253) in relation to the following aspects of unemployment: Reasons for rejecting potential jobs, job search intensity, and responses to unemployment. The women mentioned more reasons for rejecting potential jobs, and their health-related responses to unemployment were more extreme than those of the men. However, the men tended to seekemployment more intensively than did the women.

Married respondents of both sexes showed the greatest tendency to reject potential employment due to conflict with family responsibilities. Married women were also more likely than their male …

Review Of Kids Raised By The Government. Ira M. Schwartz And Gideon Fishman. Reviewed By Sherrill Clark, University Of California, Berkeley., Sherrill Clark

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Ira M. Schwartz and Gideon Fishman, Kids Raised by the Government. Westport, CT:Praeger Publishers, 1999. $49.95 hardcover.

Do Inner-City, African-American Males Exhibit "Bad Attitudes" Toward Work?, Jill Littrell, Elizabeth Beck

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Many potential employers of inner-city African-American men believe that African-American men have poor work attitudes. The investigations reported here attempted to evaluate the veridicality of this assumption. The responses of African-American men who utilize a soup-kitchen were compared with college men on a variety of attitude measures, as well as on their reactions to a scenario about a man who worked for an unfair boss and quit in response. Generally, little support for the view that innercity, African-Americans men have a predilection to presume prejudice or unfairness, or to render a favorable evaluation of quitting under unfair conditions, was found.

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 27, No. 2 (June 2000)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• DO INNER-CITY, AFRICAN-AMERICAN MALES EXHIBIT "BAD ATTITUDES" TOWARD WORK? - Jill Littrell & Elizabeth Beck
• EXPLOITATION-THE INVISIBLE HAND GUIDED BY A BLIND EYE: CONFRONTING A FLAW IN ECONOMIC THEORY - Phillip Dybicz
• WORK AND ECONOMIC OUTCOMES AFTER WELFARE - Thomas P. Vartanian & Justine M. McNamara
• THE SPATIAL SHIFT IN THE GROWTH OF POVERTY AMONG FAMILIES HEADED BY EMPLOYED FEMALES, 1979-89 - W. Richard Goe & Anisa Rhea
• CONFLICTING BUREAUCRACIES, CONFLICTED WORK: DILEMMAS IN CASE MANAGEMENT FOR HOMELESS PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS - Linda E. Francis
• RACIAL AND GENDER VARIATIONS IN THE PROCESS SHAPING EARNINGS' POTENTIAL: THE …

Review Of Social Security In Global Perspective. John Dixon. Reviewed By Paul Terrell, University Of California, Berkeley., Paul Terrell

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of John Dixon, Social Security in Global Perspective. Westport, Ct: Praeger Publishers, 1999. $69.50 hardcover, $27.95 papercover.

Review Of The Internet And Technology For The Human Services. Howard Karger And Joanne Levine. Reviewed By Sharon Pittman, Andrews University, Sharon Pittman

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Howard Karger and Joanne Levine, The Internet and Technology for the Human Services, NewYork: Longman, 1999. $27.19 paperback.

Review Of Group Work With Overwhelmed Clients. June Gary Hopps And Elaine Pinderhughes. Reviewed By Charles Garvin, University Of Michigan., Charles Garvin

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of June Gary Hopps and Elaine Pinderhughes. Group Work with Overwhelmed Clients. New York: The Free Press, 1999. $29.95

Review Of Repackaging The Welfare State. Pranab Chatterjee. Reviewed By Larry Nackerud, University Of Georgia., Larry Nackerud

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Pranab Chatterjee, Repackaging the Welfare State. Washington, DC: NASW Press, 1999. $32.95 paperback.

So You Think I Drive A Cadillac? Karen Seccombe

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Karen Seccombe, So You Think I Drive a Cadillac? Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon, 1999. $27.93 papercover.

The Generational Equity Debate. John B. Williamson, Diane M. Watts-Roy And Eric R. Kingson (Eds.).

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for John B. Williamson, Diane M. Watts-Roy and Eric R. Kingson (Eds.), The Generational Equity Debate. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999. $ 49.50 hardcover, $ 25.00 papercover.

Illusions Of Prosperity: America's Working Families In An Age Of Economic Insecurity. Joel Blau.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Joel Blau, Illusions of Prosperity: America's Working Families in an Age of Economic Insecurity. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. # 30.00 hardcover.

Elderly Immigrants: Their Composition And Living Arrangements, Mary M. Kritz, Douglas T. Gurak, Likwang Chen

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper describes how the composition of elderly immigrants is changing and how elderly immigrants differ from natives in terms of living arrangement and demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. The determinants of living alone are investigated for 11 ethnic origin categories and natives. The analysis utilizes data from two samples of the 1990 U.S. Census: the PUMS-A 5% sample and an independent 3% sample of households containing at least one member 60 or more years of age. Between 1970 and 1990 immigrants from Asia and Latin America moved from forming a minor component of the elderly to being a significant and …

Review Of The Global Emergence Of Gay And Lesbian Politics: National Imprints Of A Worldwide Movement. Barry D. Adam, Jan Willem Duyvendak And Andre Krouwel (Eds.). Reviewed By Carol T. Tully, Tulane University., Carol T. Tully

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Barry D. Adam, Jan Willem Duyvendak and Andre Krouwel (Eds.), The Global Emergence of Gay and Lesbian Politics: National Imprints of a Worldwide Movement. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press, 1999. $59.95 hardcover, $22.95 papercover.

Revisioning Gender. Myra Marx Ferree, Judith Lorber And Beth B. Hess (Eds.).

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Myra Marx Ferree, Judith Lorber and Beth B. Hess (Eds.), Revisioning Gender. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1999. $72.00 hardcover, $34.95 papercover.

