Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Review Of The Uses Of Pessimism: A Review Essay. The Uses Of Pessimism And The Danger Of False Hope. Roger Scruton. Reviewed By Paul Adams., Paul Adams

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The Uses of Pessimism: A Review Essay Scruton, R. (2010). The Uses of Pessimism and the Danger of False Hope. New York: Oxford University Press, $29.95 (hardcover).

Review Of Social Work And Social Development: Theories And Skills For Developmental Social Work. James Midgley & Amy Conley, Eds. Reviewed By Margaret Lombe., Margaret Lombe

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of James Midgley & Amy Conley (Eds.), Social Work and Social Development: Theories and Skills for Developmental Social Work. New York: Oxford University Press (2010). $45.00 (hardcover).

Review Of A Dream Deferred: How Social Work Lost Its Way And What Can Be Done. David Stoesz, Howard Jacob Karger, And Terry Carrilio. Reviewed By Michael Reisch., Michael Reisch

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of David Stoesz, Howard Jacob Karger, and Terry Carrilio, A Dream Deferred: How Social Work Lost its Way and What Can Be Done (2010), New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers. $39.95 (hardcover).

Review Of Myth Of The Social Volcano: Perceptions Of Inequality And Distributive Injustice In Contemporary China. Martin King Whyte. Reviewed By Richard Levy., Richard Levy

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Martin King Whyte, Myth of the Social Volcano: Perceptions of Inequality and Distributive Injustice in Contemporary China. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, (2010). $27.95 (paperback).

Review Of Contesting Development: Critical Struggles For Social Change. Philip Mcmichael, Ed. Reviewed By Andrew Gibbs., Andrew Gibbs

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Contesting Development: Critical Struggles for Social Change. Philip McMichael, Ed. Reviewed by Andrew Gibbs.

Clinical Social Work And The Biomedical Industrial Complex, Tomi Gomory, Stephen E. Wong, David Cohen, Jeffrey R. Lacasse

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article examines how the biomedical industrial complex has ensnared social work within a foreign conceptual and practice model that distracts clinical social workers from the special assistance that they can provide for people with mental distress and misbehavior. We discuss: (1) social work's assimilation of psychiatric perspectives and practices during its pursuit of professional status; (2) the persistence of psychiatric hospitalization despite its coercive methods, high cost, and doubtful efficacy; (3) the increasing reliance on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, despite its widely acknowledged scientific frailty; and (4) the questionable contributions of psychoactive drugs to clinical …

The Economics Of Being Young And Poor: How Homeless Youth Survive In Neo-Liberal Times, Jeff Karabanow, Jean Hughes, Jann Ticknor, Sean Kidd, Dorothy Patterson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Based upon in-depth interviews with 34 youth in Halifax and seven service providers in St. John's, Montreal, Hamilton, Toronto, Winnipeg, and Calgary, the findings of this study suggest that labor occurs within a particular street context and street culture. Formal and informal work can be inter-related, and despite the hardships they experience, young people who are homeless or who are at-risk of homelessness can respond to their circumstances with ingenuity, resilience and hope. Often street-involved and homeless young people are straddling formal and informal work economies while mediating layers of external and internal motivations and tensions. The reality is that …

Perspectives Of Employed People Experiencing Homelessness Of Self And Being Homeless: Challenging Socially Constructed Perceptions And Stereotypes, Micheal L. Shier, Marion E. Jones, John R. Graham

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In a study that sought to identify the multiple factors resulting in homelessness from the perspective of 65 individuals in Calgary, Alberta, Canada who were both employed and homeless, we found that participants' perceptions of being homeless emerged as a major theme which impacts their entry to and exit from homelessness. Four sub-themes related to these perceptions were identified: (1) perceptions of self and situation; (2) impact of being homeless on self-reflection; (3) aspects of hope to consider; and (4) perspectives on having a permanent residence. Analytically, these findings help challenge present stereotypes about homelessness and usefully inform social service …

Out Of The Frying Pan, Into The Fire: Trauma In The Lives Of Homeless Youth Prior To And During Homelessness, John Coates, Sue Mckenzie-Mohr

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Anecdotal evidence from those who work with homeless youth indicates that trauma permeates these young people's lives. This paper presents the findings from a study of 100 homeless youth regarding the presence of trauma in their lives, both before and during homelessness. Participants living in the Maritime Provinces volunteered to take part in a semi-structured interview lasting one to two hours. The interview questionnaire was conducted by a trained interviewer, and was composed of standardized and adapted survey instruments, as well as questions regarding demographics, experiences prior to becoming homeless, assistance received while dealing with stressors, and current needs. The …

The Limits Of Social Capital: An Examination Of Immigrants' Housing Challenges In Calgary, Alina Tanasescu, Alan Smart

