Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Review Of Social Development: The Development Perspective In Social Welfare. James Midgley. Reviewed By Martin B. Tracy, Southern Illinois University At Carbondale, Martin B. Tracy

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

James Midgley, Social Development: The Developmental Perspective in Social Welfare. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1995. $65.00 hardcover, $21.95 papercover.

The Legal Environment Of Social Work. Leila O. Schroeder.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Leila O. Schroeder, The Legal Environment of Social Work, Washington, DC: NASW Press, 1995. $34.95.

British Social Welfare: Past Present And Future. David Gladstone (Ed.).

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

David Gladstone (Ed.), British Social Welfare: Past Present and Future. Bristol, PA: Taylor and Francis, 1995. $24.95 papercover.

Understanding Disability: From Theory To Practice. Michael Oliver.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Michael Oliver, Understanding Disability: From Theory to Practice. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1996. $39.95 hardcover, $18.95 papercover.

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 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.

Managed Computer System Conceptualization: Knowing When To Say No, Menachmen Monnickendam

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Computer systems in human services are often abandoned after significant investments have already been made. A case study of preventing the utilization of a wrong computer system for a child development center illustrates how managed system conceptualization minimized damage. Critical consciousness and adherence to specific computer implementation technology created an environment which supported recurrent system efficacy evaluation. When the system, as initially conceptualized, could not meet practitioners' needs, early project abandonment was achieved. Some considerations for successful system development in human service are presented.

Deforestation And Rural Poverty In Developing Countries: The Role Of Social Work, Shanta Pandey

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

To alleviate rural poverty most developing countries have been launching a wide variety of rural development activities. In this paper I discuss the relationship between deforestation and rural poverty, policies governing reforestation initiatives and the role of social workers in these efforts. The paper argues for and illustrates the various roles social workers can play in development programs to alleviate rural poverty in developing countries.

Equality And Family Policy In International Perspective: Toward A Feminist Theory Of The State, Patricia Spakes

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This three country comparison uses case studies of family policy in Britain, Canada and the US to explain how governments utilize family policies to maintain patriarchal systems and to promote labor force and economic goals. The paper examines how equality/difference theories are applied in family policy. Propositions are developed in order to provide a basis for developing new approaches to family policy based on gender equality.

Review Of Comparing Welfare States: Britain In International Context. Allan Cochrane And John Clark. Reviewed By Kwong Leung Tang, University Of Northern British Columbia., Kwong Leung Tang

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Allan Cochrane and John Clarke, Comparing Welfare States: Britain in International Context. Newbury Park, CA: Sage, 1993. $21.95 papercover.

New Themes In International Social Welfare: Introduction, James Midgley

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This introductory article provides a brief overview of developments in international social welfare paying particular attention to the major themes which have characterized the field. It summarizes the new themes reflected in the contributions to the special issue, noting that they are indicative of future directions for international social welfare investigation.