Moral Authority Ideology And The Future Of American Social Welfare

This book suggests how welfare can be re-formed by taking the American ideological context as a road map for which welfare changes are possible and which are not, laying out a framework for welfare as America enters the twenty-first century.

American welfare policies and programs frustrate both conservative and liberal advocates who fail to realize that American welfare policy cannot be any more than, or any less than, the distinctly American framework in which it operates. Moral Authority, Ideology, and the Future of American Social Welfare departs from standard presentations of social welfare by dealing directly with the ideologies that have shaped the American experience and illustrates how the values these ideologies generate define the framework of American social welfare through existing economic, governmental, and social structures. By reviewing the ideological frameworks that have shaped the American experience, Andrew Dobelstein explains that we have tried to do much more with American social welfare policy than is possible in the present American system and that prudence suggests a reformation of American social welfare policy—which is not to do less but to do what we are capable of doing in a more effective way. This book suggests how welfare can be re-formed by taking the American ideological context as a road map for which welfare changes are possible and which are not, laying out a framework for welfare as America enters the twenty-first century.

This book attributes American poverty to consequences 19th Century social welfare policies within an economy stretching to meet its 21st Century economic potential, arguing that American poverty persists as economic and political structures have moved into the world of fiscal planning but social welfare remains in its Depression-era structure.

A compelling compilation of short entries, longer topical essays, and primary source documents that chronicles the historical development of the United States from an economic perspective. Based on a work originally published in 2003, The American Economy: A Historical Encyclopedia has been thoroughly updated with information on the accounting scandals of the early 2000s and the recession of 2008, including the government stimulus and bailout programs and the recession's impact on key markets. With more than 600 short entries, 31 longer essays, and 32 primary source documents, the encyclopedia spans American history from colonial times to the present. Researchers will discover detailed information on people, events, and government actions that have shaped our economy, with entries on such seminal issues as slavery, migration patterns, the welfare state, the rise of the city, and the development of financial institutions. Throughout, special attention is paid to the interdependence of economics with political, social, and cultural forces. Covering everything from the national debt to monetary policy, law, unemployment, inflation, and government/business relations, this work is the ideal go-to resource for quick answers, in-depth analysis, or direction for further research.

This text is intended to contribute to an understanding of human behavior in the social environment by providing social work students with an introduction to American communities. The primary focus is on local communities of place. Attention is also given to the communities of interest and identification that are intertwined with geographic communities. Ecological systems and social systems perspectives serve as conceptual and practical frameworks for examining the multiple communities in which people have membership, social identity, and social interaction. This edition begins with an exposition of the societal context of communities. American society is recognized as part of a global community and then examined as a social system, a community of communities, a multicultural society, and a civil society. The book emphasizes the way that discrimination, economic deprivation, and oppression affect populations at risk and demonstrates the role communities play in the pursuit of individual and collective social and economic justice.

This 20e contains 400 articles which represent a thoroughly updated and expanded look at the entire field of social work. The 4-volumes cover all aspects of social work from practice/interventions, social environments, social conditions and challenges, to social policy and history. Co-published by OUP and the National Assoc. of Social Workers, USA.