The road not taken : a history of radical social work in the United States / Michael Reisch, Janice Andrews.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Reisch, Michael, 1948-

Contributor:

Andrews, Janice.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Social service--United States--History--20th century.

Social service.

Radicalism--United States--History--20th century.

Radicalism.

History.

United States.

Physical Description:

xiv, 276 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Philadelphia : Brunner-Routledge, [2001]

Summary:

The Road Not Taken takes a new perspective on the course of social welfare policy in the twentieth century. This examination looks at the evolution of social work in the United States as a dynamic process not just driven by mainstream organizations and politics, but also strongly influenced by the ideas and experiences of radical individuals, ideas, and marginalized groups. Michael Reisch and Janice Andrews have interviewed contemporary social workers, seasoned and novice, radical and mainstream, and combed archives and scholarly writings to explain why the profession has faced intense, sometimes self-imposed repression, and why anti-social welfare attitudes still remain. The Road Not Taken is an appeal to examine the past, the battles deferred, and to consider the ways that social work might respond to current and future political and cultural threats to social work values.

Contents:

1 Social Work: A Radical Profession? 1

Radical Rhetoric and Reality 1

Neglect of the Radical Tradition in American Social Work 3

Uses of a Radical History of Social Work 4

Definitions of Radical Social Work 5

Emergence of Radical Social Work 7

Repression of Social Work Radicalism 8

2 Radical Social Work in the Progressive Era 13

Roots of Radical Social Work 13

Influence of Socialism on Radical Social Work 18

Context of Radical Social Work 19

Revolution in Charitable Methods 21

Emergence of Radical Social Work Methods 23

Radical Social Work and the Labor Movement 28

Creating New Roles for Women 32

Social Work Radicalism and Racial Justice 33

Were Settlement Workers Really Radical? 35

3 The Spider Web Conspiracy and the Death of Progressivism 39

Spider Web Pamphlet 39

The Great War and the Attack on Social Work Radicals 41

Aftermath of War and the Beginnings of the "Red Scare" 46

The Red Scare and the Sheppard-Towner Act 48

Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) 51

Networks for Social Justice 53

Civil Rights 54

Impact of Social Work Radicalism in the Postwar Era 56

Prelude to the Rank and File Movement 59

4 The Rank and File Movement and the Precursors to McCarthyism 61

The New Deal and the Rank and File Movement 61

Rise of the Rank and File Movement 64

Radical Unions in Social Work 69

Rank and File Movement, Unions, and New Deal Politics 73

Radicalism in Social Work Practice 76

Precursors to McCarthyism: Repression of Radical Social Workers in the 1930s 80

The Coming of World War II and the Decline of the Rank and File Movement 83

5 Anti-Communism and the Attack on the New Deal 87

McCarthyism, Loyalty Oaths, and the Suppression of Political Dissent 89

Attack on Common Human Needs 91

Government and Private Sector Purges 92

Purge of Radical Social Work Unions 95

Social Work and McCarthyism 98

Social Work and the Progressive Party: Persecution of Marion Hathway 101

African American Social Workers and McCarthyism 108

End of the Decade: Purges Gather Momentum 110

The Reconceptualization of Social Work Practice 112

6 Social Work Response to McCarthyism 115

The Blacklisting of Bertha Capen Reynolds 115

The Survey 117

National Conference on Social Welfare (NCSW) 118

Attack on Social Group Work 120

Voluntary Sector 126

Drive for Professionalization 127

Legacy of McCarthyism 131

7 The Revival of Radicalism in Social Work 135

National Welfare Rights Organization (NWRO) versus the National Conference on Social Welfare (NCSW) 135

Background to the War on Poverty 137

War on Poverty 139

The "Great Society" 140

Milt Cohen versus HUAC 141

National Welfare Rights Organization (NWRO) 143

Social Welfare Workers Movement (SWWM) 152

Radical Legacy of the 1960s 157

Radical Influence on Social Work Practice 158

Image Building in the Profession 160

Impact on Practice and Education 161

Radicalism and Professionalism 164

8 The Redefinition of Social Work Radicalism, 1970-1999

Part I 167

An Overview of Late Twentieth Century Radicalism in Social Work 167

Reaction to Radical Activism in Social Work 169

Feminist Practice: A Not Always Radical Alternative 171

Explosion of Radical Social Work Theory 174

Debate Over Professionalism 177

Peace and Social Justice 179

Radicalism in Social Work Education 182

9 The Redefinition to Social Work Radicalism, 1970-1999

Part II 189

Catalyst Collective 187

Radical Alliance of Social Service Workers (RASSW) 188

Reaganism and Radical Social Work in the 1980s 197

From "Radical" to "Progressive" Social Work 200

Bertha Capen Reynolds Society (BCRS) 201

Putting Radical Theory into Practice in the 1980s 202

Radical Social Work in the 1990s: The Renewed Assault on Professionalism 203

Radical Social Work Theory in the 1990s 205

Conclusion: Radical Social Work in Action in the 1990s 207

10 Social Work Radicalism at the End of the Twentieth Century 209

What's in a Name? 209

Where Are the Radicals in Social Work Today? 210

Voices of Radical Social Workers in the 1990s 211

Meaning of Radical Practice 212

Challenging the Status Quo 214

Community-Based Practice 216

Sources of Political and Professional Ideology 216

Professionalization of Social Work 220

Influence of Radical Social Work 222

Consequences of Being a Radical Social Worker 223

Perspectives on the Future of Radical Social Work 224

11 Conclusion

The Future of Radical Social Work in the United States 227

Radicalism and the Social Conscience 227

Significance of Radicalism for Social Work 228

Radical Social Work in a World without Socialism 231

A Final Word on Professionalism and Radicalism in Social Work 233.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 237-264) and index.

ISBN:

1583910255

OCLC:

46314672