Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Book Reviews, Mike Parker, Gary Freeman, Martin B. Tracy, Michael Reisch, Kathryn B. Ward, Steve Burghardt, Patricia Morgan

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

BOOK REVIEWS

• The Assembly Line by Robert Linhart - Reviewed by MIKE PARKER
• The Crisis In Social Security: Economic and Political Origins by Carolyn L. Weaver - Reviewed by GARY FREEMAN
• The Political Econany of Aging: The State, Private Power and Social Welfare by laura Katz Olson - Reviewed by MARTIN B. TRACY
• The Other Side of Organizing: Resolving the Personal Dilemmas and Political Demands of Daily Practice by Steve Burghardt - Reviewed by MICHAEL REISCH
• The Radical Future of Liberal Feminism by Zillah Eisenstein - Reviewed by KATHRYN B. WARD
• Setting National Priorities: The 1983 Budget edited by Joseph …

The Non-Orthodox Cancer Therapy Movement: Emergent Organization In Health Care Crisis, Joseph Behar

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The ideology and organization of the non-orthodox cancer therapy movement are analyzed as social constructions in an area of professional ambiguity and failure. The movement articulates, integrates, and orders the personally and socially disabling consequences of health care failure in cancer. The protest activities of the movement are characterized by political opposition to medical "orthodoxy" and "monopoly." The challenges of the non-orthodox movement are generally ineffective, non-legitimated, or coopted. Yet, in providing conceptual and organizational frames for the disordering consequences of medical failure and in establishing a politically polarized deviant position in relation to conventional practice, this movement socially organizes …

Client Privacy And Social Work: A Comparison By Agency Function, Linda R. Hogan, Mary Ski Hunter, M. Coleen Shannon

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study examines the effect of agency function or purpose on the handling of client privacy issues in social work agencies. Practitioners working in public and private agencies were compared. The data revealed that, more than those in private agencies, social workers in public agencies: (1) thought that their work would be more affected if they could not rely on outside sources for information about clients; (2) were more often requested to supply information about clients to outside sources; and (3) were more likely to reveal information about clients as a form of ethical dilemma resolution. It is suggested that …

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 10, No. 3 (September 1983)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Social Action Organization Participation and Personal Change in the Poor: Part II - ROBERT D. HERMAN
• Ideology In Social Welfare Policy Instruction: An Examination of Required Readings - PAUL LYONS
• Client Privacy and Social Work: A Comparison by Agency Function
• LINDA R. HOGAN, MARY SKI HUNTER, M. COLEEN SHANNON
• Case Law and Social Welfare: A Framework for Analysis - JAN L. HAGEN
• The Coordination Dimensions Scale: A Tool to Assess Interorganizational Relationships - STANLEY BLOSTEIN
• The Non-Orthodox Cancer Therapy Movement: Emergent Organization in Health Care Crisis - JOSEPH BEHAR
• The Use of Telephone Surveys In Human Service …

Social Welfare And Family Support: The Nigerian Experience, Christopher P. Ekpe

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The African family has been the basic structure that performed the functions of a social system even before contact with European and other white cultures. These included not only the organization of behavior and economy, the preservation of culture, the realization of political goals, the control and integration of the members but also the provision services classified today as social welfare.

However, sweeping changes have been taking place in the African family and these have seriously affected its function as a social system. The roles of men and women, religion, education, in short, the African culture itself has been experiencing …

Constitutional Dilemma And Social Welfare Policy In Canada, Angela W. Djao

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The Canadian Constitution is usually interpreted as giving the provinces primary jurisdiction over social welfare. However, the federal government utilizing other powers provided in the constitution has expanded its role in legitimating the social order by promoting social integration and providing the disadvantaged groups with minimum social security. Thus social welfare is administered by both levels of government. Yet the fact that no mandatory obligations are imposed on either level of government has led to the development of social welfare policy in Canada in a fashion that resembles a crazy patchwork quilt. This is shown in a review of the …

Notes On A Forgotten Black Social Worker And Sociologist: George Edmund Haynes, Iris Carlton-La Ney

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper highlights the career of Dr. George Edmund Haynes, a pioneer sociologist and social worker. It places Haynes in a historical context examining his professional contributions during the early 1900s. Haynes' professional activities reflected the Progressive Era's emphasis on scientific research and social justice. Although he received some recognition as a sociologist and social worker, his contributions were relegated generally to the periphery of both the discipline of sociology and the field of social work.