The Changing American Mosaic: An Introduction, Wilma Peebles-Wilkins

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article, in addition to introducing the special journal issue on the changing American mosaic, provides a synthesis of issues associated with changing demographic trends as the number of people of color increase between 2000-2050. Welfare reform, structural inequality, and the convergence of race, class and gender issues are discussed in a civil rights context. A brief summary of the other journal articles by Glen Loury; Stanley Eitzen and Maxine Baca Zinn; Ruth Sidel; Mary Krist, Douglas Gurak, Likwang Chen; Doris Wilkinson and Margaret Gibelman is also provided.

The Enemy Within: The Demonization Of Poor Women, Ruth Sidel

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The denigration and demonization of poor women was central to the effort to repeal Aid to Families with Dependent Children by the passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. The utilization of negative stereotypes involving race, class and gender effectively marginalized impoverished women and their children, who were blamed for virtually all of the social problems of the United States during the 1990s. Despite the massive concentration of wealth and income in the hands of the wealthiest Americans and the ever-widening gap between rich and poor, the United States continues to ignore the need for …

Twenty-Five Years Of Black America: Two Steps Forward And One Step Back?, Glenn C. Loury

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The nature of social and economic inequality as it exists now between Blacks and Whites in the United States is explored in this paper. Summary statistics on education, earnings, employment, family structure, incarceration and life expectancy are presented by age, sex and race. It is suggested that, while progress has been made in narrowing the racial gap in social standing, there remains a significant disparity that warrants continuing concern.

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 27, No. 1 (March 2000)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS - SPECIAL ISSUE ON THE CHANGING AMERICAN MOSAIC - Guest Editor - Wilma Peebles-Wilkins

• THE CHANGING AMERICAN MOSAIC: AN INTRODUCTION - Wilma Peebles- Wilkins
• TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF BLACK AMERICA: TWO STEPS FORWARD AND ONE STEP BACK? - Glenn C. Loury
• THE MISSING SAFETY NET AND FAMILIES: A PROGRESSIVE CRITIQUE OF THE NEW WELFARE LEGISLATION - D. Stanley Eitzen and Maxine Baca Zinn
• THE ENEMY WITHIN: THE DEMONIZATION OF POOR WOMEN - Ruth Sidel
• ELDERLY IMMIGRANTS: THEIR COMPOSITION AND LIVING ARRANGEMENTS - Mary M. Kritz, Douglas T. Gurak and Likwang Chen
• RETHINKING THE CONCEPT OF "MINORITY": A TASK …

Who Cares About Racial Inequality?, Glenn C. Loury

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The issue of Affirmative Action is discussed, identifying some difficulties with the way that this policy has been pursued in the past: Racial preferences can be a poorly targeted method of closing the gap in social status between Blacks and Whites, and can have negative unintended consequences for incentives and for the reputations of its beneficiaries. Nevertheless, it is argued that some form of affirmative action continues to be needed. The concept of "developmental affirmative action" is introduced. This form of racially targeted policy focuses primarily on the enhancement of competitive skills. In so doing, it avoids many of the …

Affirmative Action At The Crossroads: A Social Justice Perspective, Margaret Gibelman

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article reviews the basis for the policy of affirmative action within the context of changing social values. Both the aims and unanticipated consequences of affirmative action are explored, the latter of which have resulted in substantial backlash and the real possibility of policy overturn. Within this context, the position of the social welfare community toward and involvement in affirmative action is traced. An agenda for social work in current and future debates about affirmative action is offered which takes into account the original social problem-discrimination-within redefined societal values and political realities. Alternative remedies to affirmative action, it is argued, …

Review Of The Future Of Child Protection. Jane Waldfogel. Reviewed By Leroy H. Pelton, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas., Leroy H. Pelton

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Jane Waldfogel, The Future of Child Protection. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1998. $39.95 hardcover.

Society, Work And Welfare In Europe. Christine Cousins.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Christine Cousins, Society, Work and Welfare in Europe. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1999. $55.00 hardcover.

Managed Care In Human Services. Stephen P. Wernet.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Stephen P. Wernet, Managed Care in Human Services, Chicago, IL: Lyceum Books, 1999. $32.95 papercover.

The Missing Safety Net And Families: A Progressive Critique Of The New Welfare Legislation, D. Stanley Eitzen, Maxine Baca Zinn

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This is an overview essay on the 1996 welfare legislation and its consequences. The paper is divided into five parts: (1) The basic elements of the legislation; (2) The conservative assumptions undergirding this legislation and the progressive responses to them; (3) The consequences of the legislation for individuals and families; (4) The missing elements in the new welfare legislation; and (5) The progressive solution to welfare.

Rethinking The Concept Of "Minority": A Task For Social Scientists And Practitioners, Doris Wilkinson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Although sociologists have articulated the components and scope of the "minority" concept, many of the characteristics are no longer germane. Originally those placed in the category were viewed as subordinate and as possessing cultural or physical qualities not approved or preferred by the larger population. There has been no systematic questioning of ingrained seductive words and value-based constructions like "minority". This brief critique offers an evaluation of the "minority" conception that is so pervasive in the social and behavioral sciences, the print and broadcast media, politics, and the entire language system.

Review Of The East Asian Welfare Model: Welfare Orientalism And The State. Roger Goodman, Gordon White And Huck-Ju Kwon (Eds.). Reviewed By Kwong-Leung Tang, University Of Northern British Columbia, Kwong-Leung Tang

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Roger Goodman, Gordon White and Huck-ju Kwon (Eds.), The East Asian Welfare Model: Welfare Orientalism and the State. New York: Routledge, 1998. $90.00 hardcover, $29.99 papercover.