Introduction to Social Welfare and Social Work: The US in Global Perspective

1. Introduction to Social Welfare and Social Work: The US in Global Perspective Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole Katherine van WormerUniversity of Northern Iowa

2. Introduction - Chapter 1 • Uniqueness of social work • Social work core values: service, social justice, dignity and worth of person, importance of human relationships, integrity, competence

3. Uniqueness of Social Work continued • Person-in-environment • Mission—social action to promote social change--IFSW • Licensing • Social Context—generalist practice Value based criteria • Global role

4. Reasons for International Focus • Ever shrinking world • Increasing international similarities • Leadership in NGOs • Perspective from other nations • Innovative approaches

5. Knowledge for International Work • Employment options • “International” domestic work--refugees • Influencing global policies through UN

6. Terms and Concepts • Social welfare—”well being”--nation’s system of programs, benefits, etc. • Social welfare state • Social work and sociology, psychology, counseling • Third World/developing country/Global South/non-industrialized country

7. Terms continued • Functionalism • Manifest and latent functions • Examples—car, military haircut, imprisonment • Regulating thePoor—Piven and Cloward • Power—Max Weber • Orwell—1984 ”who controls the past controls the future; who controls the present controls the past” • Power elite

8. Terms continued • Globalization—social, educational, economic • Empowerment Perspective • Culture and cultural competence--ethnocentrism • Ecosystems Theory--Interactionism • Prejudice—unjustified negative attitudes • Allport--outgroups • Adorno—F scale—obedience most important, displaced aggression • Blaming the victim as defense mechanism

9. Terms continued • Empowerment • Our social work imagination—micro (family work) and macro practice • Critical thinking—put social policies in perspective, awareness of media bias

10. CHAPTER 2 American Social Values and International Social Work

11. US Value Orientations • Work versus leisure Weber, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism Creed of Calvinism US--2,000 hours per year, Germany--1,500 impact of welfare reform Korea and work ethic France—leisure a top value

12. US Values—equal opportunity vs. equality • “The American dream”—”rags to riches” • Immigrant success stories • Scandinavian value of equality, not opportunity • Family allowances here and in other industrialized nations • Wilensky & Lebeaux—residually based (safety net) society versus institutionally based • Means-tested—TANF and stigma • Globalization—impact of competition

13. Values: Mobility vs. Stability • Thom Hartmann’s hypothesis of genetic traits from hunter vs farmer societies and ADD • Americans as seen by foreigners

14. Competition Vs Cooperation • Personal achievement as happiness--survey • Egalitarianism—”probably the best beer in town” compared to American ads • Family socialization into values

15. Individualism Vs Collectivism • Conformists • Japanese homogeneity • American individualism • Collectivism in Norway and Japan • Progressive periods in US history compared to conservative times

16. Independence Vs Interconnectedness • Independence & individualism in U.S. • Interconnectedness & indigenous culture—First Nations People

17. Materialism Vs Spirituality • Materialism • Alternative values • Prevalence of religion in America—surveys comparing US and European attitudes

18. Nuclear Vs Extended Family • Kinship arrangements in industrialized world—marriage as union between families • African- and Latino- American cultural perspectives

19. Moralism Vs Compassion • Moralism and US society, the most unique US value • Social values and social policy • International policy • Imprisonment in the US and Norway

20. Social Work Values and American Values • Social work mission to enhance human well-being, • Altruism • Core values of social work—service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence • How these values compare or contrast to American values

21. International Descriptions • Guam—cultural clash, indigenous population, woman power • Chile—under socialist government and after CIA back military coup, social workers “disappeared”, structural adjustments required by world banks • Caribbean—structural adjustments—Jamaica and global realities • South Korea—positive experience with globalization, over 100 social work departments, male dominance • Cuba—health care services, social workers work in needy communities • Canada—impact of global market, NAFTA, cutbacks, universal health care

22. CHAPTER 3 Emergence of Social Work

23. Introduction – Chapt. 3 • Drawing from Glasgow, Scotland museum—Heatherbank Museum of Social Work, “Houseless Poor Asylum” • Social work goes back to Middle Ages and social welfare.

24. European Milestones • Norman Conquest, 1066 and feudalism, unity of England under law • Black Death, 1348 and scapegoating of minority groups (“witches”)and labor shortage • Role of technologies a theme, people moved to cities for work, affected family life • Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther and Henry VIII • Elizabethan Poor Law 1601, religious dissenters left for New World • First poor law—poor relief for deserving, parents responsible, workhouse • New Poor Law 1834—moral view of poverty • Inflluence of Dickens, Karl Marx (1848)

25. Colonial America • Puritans and theology • Individualism, limited government and separation of church and state • No large class of landless people • Weak central government • Indentured servants, slavery of persons of color • US Constitution and human rights

26. Informal and Formal Helping • Poor Helping Poor—slavery and mutual aid • Farmers • Church • Formal aid • Dorothea Dix • Civil War • Freedmen’s Bureau • Europe: A Contrast—social insurance in Germany

27. Industrial Growth in the U.S. • Agriculture to Industry • Depression of 1870s • Paradigm shifts in times of national hardship • Origins of social work • Charity Organization Societies • Settlement houses • Hull House and Jane Addams • Mary Richmond

28. Social Work as a Profession • Flexner and Freudian Influence • Casework • The Great Depression—a paradigm shift, Piven and Cloward • New Deal—Harry Hopkins and Francis Perkins under Roosevelt • Public Works Administration, Social Security Act • Women’s leadership in social work,1910-1955 • European Influence