Social Action Organization Participation And Personal Change In The Poor: Part Ii, Robert D. Herman

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In Part I (Herman, 1982) evidence bearing on the hypothesis that participation by the poor in social action organizations results in personal change was reviewed and found to be inconsistent and open to diverse Interpretations. In Part I It was observed that not all socizi action organizations are al ike and, thus, that participation is also of varied kinds and extents and may have different consequences for personal change. A typology of social action organizations forms (developed in Part I ) is used here to comparatively classify information on organizational characteristics and personal change drawn from eleven case studIes. The …

Work-Related Perceptions Of Social Workers Versus Administrators: More Grist For The "Is Social Work A Profession?" Mill, Robert A. Snyder, Jane M. Ridolphi

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The work-related perceptions of 683 employees of a federally funded public assistance agency were examined by occupational classification. The results show that persons employed as social workers report distinctively different patterns of attitudes and values than do those employed as administrators. These distinctions were most dramatic for the younger members of each group. The overall results fail to refute previous predictions of an evolving anc critical duality in the field of social work.

The Local Impact Of The Civilian Conservation Corps, 1933-1942, Michael W. Sherraden

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The success of Franklin Roosevelt's Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) has been well documented. The program was productive in conservation work and popular wtih the general public. For the most part, CCC camps were welcomed by nearby communities. Most scholarly work on the CCC has focused on policy developments in Washington and, in many of these accounts, the popularity of the CCC has been described in terms of agrarian values such as tree planting and healthy outdoor living. In contrast, this study focuses on the local level, looks at concrete variables directly related to camp-community relations, and concludes that acceptance of …

Book Reviews, Asoke Basu, Kristine Nelson, Dan La Botz

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

BOOK REVIEWS

• Letter From An Author - ASOKE BASU
• The Limits of Reform: Women, Capital and Welfare by Jennifer G. Schirmer - Reviewed by KRISTINE NELSON 542
• Marxism and Domination: A Neo-Hegelian. Feminist, Psychoanalytic Theory of Sexual, Political and Technological Liberation, by Isaac D, Balbus - Reviewed by DAN LA BOTZ 534

Ideology In Social Welfare Policy Instruction: An Examination Of Required Readings, Paul Lyons

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

A national survey of required readings in social welfare policy courses indicates that a liberal, pro-welfare state ideology is predominant. Such an ideology rests on the concepts of modernization and industrialization within a structural-functionalist methodology. This predominant model of social welfare policy suggests the inevitability of the welfare state while effectively excluding serious consideration of both conservative and socialist alternatives.

Case Law And Social Welfare: A Framework For Analysis, Jan L. Hagen

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper illustrates an approach for analyzing case law within the framework of social welfare programs and policies. Drawing on a framework first developed by Burns and later expanded by Gilbert and Specht, selected court decisions related to income maintenance are categorized on the basis of four parameters: basis of social allocation, the nature of social provisions, the structure of the delivery system, and the method of financing. Unlike the legal framework typically used to analyze court decisions, an assessment of court decisions along the parameters of social welfare policies and programs highlights the court's role and its importance in …

The Coordination Dimensions Scale: A Tool To Assess Interorganizational Relationships, Stanley Blostein

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article describes a tool--the Coordination Dimensions Scale (CDS)--for use by human service organizations in assessing the viability of a coordinated relationship. A working definition of coordination is presented, followed by a description of the components of coordination: types, structural forms, medium, and auspices. Based on this framework, the writer presents fifteen Dimensions of coordination, each of which is placed ol a scale-- the total is the CDS Score--which can be used to provide structure to the decision-making process. Suggestions are made for use of the CDS in assessing an existing or proposed coordinated relationship.

