Spring, 1998, Vol. 4, No. 2

Letter from the Editor...

Someone once commented to me that only in America are the rich not idle. While Robin Leach's journalistic investigations may produce evidence to the contrary, we generally don't make heroes out of people whose freedom from material worries grants them the luxury of twiddling their thumbs. We may get vicarious pleasure from eavesdropping on royalty from across the Atlantic, but in America there are no kings or queens. Everyone is supposed to work for a living. If Bill Gates could live forever, he would not "have" to work. And yet, undoubtedly he would.

The American compulsion to work would not be as problematic if it were not so value-laden. What one "does for a living" is perhaps the single most definitive characteristic of a person in America. In our national consciousness, work is exalted to a status transcendent over simple materialism: it is not simply a means, but is supposed to be an end in itself. Middle-class notion or not, for those excluded from this "end," the cost is more than a paycheck.

This is because work has long been used as a barometer of one's moral worth in society, a measure that further entrenches the socioeconomic divisions of an allegedly classless society. Rather than acknowledge the casualties of the marketplace as a systemic failure, it is far simpler to view the individual as an aberration. The obvious point is that work impacts virtually every aspect of our lives and society impacts virtually every aspect of our work. But while we easily recognize that our jobs determine what we have, there is often resistance to the notion that what we have greatly determines what our jobs are.

This issue of The Advocate's Forum attempts to address the latter part of the equation and offers an introduction to many of the issues facing our clients and their communities in regards to employment. Welfare "reform" has put work center stage in our profession, but the challenges facing social work extend well beyond the requirements of TANF. Without acceding to misguided or destructive policies, the impetus now exists to develop new solutions, build new partnerships and maximize client strengths.

Mary Ohannessian
Editor-in-Chief

Articles

First Place: Colver-Rosenberg Award:
The Nature of the Beast:
Forays into Defining Community and Economic Development
By Peter Huffaker, Student in the joint SSA-Graduate School of Business program.

Making Work "Work": The Importance of Child Care
By Kirsteen G. McLain, second-year student at the Irving B. Harris Graduate School of Public Policy.

Tender Mercies: Does Religion Have a Place in Social Work?
By Eun M. Neyer, SSA second-year social administration student

A New Welfare:
Building Assets, Changing Lives
By Erika Alexandra Melman, First-year student at the Irving B. Harris Graduate School of Public Policy.

Industrial Retention:
Strategies to Promote Community Economic Development
By Graig Meyer, SSA second-year social administration student

Alumni Profile:
Steve Wallman, A.M.'94 and the Youth Employment and Training Initiative
By Elizabeth Mages, SSA second-year social administration student

Agency Profile:
The Safer Foundation: Overcoming the Prison of the Past
By John Pratt, Director of Annual Giving at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago

Second Place: Colver-Rosenberg Award:
Transportation and the Road to Employment:
By Amy Rynell, SSA second-year social administration student
(See also Transportation Policy Primer)

Third Place: Colver-Rosenberg Award:
Increasing the Burden:
Decreased Welfare Benefits May Increase Child Welfare Caseloads
By Bridget Freisthler, SSA second-year social administration student

Weaving a New Safety Net:
A Chicago Community Responds to Changing Times
By Whitney Smith, SSA second-year social administration student

COMMENTARY
Burying the Hatchet: Partnerships with Profit
By Susannah R. Quern, SSA second-year social administration student

POINT/COUNTERPOINT:

Workfare Recipients: It's Time to Unionize
By Graig Meyer, SSA second-year social administration student

Unionization May Not Be the Answer
By John Maszinski, SSA second-year social administration student

Health Care and Work: Trends to Watch
By Mary Ohannessian, SSA second-year administration student

Facts to Watch Compiled by Rebecca Nolind Work/Welfare Statistics In 1993, the federal share of AFDC costs were $12.2 billion, less than 1% of all federal spending. [1] The 1992 the welfare caseload consisted of 9.2 million children and 4.4 million adults (virtually all were mothers). [2] States have allowed inflation to erode the value of welfare benefits. Compared to 1970, the average monthly welfare check per family decreased from $676 (in 1993 dollars) to $373 in 1993. [3] Child care subsidies have a large effect on the labor force participation of mothers. Among poor mothers in the workforce, 44% receive child care subsidies, compared with 29% who do not. [4] For mothers earning at a level below the poverty line, 33% of their income is spent on child care. [5] In 1992, 48% of AFDC recipients were between ages 20 and 29. Only 8% of AFDC mothers were teenagers. [6] Contrary to the widely perceived notion that welfare families are larger than average, there are only two or fewer children in 72.7% of AFDC families. [7] Though there is a belief that most welfare recipients remain dependent on welfare benefits for the long-term, 30% leave welfare permanently in less than two years. 1-7 From: (the Twentieth Century Fund: "The Basics" of Welfare Reform, http://epn.org/tcf/tcwelf.html) Fewer than half of all workers are enrolled in private pension plans. Workers who are most likely to lack pension coverage include part-time workers, not belonging to a labor union and workers in small firms or low paying jobs. [8] 8 From: (the Twentieth Century Fund: "The Basics" of Social Security. http://www.epn.org/tcf/ssright.html) The job market is placing greater emphasis on workers' merits, demanding fewer workers with low skills. This is occurring both in terms of job opportunities and earnings. [9] 9 From: (Lerman, R., (1997) Meritocracy without Rising Inequality. The Urban Institute, http://www.urban.org/econ/econ2.htm) As a result, the difference in average earnings between college graduates and high school graduates rose from 33% in 1979, to 50% in 1995. [10] 10 From: (U.S. Bureau of the Census. Detailed Tables on educational attainment in the United States, 1997.) 48% of all workers are in dual income households. This number is expected to rise to 51% by the year 2000. [11] 11 From: (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1997.)

Key Websites Where to Go for Information on Social Policy Compiled by Rebecca Nolind Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Provides research and analysis on public policy issues affecting low-income families and individuals. Center for Law and Social Policy Provides reports and links to civil justice resources for low-income families. Many viewable publications on TANF, with special emphasis on its effects on child care. Electronic Policy Network Virtual magazine addressing economic and policy-oriented issues. Provides extensive set of links to resources on economics, politics, welfare and families, education and health policy. Sloan Foundation Facts and reports on work-related policy issues. Access to "Workfam" newsgroup that assists in networking and keeping current on issues. Twentieth Century Fund Refer to this site for "The Basics" of Welfare Reform, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and balancing the budget. Urban Institute Check out site for access to comprehensive set of reports on all kinds of current social policy. Work, Family, and Community Life Searchable listing of bibliographies that relate work and family issues to over 100 topics.

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