29. From 1950s to Today • McCarthy era, 1950s • Bertha Reynolds—her education in psychoanalytical theory and her union work, fired from Smith College but honored today • 1960s, Civil Rights Movement, a paradigm shift, war on poverty and war in Vietnam • New Conservatism • Self Assessment

30. Has Social Work Lost Its Mission? • Unfaithful Angels: How Social Work Has Abandoned Its Mission—Specht & Courtney (1994) • Their Arguments • Professionalism • Private practice, • Loss of idealism • van Wormer’s arguments that social work has not lost its mission: • Writings and policies of social work • Idealism of students shown in surveys • CSWE requirements and social work ethics has radicalized • Multicultural education • Feminist influence • Empowerment perspective—theme of textbooks in the field • Global awareness • The fact that Specht and Courtney have raised the issue

31. Chapter 4 Economic Oppression

32. Introduction – Chapter 4 • Eisenhower quote about money spent on the military • Economic oppression inextricably linked with social and racial oppression. • Socially oppressed are often poor. • Impoverished people worldwide not necessarily oppressed. • “Trickle down theory”

33. Nature of Oppression • Exploitation • Marginalization—lack of rights of full citizenship • Structural violence

34. Poverty Worldwide • Relative poverty • Absolute poverty—75% of world’s population live in poor nations • Global hunger—southern hemisphere and western--Haiti

35. Explanations for Existence of Poverty • Functions of poverty—Gans • Assure society’s dirty work is done • Low wages • Jobs for those who serve the poor • Buyers for old goods • Scapegoating • Control their votes • Dysfunctions • Global economy and trade imbalances • Overpopulation—literacy for women tied to birth control • War as cause of poverty—loss of young life, land destroyed • Inadequate welfare benefits as cause of poverty

36. Poverty and Globalization • IMF rules—structural adjustment, loans for military expenditures • Free trade agreements—Wal-Mart in Mexico, privatization, processed food • WTO regulations • 80% of world’s income in the richest 20% of the world’s nations • Brazil—poor receive 7 % of GNP • Job loss—see text photo of homeless man • Empire theory—US media empire, pre-emptive strikes, loss of national industries

37. Work In A Global Era • Computer jobs in Bangalore, India • China and cheap exports • EU and leveling of standards, soon to be 25 nations • Productivity up, employment and wages down

38. Work in the US • Downsizing, privatization, outsourcing, cost-efficiency, productivity • Wal-Mart’s strategies • The End of Work--Rifkin • New technologies • More work and fewer workers • UN Declaration and work as a right (Article 23,see Appendix) • Worker stress—lack of loyalty • McDonaldization of Society --Ritzer–Fast Food Nation • Brain work out of fast food work • Standardization of product • Pseudo-friendliness and processed food • Speed and efficiency • Tyson—dangerous work, lawsuits

39. Work, continued • Impact on family—”two income trap” • Korea—55 hours work per week, US 46 • Italy--40 vacation days, French--36, US—12 • Advice on business customs in Sweden—Fridays deserted, summer close down in July, late afternoons they think of going home

40. Work, continued • Agriculture—cash crops • High suicide rate among American farmers • Nickel and Dimed—Ehrenreich’s story • Forced overtime work, use of drugs like meth • Worker’s Rights Mobilization • Unemployment—not outsourcing but “productivity” the big problem—new technologies, loss of health benefits

41. Strategies to End Poverty • Earned income tax credits—acceptable because rewards workers • Treatment for substance abuse and mental disorders needed • Need for more, better paying jobs • Kensington Welfare Rights Union—New Freedom Bus Ride, UN Declaration

42. CHAPTER 5 Social Oppression

43. Introduction – Chapter 5 • Look at forms of institutionally based oppression • The “isms” • Dominant group and privilege and target group

44. Definition Institutional Classism Class & Success Poverty Distribution of wealth—gap rich and poor within countries and between countries Box 5:1—Where Your Income Tax Money Really Goes—www.warresisters.org Poverty line--$18,810 family of 4, 12.5% in poverty War against the poor—lack of living wage Food stamp reductions Welfare reform Welfare for the rich Tax policy Tax cuts—stockholders Top taxable rate—33%, was 50%1981 Classism

45. Racism • Definition—a form of racial oppression based on the color of one’s skin or distinctive or imagined physical features • Global racism—Roma, Dalits • Welfare racism, “us and them” • Welfare Reform • Racism & unemployment—loss of manufacturing jobs

46. Sexism and the Feminization of Poverty • Families below poverty line, 37% female headed • Feminization of poverty, women’s income—76 cents on the dollar compared to men’s, elderly women in poverty • Female unemployment, child care • Causes • Worldwide—lack of education for girls • Education • Migration

47. Heterosexism • Definition—the belief that gays and lesbians are inferior to heterosexuals • Homophobia—a fear factor • Suicide of gender non-conforming children • Lesbians—homophobia linked to sexism and anti-feminism backlash • Hate crimes • Marital rights

48. Sectarianism • Definition—bigotry in following doctrine od one’s own sect • Fundamentalism—U.S., Islamism, Northern Ireland • Religious oppression • Displaced aggression • Box 5.2—a tour of the U.S.Holocaust Memorial Museum

49. Ethnocentrism • Definition • War, insecurity and foreigners • Economics & Migration • Latinos: Demographic facts • 11% have a BA • 25.6% poverty rate • Prospects improve for children • Low infant mortality • Poor working conditions • Cultural factors--kinship • Anti-immigrant harassment against Arabs—against mosques, by government--detainees

50. CHAPTER 6 Human Rights & Restorative Justice