The Use Of Telephone Surveys In Human Service Needs Assessment - An Idea Whose Time Has Come?, Lawrence L. Martin

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article explores the potential use of telephone surveys for the conduct of human service needs assessments. After reviewing relevant literature bearing on the subject of telephone surveys, a theoretical telephone survey human service needs assessment of Maricopa County, Arizona is compared with an actual human service needs assessment using the traditional personal survey approach. The results suggest that the two approaches produce similar findings at the aggregate data, or community, level but that the underrepresentation of certain target groups of interest to human service administrators (e.g. low-income and ethnic minorities) may cause disaggregation problems. Methodological techniques to deal with …

The Wife Of The Alcoholic; Sexist Stereotypes In The Alcoholism Literature, James T. Decker, John Redhourse, Roberta D. Green, Richard Starrett

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Current alcoholism literature, alcoholism education, and alcoholism treatment suggests that the wife of the alcoholic is every bit as sick (physically, mentally, and spiritually) as her practicing alcoholic husband. How did we come to this view of the wife of the alcoholic?

This paper will review 1) how the wife of the alcoholic has been regarded over the years; 2) how these portraits of the wife of the alcoholic that appeared in the scholarly literature have influenced current thinking and treatment, and 3) how this body of literature and the popular concepts of the wife of the alcoholic that evolved …

The Intersection Of Political Culture And Fiscal Federalism: State Block Grants In Alabama, David Sink, Michele Wilson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Political culture and intergovernmental relations together shape specific policy actions of a state government within the constraints of its economic condition. Although financial resources provided a state government strongly influence the level of its policy outputs, the political and administrative dynamics appear to affect the exact nature of that policy. A case study of state block grant implementation in the state of Alabama provides an opportunity to observe these variables in action. In particular, the prominent role played by the executive branch appears to have influenced strongly the decisions made concerning social services, health policy, and community development.

Policy Traditions In American State Politics, Robert L. Savage

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

An examination of the states across a wide range of policy innovations during three historical periods reveals policy traditions having distinctive geographic limits roughly conforming to major regions commonly recognized in American politics. Only two of these traditions, the "Southern Parochial" and the "Northeastern Bureaucratic," persist across time and even these have been weakened. This provides some evidence that while multilinear evolution along regional lines will continue to contribute to differences in policy values among the American states in the foreseeable future, sociocultural integration is the stronger dynamic in American political development, especially since about 1930.

Staff Activities In The Texas House Of Representatives, David F. Prindle, James Burshtyn

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In this study multivariate analysis is applied to the allocation of staff time among members of the Texas House of Representatives. Ideology of the representative is found to be an important factor in explaining differences in staff behavior. Chief staffers serving liberal Democrats and Republicans report spending less time on constituency service, and more time on policy research, than do staffers serving conservative Democrats. There are differences between the parties, but not between the ideologies, on time spent with lobbyists. Other variables, such as urban population of the district, and the years a legislator has served in the House, show …

Alternative Service Delivery Strategies: Factors In States' Decision Making, Harold W. Demone Jr., Margaret Gibelman

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article focuses on the range of choices and factors affecting state level decision making about how human services are to be delivered. In light of the dual thrusts of decentralization and privatization, the viability of public-private partnerships through contracting for services is explored. Among the significant factors affecting decisions about alternative forms of service delivery are: political and fiscal preferences; the strength of organized labor; the role and availability of the private service sector and history with purchase of service. The advantages and disadvantages attributed to a contracting model for delivering services are unlikely to be argued from an …

The Impact Of Women Legislators On Introduction Of Social Legislation Into A Southern State House, Marjorie A. Baney

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The study investigated the interest of male and female legislators in social legislation as measured by the number of bills each group introduced. Legislators included in the study were the entire female population of the North Carolina General Assembly House of Representatives serving between January and July 1981, and an equal number of their male colleagues randomly selected. Comparisons of the female and male legislators in the study criteria such as number of legislative terms served, relative power of committees on which they served, number of committee chairpersonships and independent rankings and effectiveness by colleagues, lobbyists and the media revealed …

State And Regional Politics: Introduction, Timothy W. Lause

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The policy decisions of the states have become increasingly important to social welfare in recent years. In that sense, it is an opportune time to introduce an interdisciplinary collection of articles which has as its principal focus the circumstances and the processes of policy at the state level. With one exception, the articles which address regional concepts do so in the context of comparative or case studies of one or more state policy decisions.

