Building on women's strengths : a social work agenda for the twenty-first century / K. Jean Peterson, Alice A. Lieberman, editors.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Peterson, K. Jean.

Lieberman, Alice A.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Social work with women--United States.

Social work with women.

United States.

Women--United States--Social conditions.

Women.

Social conditions.

Physical Description:

xix, 310 pages ; 22 cm

Edition:

Second edition.

Place of Publication:

New York : Haworth Social Work Practice Press, [2001]

Summary:

Build a woman-centered social work practice for the new millennium! "How do we take the strengths women have--have always had--and use them to build a world that is validating, liberating, and inclusive?" This is the question at the heart of Building on Women's Strengths. This groundbreaking book explores the ways a woman-centered worldview can transform social policy, social services, and direct practice. Updated to honor the memory of Liane V. Davis, who died in 1995, this new edition of Building on Women's Strengths offers updated information to reflect the enormous changes that have occurred since 1994 in women's lives. Many of the original selections have been revised or totally rewritten to reflect those changes and the more integrated policy/practice focus of this edition. New chapters were added on working with women who have been incarcerated, women on welfare who experience violence, and lesbian and bisexual women. Building on Women's Strengths presents a woman-centered approach to understanding and analyzing the issues women must confront in their daily lives, including: family violence welfare reform mental health child welfare aging racism being silenced by society The Journal of the National Association of Social Workers said of the first edition," Each chapter presents with skill and rigor an opening for respectful and challenging discourse." This edition of Building on Women's Strengths offers an even more comprehensive view of the ways to overcome oppression in women's lives. It is an essential volume for social workers, policymakers, mental health professionals, and anyone working toward social justice for all women.

Contents:

Chapter 1. Why We Still Need a Women's Agenda for Social Work / Liane V. Davis 1

The Women's Movement and Political Change 2

Reality: A Social and Political Construction 10

Postmodernists: Is Gender Still a Useful Construct? 18

Why We Still Need a Women's Agenda for Social Work 18

Chapter 2. Building on the Romance of Women's Innate Strengths: Social Feminism and Its Influence at the Henry Street Settlement, 1893-1993 / Barbara Levy Simon 23

Social Feminism 24

The Henry Street Settlement 27

Chapter 3. What Is Needed for True Equality: An Overview of Policy Issues for Women / Dorothy C. Miller 45

Family, Gender, and Class 47

Women's Employment and Economic Well-Being 53

Social Control of Women Through Violence 59

Chapter 4. Child Welfare As a Woman's Issue: Untangling Gender, Race, and Class / Elizabeth D. Hutchison, Leanne W. Charlesworth 67

Historical Perspective 68

Recent Trends 75

Women and the Child Welfare System 81

Implications for Social Work in the Twenty-First Century 87

Chapter 5. Women's Mental Health Issues: Twentieth-Century Realities; Twenty-First Century Challenges / Margaret E. Severson 95

Twentieth-Century Realities

Past to Present 98

Contemporary Issues in Women's Mental Health: The Interplay of Systems, Structures, and Symptoms 101

Twenty-First Century Challenges

Present to Future 112

Empowered Practice in the Twenty-First Century: Ideas for Social Workers 114

Chapter 6. Women, Welfare, and Violence: A Look at the Family Violence Option / Jan L. Hagen 119

TANF and the Family Violence Option 121

The Link Between Domestic Violence and Welfare 124

Domestic Violence and Economic Self-Sufficiency 127

Implementing the Family Violence Option 130

Next Steps 136

Chapter 7. Promoting Reentry for Formerly Incarcerated Women: Individual and Community Practice Challenges / Patricia O'Brien 145

Factors Contributing to Postincarceration Recidivism or Successful Reentry 147

Methodology 149

Discussion and Implications 160

Practice and Policy Lessons for the Future 161

Chapter 8. Supporting the Strengths of Older Women / Rosemary Chapin 169

Economic Security 170

Health Care 174

Social Interaction 179

Contemporary Practice Issues 181

Contemporary Policy Issues 187

Chapter 9. Beyond Women of Color, Welfare, and Identity Politics / Faye Y. Abram, Jeanette Mott Oxford, Angela H. Roffle 197

Welfare Herstory: History Retold 200

Case Illustration: Vanessa 203

Beyond Race or Gender Issues 209

Chapter 10. Lesbians and Bisexual Women: Relevant Policy and Practice Issues / Sandra C. Anderson 219

Sociocultural Context 221

Homophobia and Heterosexism 224

Coming Out and "Passing" 225

Social Policy Issues 229

Practice Issues 231

Chapter 11. Overturning Oppression: An Analysis of Emancipatory Change / Ann Weick 253

The Genealogy of Oppression 254

Hidden Dynamics of Oppression 259

Intimations of Emancipation 261

Emancipatory Change in Social Work 264

Concluding Thoughts 267

Chapter 12. Changing Women's Narratives: Taking Back the Discourse / Joan Laird 271

Story, Knowledge, and Power 274

Women, Language, and Story 277

Language and the Mental Health Professions 281

Implications for Practice 292.

Notes:

Some chapters rewritten, some completely new chapters added for this ed.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0789008696

0789016168

OCLC:

45637096