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Social Work and Welfare in the 1920s

Social Work and Welfare in the 1920s. Historical Background. Americans in WW I from July 1917 until end in November 1918 4.8 million soldiers mobilized, 117, 000 killed and 204,000 wounded. KKK founded in 1915 with 4.5 million members in mid 20s

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Social Work and Welfare in the 1920s

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  1. Social Work and Welfare in the 1920s

  2. Historical Background • Americans in WW I from July 1917 until end in November 1918 • 4.8 million soldiers mobilized, 117, 000 killed and 204,000 wounded

  3. KKK founded in 1915 with 4.5 million members in mid 20s • 1919 Constitutional amendment requiring prohibition ratified • 1920 Constitutional amendment allowing women to vote ratified

  4. Consumer and Business Culture • Buy, buy, buy – rise of advertising • Speculation on the stock market • Stock prices went up tremendously during the 1920s • Lots of people were getting rich based on the value of their stocks and bonds

  5. Social Work Retreated from Social Reform • Moved to consideration of ego strengths and weaknesses • Casework became dominant • Mary Richmond wrote Social Diagnosis (1917) • Focus on investigation of individuals’ problems • Based on medical model

  6. Trattner’s Comments on Social Diagnosis • Not influenced by Freud • Richmond believe casework was related to research and reform, but thought reform had failed • She believed treatment was as important as diagnosis

  7. Social Diagnosis Response to Abraham Flexner • Speech at 1915 National Conference said social work not yet a profession • Response was that a technique was necessary • “diagnosis” seemed professional • Caseworkers employed by American Red Cross helped non-poor as well as poor

  8. Smith College • Established psychiatric social work to work with mental patients • Psychoanalysis becoming popularized in 1920s • Freudian ideas gave theoretical base and scientific method • Childhood experiences and emotions shape personality and behavior of adults

  9. Changed from Charity to Poor to Therapy • Maladjustment problem with upper classes as well • Increased status of profession • Reduced reform and humanitarian thrust • Poor seen as responsible for problems in “roaring 20s”

  10. Importance of Agency Admin and Fund Raising • War chests developed to community chests • Federated funding - forerunner to United Way • Institutionalized anti-reform sentiments • In the prosperity decade, many thought social reform was unnecessary

  11. Social Work’s Themes in the 20s • Professionalism • Psychiatry • Psychoanalysis • Also beginning to see family counseling, habit clinics, child guidance, adjustment problems • Psychiatric social worker the ideal

  12. Social Work Education • Included Freudian concepts such as defense mechanisms, transference, ego strengths, Oedipus complex • Focus was on helping clients become adjusted to their environments, NOT on reforming ills of society • Also it seemed like social workers were junior psychiatrists, not professionals on their own

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