Dynamics of Social Welfare Policy

Given the wide range of issues encountered by social workers in their daily practice, it is often difficult for them to remember the contexts in which they work to provide housing, health care, criminal justice, or child welfare. This classroom text and reference provides commentary along conservative and liberal viewpoints directly from policy makers and legislators, focusing on poverty, taxation and the economy, education, housing civil rights and global issues along with the aforesaid health, justice, child welfare, education and global issues. The text does not interpret what the policy makers and legislators have to say, but moves through the arguments so readers can come to their own conclusions. Although intended for social work students, this would also work in other social science classrooms as a reader and discussion guide. Annotation c2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

As an assistant professor at Illinois State University, Gardenia Harris, Ph.D., MSW, teaches social welfare policy and field practicum courses. Her research interests include racial disparities in the provision and outcomes of social services, the differential impact of child welfare policies on minorities, the effectiveness of drug treatment courts, and HIV among middle-aged African American women. She began her career working as an in-home family therapist, and later served as a manager of an adolescent residential treatment facility. Subsequently she was employed as an academic skills counselor at a private college. Bernard Ivan Tamas, Ph.D. is an assistant professor of Politics and Government at Illinois State University. Professor Tamas has been a Fulbright scholar to the Central European University in Budapest, Hungary, a postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard-MIT Data Center, a visiting scholar at Harvard's Center for Basic Research in the Social Sciences, and a visiting professor at both Brandeis University and Williams College. This is his third authored or co-authored book. Nancy S. Lind is professor of politics and government and associate department chair at Illinois State University. Her specializations include public administration and policy as well as bureaucracy and the American presidency. She has four edited books including Violence and Its Alternatives, Presidents from Reagan through Clinton, Controversies of the George W. Bush Presidency, and Comparative Public Administration.