photo
Faculty

Jennifer E. Mosley, Ph.D.

Jennifer Mosley

- Biography
- Publications

Biography

Jennifer Mosley is an Assistant Professor at the School of Social Service Administration. Her fields of special interest include the political involvement of nonprofit organizations, strategy and impact of nonprofit advocacy and lobbying, government-nonprofit relations, human service organizations, civic engagement in underrepresented communities, and social justice philanthropy. Her research focuses on the role of nonprofit organizations as political actors, specifically the role nonprofits and other voluntary associations play in advocating for improved human services and underrepresented populations. At SSA, she teaches courses on policy formulation and implementation, advocacy & social change, and organizational theory.

Professor Mosley is particularly interested in how nonprofits use involvement in policy advocacy to more effectively support the communities or populations they serve, as well as to strategically gain access to greater resources and legitimacy. Her previous work has investigated how environmental and organizational pressures work together to encourage or constrain different types of advocacy involvement. This includes the extent to which they become involved and the specific tactics they choose. She is currently extending this research in two projects.  The first is an in-depth look at the advocacy involvement of homeless service providers in Chicago, and the second is an investigation into how well residents on the Southside of Chicago perceive organizations in their community as representing their interests.  She has also explored the political activity of nonprofit organizations by investigating the role philanthropic foundations played in both shaping and responding to the 1996 welfare reform legislation.  Overall, her research agenda is driven by the goal of understanding better how nonprofit organizations attempt to influence the policy environment they are working in, while simultaneously representing the communities they serve to government.

Professor Mosley received her B.A. in psychology from Reed College and her M.S.W. and Ph.D. in social welfare from the University of California, Los Angeles. While at UCLA, she was also a fieldwork supervisor and a senior research associate at the Center for Civil Society. Her practice experience is in the areas of child welfare, community-based advocacy, and social justice philanthropy.

Back to Top

Publications
  • Mosley, J.E.  Accepted for Publication.  "Organizational Resources and Environmental Incentives: Understanding the Policy Advocacy Involvement of Human Service Nonprofits."  Social Service Review.
  • Mosley, J.E.  In press.  "Institutionalization, Privatization, and Political Opportunity: What Tactical Choices Reveal about the Policy Advocacy of Human Service Nonprofits."  Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly.
  • Mosley, J.E. In press. "Organizational theory." In The international encyclopedia of political science, ed. G. Kurian. Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly Press.
  • Mosley, J.E. and Galaskiewicz, J. In press. "The role of foundations in shaping and responding to social welfare policy change": The case of welfare reform. In Contributions of foundations to American society, ed. H. Anheier & D. Hammack. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press.
  • Mosley, J.E. 2009. "The policy advocacy role of human service nonprofits": Incentives, involvement, and impact. In Human services as complex organizations, 2nd edition, ed. Y. Hasenfeld. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications pp. 505-531.
  • Mosley, J.E. 2008. "Policy Advocacy and Lobbying in Human Service Organizations." In Handbook of human service management, ed. R. Patti. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications ppp. 457-472.
  • Mosley, J.E. 2008. "Contexts and settings": Nonprofit agencies and organizations. In The encyclopedia of social work, 20th edition, eds. T. Mizrahi & L. Davis. New York: Oxford University Press.
  • Mosley, J.E. 2008. Review of "From the ground up: Grassroots organizations making social change," by C. Chetkovich & F. Kunreuther. Social Service Review 82(1): 157-60.
  • Mosley, J.E. 2007. Review of "Faith, hope, and jobs: Welfare-to-work in Los Angeles," by S.V. Monsma & J.C. Soper. Social Service Review 81(3): 572-75.
  • Mosley, J.E. 2005. "The tsunami relief effort." In Global civil society yearbook 2005- 06, eds. H. Anheier, M. Kaldor & M. Glasius. London: Sage Publications, Ltd.
  • Mosley, J.E. 2004. 1. "Lobbying." 2. "Political action committee." 3. "Social justice." 4. "Free rider problem." 5. "Poor law." 6. "Outdoor relief." 7. "Workhouse." 8. "Vouchers." 9. "Means-testing." 10. "Social welfare organization." 11. "Community based organization." In A dictionary of civil society, philanthropy, and the third sector, ed. H. Anheier. London: Europa Publications.
Back to Top