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

A common explanation of immigrants' under-representation among the homeless population in Canada is that kinship and community networks act as a buffer to absolute homelessness. There are indications that immigrant homelessness is, however, increasing, suggesting that the buffering capacity of social networks reaches a limit. Further, evidence of precarious housing situations indicates that we should approach this form of housing provision with some caution. This paper draws on a larger study of housing difficulties among immigrants in Calgary to address the ways in which social capital serves a buffering role, and under what conditions it loses its ability to prevent …

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 37, No. 4 (December 2010)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

SPECIAL ISSUE ON HOMELESSNESS IN CANADA

• INTRODUCTION TO THE SPECIAL ISSUE: HOMELESSNESS IN CANADA - John R. Graham and Jeannette Waegemakers Schiff, Special Editors
• PERSPECTIVES OF EMPLOYED PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS OF SELF AND BEING HOMELESS: CHALLENGING SOCIALLY CONSTRUCTED PERCEPTIONS AND STEREOTYPES - Micheal L. Shier, Marion E. Jones, and John R. Graham
• THE ECONOMICS OF BEING YOUNG AND POOR: HOW HOMELESS YOUTH SURVIVE IN NEOLIBERAL TIMES - Jeff Karabanow, Jean Hughes, Jann Ticknor, Sean Kidd, and Dorothy Patterson
• OUT OF THE FRYING PAN, INTO THE FIRE: TRAUMA IN THE LIVES OF HOMELESS YOUTH PRIOR TO AND DURING HOMELESSNESS - John …

Representations Of Homelessness In Four Canadian Newspapers: Regulation, Control, And Social Order, Barbara Schneider, Kerry Chamberlain, Darrin Hodgetts

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article reports on a content analysis of homelessness representations in four Canadian newspapers: two city broadsheets, one city tabloid, and one national newspaper. Clear differences between the papers emerged showing that in general coverage of homelessness in Calgary was much more positive than coverage in Vancouver. It conveyed a stronger sense of crisis or urgency and a stronger sense of optimism that the problem should and can be solved. Experts dominate public discourse about homelessness, with people who experience homelessness themselves marginalized as speakers. Despite these differences, the four papers present a unified narrative of homelessness in which readers …

Progressive Housing Policy In The 21st Century: A Contrarian View, George Fallis

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

After years of cutbacks to housing programs in Canada, there has emerged a consensus that a progressive housing policy requires significant construction of new social housing units to address both the problems of housing affordability and homelessness. This paper argues that large scale social housing should not be the focus of progressive housing policy in the 21st century. We should use the progressive goals of the original welfare state, but we should modify the programs designed to meet these goals. The paper examines the income and personal insecurities faced by low-income households today, contrasting them with the insecurities faced in …

Review Of Needed By Nobody: Homelessness And Humanness In Post-Socialist Russia. Tova Hojdestrand. Reviewed By Sviatlana Smashnaya., Sviatlana Smashnaya

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Tova Hojdestrand, Needed by Nobody: Homelessness and Humanness in Post-Socialist Russia. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2009. $59.95 hardcover, $22.95 paperback.

Review Of 'Til Death Or Distance Do Us Part: Love And Marriage In African America. Frances Smith Foster. Reviewed By Shannon Butler-Mokoro., Shannon Butler-Mokoro

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Frances Smith Foster, 'Til Death or Distance Do Us Part: Love and Marriage in African America. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010. $21.95 hardcover.

Review Of Freefall: America, Markets And The Sinking Of The World Economy. Joseph E. Stiglitz. Reviewed By Helen Lachs Ginsburg., Helen Lachs Ginsburg

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Joseph E. Stiglitz, Freefall: America, Markets and the Sinking of the World Economy. New York, N.Y.: W. W. Norton, 2010. $27.95 hardcover.

Review Of Doing Time Together: Love And Family In The Shadow Of The Prison. Megan Comfort. Reviewed By Jonah A. Siegel., Jonah A. Siegel

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Megan Comfort, Doing Time Together: Love and Family in the Shadow of the Prison. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2009. $55.00 hardcover, $22.00 paperback.

Introduction To The Special Issue: Homelessness In Canada, John R. Graham, Jeannette Waegemakers Schiff

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In February 2009, over 700 people gathered for more than three-days at 'Growing Home,' Canada's second national conference on housing and homelessness (www.nhc2009. ca) to explore causes and solutions to this urgent problem. Conference delegates included those who are experiencing or have experienced homelessness, their families, policy analysts, political activists, politicians, professionals, scholars, those in the affordable housing community, and concerned citizens generally. Over 140 academic papers and workshops were delivered by the country's leading researchers and homelessness- serving practitioners.

Housing For People With Serious Mental Illness: Approaches, Evidence, And Transformative Change, Geoffrey Nelson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The evolution of housing approaches for people with serious mental illness is described and analyzed. A distinction is made between three different approaches to housing: (a) custodial, (b) supportive, and (c) supported. Research evidence is reviewed that suggests the promise of supported housing, but more research is needed that compares supported housing with different supportive housing approaches. It is argued that the current move to a supported housing approach represents a fundamental shift or transformative change in mental health policy and practice. Strategies to facilitate this shift are discussed.

