Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Criminology As A Force For Human Tolerance, Harold E. Pepinsky

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Criminology traditionally has been the study of twin forms of intolerance--crime and punishment. Punishment can only increase crime. Criminology ought to become a study of how to alleviate crime and punishment by engineering tolerance of greater varieties of human behavior, where "social control" takes on positive connations. A framework is outlined for making criminology a force for human tolerance.

Defining The Concept Of Crime: A Humanistic Perspective, Ronald C. Kramer

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper argues that the traditional definition of crime is too narrow and unnecessarily constrictive of criminological work. Definitions more in accord with the objectives of a humanistic criminology must be developed. The traditional debate over the definition of crime has not been grounded within the context of the more fundamental images of crime that actually guide criminological work. By clarifying these underlying images (paradigms) and displaying the value questions and domain assumptions contained within them, we are in position to develop first order and second order definitions of crime which are more suitable to the task of humanistic criminology.

Organizational Deviance: A Humanist View, David R. Simon

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The sociological paradigm proposed by C. Wright Mills is advocated as a basis (model) for the study of elite deviance of an organizational nature. The relationship between social structure and social character within organizational environments is examined utilizing central concepts regarding both social character (i.e., alienation, other-directedness, and inauthenticity) and bureaucratic structural characteristics (e.g., routinization and fragmentation of tasks, dehumanization and groupthink, the construction of guilt neutralizing ideologies, and front activities). The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of this approach for a humanist study of crime.

Humanistic Criminology: Future Prospects, Erdwin H. Pfuhl

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The present paper focuses on several prominent organizational and ideological aspects of academic criminology and the criminal justice system in an effort to assess the prospects of developing a criminology that is informed by humanistic concerns. The conclusion is that, for the immediate future, the prospects are minimal.

Ideology And Opportunity In Social Work During The New Deal Years, Norma Kolko Phillips

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

As the country moved from a dominant ideology of voluntarism towards the welfare state during the New Deal years, conflicts and compromises occurred within the social work profession that required a definition of the role the profession would assume with relation to the public sector of social welfare. The nature of the relationship that evolved between social work and government, and the accommodations made by each during the New Deal years, and particularly around the passage of the Social Security Act of 1935, are examined.

The Immobility Of Low-Paid Workers, Marshall I. Pomer

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper extends the labor segmentation perspective on unequal job access. Analyzed here are Census data on the occupational mobility of low-paid workers during the period 1965 to 1970. Upward mobility, defined as movement from a low-paid to a mainstream stratum, is far more common for white men than for women and blacks-even after controlling for differences in age, education, and type of low-paid job. A worker's particular low-paid occupation also strongly affects chances of entering the mainstream stratum. The dominant paradigm for quantitative research on social stratification is questioned, and social policies are suggested.

Long-Term Trends In Public Concerns In Two Societies, Rachel Kats

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Trends in public concerns from the early 1960's to the mid-1970's are compared for Israel and the United States, relating changes in concerns to historical and social change which occurred during the decade in both societies. The analysis is based on open-ended questions regarding views of either personal or nation's future -- hopes and fears for that future -- and a Self-Anchoring Rating Scale, by which the respondent evaluated personal and nation's situation in various time perspectives. The Israeli's future perspective became centered around peace and war, removing other issues to a secondary plane of concern. In contrast, the American …

Public Preferences Concerning Future Directions In Social Security, David L. Klemmack, Lucinda L. Roff

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Using data collected from a probability sample of 1030 adult Alabamians, this study segmented respondents among those favoring limited expansion, maintenance, and limited contraction of the social security retirement program. Those favoring some expansion in the system tended to be less well educated and affluent, and more likely to be retired, nonwhite, and to identify themselves as Democrats than did those favoring maintenance or some limited contraction of the system. The findings suggest the potential for cleavages among the population, based primarily on socioeconomic status, in ongoing discussions about the system's future.