Welfare Spending In The American States: A Comparative Perspective, W. Joseph Heffernan

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The federal-state system of welfare is the result of a compromise between the desire for national standards and the opportunity for each state to have its own adaptation. As a compromise, there is a constant tension in the system. During the 1970's, there was a pressure toward federalization, but the states have preserved their diversity. The Reagan Administration has clearly indicated a desire to "return" greater freedom to the states to chart their own course. The purpose of this paper is to identify variations among the states in such a way as to identify those states with consistently "high" or …

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 10, No. 2 (June 1983)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• State and Regional Politics: Introduction - TIMOTHY W. LAUSE
• Welfare Spending in the American States: A Comparative Perspective - W. JOS HEFFERNAN
• Disinnovation in the American States: Policy Toward Health System Agencies - KEITH MUELLER, JOHN COHER
• Policy Traditions in American State Politics - ROBERT L. SAVAGE
• The Intersection of Political Culture and Fiscal Federalism: State Block Grants in Alabama, DAVID SINK, NICHEL. WILSON
• Political Symbolism in Juvenile Justice: Reforming Florida's Juvenile Detention Criteria
• C. AARON McNEECE, MICHELE WILSON
• Legislative Evaluation of Social Welfare Programs: The Processes and Consequences - PATRICIA K. FREEMAN, WILLIAM LYONS
• Staff Activities …

Disinnovation In The American States: Policy Toward Health Systems Agencies, Keith Mueller, John Comer

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Requiring the states to involve consumers in health planning through local health planning boards (HSAs) was an attempt by the federal government to control health care costs. Elimination of this requirement more recently has meant some states have discontinued the program. The elimination of HSAs can be considered a case of policy disinnovation. Drawing on the innovation literature, the following variables were expected to correlate, although negatively, with elimination of HSAs: value added to manufacturing, average acre value of farms, per capita income, population living in metropolitan areas, and party competition. All were found to correlate negatively. Predisposition to spend …

Political Symbolism In Juvenile Justice: Reforming Florida's Juvenile Detention Criteria, C. Aaron Mcneece, Mark Ezell

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

A recent reform in Florida's juvenile detention criteria was over-turned during the subsequent legislative session. This paper describes both the initial reform and its reversal and suggests that symbolic political rewards may often be more important than the actual consequences of a policy. Recommendations are made for accomplishing policy reform in a traditional political culture.

Legislative Evaluation Of Social Welfare Programs: The Process And Consequences, Patricia K. Freeman, William Lyons

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Program review has increased substantially in recent years. There has been concern that the upsurge in policy evaluation would be detrimental to social welfare programs, where data is often unavailable, little agreement exists concerning specific goals and documenting success is often virtually impossible. In this analysis we compared the program evaluation of social welfare programs with non-social welfare programs. The review process differed substantially as did the recommendation made as a result of the review. Social welfare programs faced more criticisms than non-social welfare programs. However, the criticisms were less serious. Changes prior to the publication of the evaluation report …

An Advocacy Approach For More Effective Program Delivery And Coordination: A Case Study Of Maine's Housing Rehab Techs, Kenneth K. Ahn, James F. Horan, G. Thomas Taylor

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

A detailed case analysis of the Maine Housing Rehabilitation Project provides an exploratory observation of the innovative use of human resources at the federal, state and regional levels through an evolutionary development process of housing rehabilitation technicians. Functioning largely as advocate planners and human service delivery administrators through self-expanded roles, these individuals were able to promote change in the context of this intergovernmental environment. The analysis presented here reveals findings of intrastate regional differences between the urban and rural areas. Low income citizens appear to be the main beneficiaries of a proactive style of leadership that was performed by the …

Regional Planning Of Mental Health Services: An Illinois Case Example, Wynne Sandra Korr

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Now that Reagan has ended a twenty-year pattern of federal involvement in setting mental health policy priorities, states must develop models for implementing and maintaining services to the mentally ill. The Illinois model of regional offices which plan and monitor programs is described. A case example showing how one such office developed services in a minority community is given. Examples of the work of other offices illustrate the flexibility of this model in meeting special community needs.

Black Appalachian Families, Arthur J. Cox

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The black family in America has been subjected to social change more than the family of any other racial or ethnic group. An overview of its adjustment through successive crises of African transplantation, slavery, sudden emancipation, migration to cities and the vicissitudes of second-class citizenship help in understanding the black family's contemporary forms. The black family of Appalachia faces yet another problem - (INVISIBILITY)