Review Of The Idea Of Justice. Amartia Sen. Reviewed By David G. Gil, David G. Gil

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Amartia Sen, The Idea of Justice. Harvard University Press, 2009. 468 pages, $29.95 hardcover.

Review Of Race, Place, And Environmental Justice After Hurricane Katrina: Struggles To Reclaim, Rebuild, And Revitalize New Orleans And The Gulf Coast. Robert Bullard And Beverly Wright, Eds. Reviewed By Robert Forrant., Robert Forrant

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Robert Bullard & Beverly Wright, Eds., Race, Place, and Environmental Justice after Hurricane Katrina: Struggles to Reclaim, Rebuild, and Revitalize New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. Westview Press, 2009. $32.00 paperback.

Review Of The War On Welfare: Family, Poverty, And Politics In Modern America. Marisa Chappell. Reviewed By John M. Herrick., John M. Herrick

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Marisa Chappell, The War on Welfare: Family, Poverty, and Politics in Modern America. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2010. $45.00 hardcover.

Review Of Formal And Informal Work: The Hidden Work Regime In Europe. Birgit Pfau-Effinger, Lluis Flaquer And Per H. Jensen, Eds. Reviewed By James Midgley., James Midgley

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Birgit Pfau-Effinger, Lluis Flaquer and Per H. Jensen, Eds., Formal and Informal Work: The Hidden Work Regime in Europe. New York: Routledge, 2009. $105.00 hardcover.

Review Of Work-Life Policies. Ann C. Crouter And Alan Booth, Eds. Reviewed By Marguerite G. Rosenthal., Marguerite G. Rosenthal

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Ann C. Crouter and Alan Booth, Eds., Work-Life Policies. Washington, D.C.: The Urban Institute Press, 2009. $32.50, paperback.

Review Of The Housing Policy Revolution: Networks And Neighborhoods. David J. Erickson. Reviewed By Corianne P. Scally., Corianne P. Scally

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of David J. Erickson, The Housing Policy Revolution: Networks and Neighborhoods. Washington, D.C.: The Urban Institute Press, 2009. $29.50 paperback.

Review Of The People Shall Rule: Acorn, Community Organizing, And The Struggle For Economic Justice. Robert Fisher, Ed. Reviewed By Elizabeth Beck., Elizabeth Beck

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Robert Fisher, Ed., The People Shall Rule: ACORN, Community Organizing, and the Struggle for Economic Justice. Nashville, TN: Vanderbilt University Press, 2009. $69.95 hardcover, $27.95 paperback.

Jim Midgley Retires As Book Review Editor, Robert D. Leighninger Jr.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

For the last dozen years our Book Review section has been piloted by James Midgley, now Dean Emeritus at the University of California-Berkeley. We didn't always have book reviews. Our first Book Review Editor was Paul Adams, who began in 1983, a full ten years after our founding. He served for two years and was succeeded by Shimon Gottshalk in collaboration with Bruce Thyer until late 1987. Shimon carried on alone until 1992. Soliciting books to review, persuading scholars to review them, and riding herd on the reviewers is hard work. Neither the book review editors nor the reviewers get …

"Everything Has Changed": Narratives Of The Vietnamese American Community In Post-Katrina Mississippi, Yoosun Park, Joshua Miller, Bao Chau Van

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In this qualitative study of the Vietnamese American community of Biloxi, Mississippi, conducted three years after Katrina, we attended not only to individual experiences but to the relationship of individuals to their collective and social worlds. The interlocked relationship of individual and collective loss and recovery are clearly demonstrated in respondents' narratives. The neighborhood and community of Little Saigon was significant not only as a symbolic source of identity but as a protected and familiar space of residence, livelihood, and social connections. The post-Katrina changes in the neighborhood are, in multiple ways, changing participants' experience of and relationship to their …

Volunteer Patterns Of Mid- And Later Life American Couples, Deborah B. Smith

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The expectation for older people to volunteer has increased, and married Americans are more likely to volunteer. Drawing on life course and couple decision-making theories, this research examines mid- and later life American couples' volunteer patterns. Ninety-five (95) couples are analyzed to determine characteristics of three groups of couples-both volunteer, neither volunteer, or only one spouse volunteers. Multinomial logistic regression comparing all couples simultaneously finds significant diferences. Couples with no volunteers are more likely to report lower joint marital satisfaction and at least one spouse out of the labor force than couples where one spouse volunteers. Couples who have both …

Review Of Negotiating Justice: Progressive Lawyering, Low Income Clients, And The Quest For Social Change. Corey S. Shdaimah. Reviewed By Lolita Buckner Inniss., Lolita Buckner Inniss

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Corey S. Shdaimah, Negotiating Justice: Progressive Lawyering, Low Income Clients, and the Quest for Social Change. New York University Press, 2009. $45.00 hardcover.