Verbal Strategies That Succeed When Job Performance Fails Or How To Eschew Social Work Through Convincing Conversation (A Pocket Guide For The Weary), Michelle Waters, Paula Dressel

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The seemingly endless parade of literature on burnout among social service workers is the source of inspiration for this pocket guide. With the creative tailoring of some of the following vignettes to local situations, it will be almost impossible for you, the service worker, to achieve burn-out. Daily interactions with your clients and your co-workers can be accomplished with the greatest of ease, and services delivered with no muss or fuss. If the situation demands it, perhaps you can avoid clients altogether. With current retrenchment in social services, you have been asked repeatedly to do more for your clients and …

Understanding A Presented Problem From A Phenomenological Perspective, Anant Jain

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Social work and other helping professions utilize knowledge generated by social sciences to understand human behavior and human problems. Social sciences follow positivistic and humanistic philosophies. The former claims that methodologies applicable to natural sciences should be applicable to social sciences. The latter believes that positivistic methods are reductionist and social sciences should develop their own methodology because they deal with a unique subject matter--human beings. Phenomenology, a branch of humanistic thinking, has been offered as a perspective to understand the presented problem by the client. Several cases are utilized to highlight the role of a professional in understanding the …

Health And Social Welfare Needs Of The Elderly: A Preliminary Study, Baxter Wright, Bruce A. Thyer

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In a period of shrinking fiscal resources it is especially important that budgetary decision-making processes be based upon empirical data relating to the actual health and social service needs of the elderly. The present study consisted of a comprehensive survey of the social service needs of a random sample of 75 normative elderly citizens drawn from a multi-ethnic population. The results provide a preliminary data-base for administrative and policy-making bodies to allocate scarce social service resources.

In an era of shrinking fiscal resources and drastic cuts in the provision of human services, funding decisions and budgetary allotments are often made …

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 12, No. 2 (June 1985)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Long-Term Trends in Public Concerns in Two Societies - RACHEL KATS
• Ideology and Opportunity in Social Work During the New Deal Years - NORMA KOLKO PHILLIPS
• Applying the "Unmotivated" Label to Clients in Social Service Agencies - BEN-ZION COHEN
• The Immobility of Low-Paid Workers - MARSHALL I. POMER
• Public Preferences Concerning Future Directions in Social Security - DAVID L. KLEMMACK, LUCINDA L. ROFF
• Tracing the Conception and Meaning of The Age Discrimination in Employment Act: Where Are We With Mandatory Retirement? - MONICA FERRELLI
• Students' Views on the Future of Social Work - DONALD E. MAYPOLE, JAMES …

Applying The "Unmotivated" Label To Clients In Social Service Agencies, Ben-Zion Cohen

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study, based on the responses of a sample of 245 public-sector social workers, explores the factors associated with labelling clients "unmotivated." The variables examined relate to clients, workers, agencies, and the interactions among these elements. Multiple regression analysis reveals that the best predictor variables are client-related. The client most likely to be rated by the social worker as lacking in motivation is of lower socioeconomic status and is perceived as believing that he or she does not require much professional intervention. The research supports the argument that clients who workers believe are unreceptive to their professional styles are likely …

Tracing The Conception And Meaning Of The Age Discrimination In Employment Act: Where Are We With Mandatory Retirement?, Monica Ferrelli

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper addresses the political development of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. The historical origin, amendments, and arguments for or against the act are also presented. The implications of social work practice with our vastly increasing retired and aging population is finally discussed.

Professional Development Of The Bsw Student, Joan M. Merdinger

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In order to test the hypothesis that undergraduate social work students, over the course of two years, will move in the desired direction on scales measuring humanistic values and on scales measuring orientations to profession, client, agency or community, students in one BSW program were studied longitudinally. Forty-one students were tested in 1978 and in 1980. Students obtained significantly higher scores on a scale of humanistic values over the course of two years. Students scored higher on profession and client orientations and lower on agency orientation over the same period. Students manifested a strong career interest in social work education …

Evolution Of Adult Foster Care, John M. Mccoin

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Adult Foster Care evolved under the influence of the Catholic Church and dates to about 600 A.D. Gradually, it has been brought under the influence of the State. In 1979-80, the author surveyed 49 states and determined that 34 states had formal regulation, currently, Adult Foster Care is cost effective and reasonably humane. The future appears to have considerable promise and the need for AFC is proliferating.

The purpose of this article is to trace the development of Adult Foster Care from its inception to the present, the numerous relevant variables which have impacted upon its evolution, discuss relevant theoretical …

Students' Views On The Future Of Social Work, Donald E. Maypole, James G. Mccullagh

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The need for the social work profession to understand the meaning of socio-economic and political trends has never been more important than at present. However, the application of future projection technology has lagged behind this need. The authors studied the views of students from eighteen universities and colleges on present socioeconomic trends, as represented by future specific scenarios. The implications of the future scenarios are discussed in relation to social justice, social work practice and education.

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 12, No. 1 (March 1985)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• The Origins of English Aging Policy: A Re-Examination of the Cyclical Theory of Social Relief - JOHN B. WILLIAMSON, KENNETH J. BRANCO
• Social Reproduction and Helplessness in a Dying - MICHAEL HIBBARD
• Learned Community Homelessness and De-Institutionalization - JOHN J CONKLIN -
• The Social and the Emotional in the Etiology of Childhood Lead Poisoning - HARRIS CHAIKLIN, BARBARA S. MOSHER, DAVID M. O'HARA
• Black and White Social Work Faculty: Perceptions of Respect, Satisfaction and Job Permanence - LARRY E. DAVIS
• Chicano Social Work: A Critical Analysis - JULIO ANGULO, LOURDES ARGUELLES
• Pre-Retirement Attitudes and Financial Preparedness: A …

Black And White Social Work Faculty: Perceptions Of Respect, Satisfaction, And Job Permanence, Larry E. Davis

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

A survey of Black and white faculty in predominately white schools of social work was conducted. The purpose of the survey was to examine qualitative job experiences of these faculty. The researcher attempted to assess how Blacks and whites perceive themselves being responded to as faculty members. This paper reports responses to two sociometric questions: 1) To what extent do social work faculty view themselves as being respected and 2) How satisfied, overall, are they with their faculty positions? Moreover, because much of the expressed concern for minority and female faculty has had to do with their retention, faculty perceptions …

The Impact Of Gender On Productive And Social Activities, Keith M. Kilty, Virginia Richardson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Increasing numbers of women are becoming members of the labor force. Yet it is not clear to what extent working for wages relieves women of their responsibility for traditional and non-paid activities, such as household work and child care. This study examines the impact of gender on the division of domestic labor among working women and men. This research focuses on three kinds of productive activities (paid work, household work, and child care). In addition to productive activities, two kinds of social activities (time spent with relatives and friends, and time spent in entertainment activities) are included. This research also …

Satisfaction With The Profession And Career Status Among Bsw Social Workers, James G. Mccullagh

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study replicates "a measurement of social workers' professional satisfaction" and expands the findings to include career status among BSW graduates. It was hypothesized that (1) graduates of BSW programs who practice social work were more satisfied with selected "symbolic rewards" than those who did not remain in the profession, and that (2) MSW's will express more professional satisfaction than BSW's. A 50 percent random sample of the 538 graduates from a midwestern university for the period 1971-1980 was surveyed. A total of 172 graduates participated, representing a 68 percent response rate. BSW graduates who remain in the profession were …

Chicano Social Work: A Critical Analysis, Julio Angulo, Lourdes Arguelles

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper critically examines an experiment in Social Work education: The development and implementation of a theoretical and practice perspective grounded in the views that Chicanos have about themselves. It is argued that the development of a Chicano perspective has proceeded without reference to the social historical influences on knowledge and curriculum building. More concretely, the structuring effects of dominant scientific paradigms and the organizational requirements of dominant educational institutions. As a result, the Chicano self-view is yet to materialize. Further the scholarship so far generated has been, for the most part, unreflective.

The Origins Of English Aging Policy: A Re-Examination Of The Cyclical Theory Of Social Relief, John B. Williamson, Kenneth J. Branco

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper examines the explanatory power of Piven and Cloward's cyclical theory of social relief through an exploration of policies in England from the twelfth through the nineteenth century. While there is evidence of a cyclical trend between restrictive and liberal policies in this period, we find that those shifts cannot consistently be explained by social turmoil. There is also evidence of a long-term trend toward a more restrictive aging policy which is unaccounted for by cyclical theory. This trend can be better explained by a more basic set of ideas uncerlying cyclical theory, i.e., the needs of a capitalist …

Social Reproduction And Learned Helplessness In A Dying Community, Michael Hibbard

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper reports some of the findings of a broad-based community study of a small Oregon town that depends for its existence on one timber mill--a single plant in a declining industry. The community has been in decline for at least the last decade and prospects for reversal are not good.

Specifically, this paper explores the forces that shape the response of high school students and young adults who have grown up in the community to the decline, using survey, ethnographic, and archival data. Despite a clear understanding of the economic plight of the community, young people are not prepared …

Homelessness And De-Institutionalization, John J. Conklin

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The nation faces a social problem caused by the discharge of chronic mentally ill patients to the community through a process known as "deinstitutionalization." Frequently hcmeless, these individuals require many community supports and have aroused public sentiment. A review of current literature is used to validate these observations. The University of Connecticut has initiated a practicn training project to educate "case managers" in serving the hcmeless mentally ill. From an historical perspective, this study outlines the evolution of deinstitutionalization and the identification of treatment models applied to this process.

The Social And The Emotional In The Etiology Of Childhood Lead Poisoning, Harris Chaiklin, Barbara S. Mosher

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Childhood lead poisoning has been characterized as a silent epidemic. Significant social, emotional, and economic factors play a role in its etiology. Differential intervention in this problem is predicated on understanding the relative role of these causes.

Pre-Retirement Attitudes And Financial Preparedness: A Cross-Cultural And Gender Analysis, John H. Behling, Esther S. Merves

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The purpose of this research was to examine the differences between males and females across three different cultures in terms of financial resources for retirement years and pre-retirement attitudes and intentions.

Community Organization Approaches To The Prevention Of Juvenile Delinquency, Ronald J. Berger, Cherylynne E. Berger

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper examines juvenile delinquency prevention programs which implement large-scale intervention and social change strategies. A typology of community organization practice is used to analyze the assumptions, objectives, and methods underlying these approaches. Three models of community organization-- locality development, social planning, and social action--are used to evaluate three exemplary delinquency prevention programs: the Chicago Area Project, the 1960's provision of opportunity programs, and the 1960's comprehensive community-based projects such as Mobilization for Youth. The difficulties encountered in implementing these models and programs are identified and assessed. The implications for contemporary crime prevention efforts are also considered.

Lay Counseling: A Preliminary Survey Of Who, What And How, James R. Seaberg

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The results of a preliminary survey of lay counseling are presented. Lay counseling is a concept which the author has previously defined and discussed in this journal. Now data are brought to bear in elaborating the nature of this phenomenon which is a vital element of the mental health maintenance and rehabilitation process. The survey included the types of problems which are the subject of lay counseling, the responses to them, the relation of the lay counselor to the recipient, the effectiveness and other characterristics of the activity which are presented.

Serving Oppressed Communities: The Self-Help Approach, Mohan L. Kaul

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The self-help approach based upon author's thirteen years of association (as a community organizer, block club member, investigator, consultant) with East Akron Block Clubs, is presented as a method of helping the oppressed communities help themselves. The paper includes relevant information from a 1980 survey conducted by the author to understand the dynamics of effective neighborhood leadership in this area. The sample consisting of 78 respondents included: 20 presidents, 11 vice presidents, 19 secretaries, 14 treasurers, and 14 regular members of 20 active Block Clubs serving a population of approximately 5000 people.

The self-help approach is not intended to be …