The Reluctant Welfare State: Engaging History to Advance Social Work Practice in Contemporary Society

Chronicling the long, strange, and twisted involvement of the American government in the provision of what is commonly defined as "social welfare" the author takes a strictly chronological approach strongly resembling introductory American history survey courses. While disclosing previously unreleased information on Revolutionary America, the depth and complexity of the New Deal----unarguably American government's most revolutionary and profound social policy involvement in any century, is not given it's proportional treatment.

Granted, the premise of his particular book is not exactly a regular part of discussion in most social science courses (including 'liberal' college offerings) neccesitating a start at the begining, but I was left wanting much more.

Recognizing the provision of social services has been and will continue to be an inherently politcal concept, something in Jansson's style of writing sounds guarded, as if he is not willing to share all with the reading audience. Considering the critical nature of the subject mater being presented, this is a disappointment because a more substantial and pointed work could accomplish more.

America's ambivalent social welfare record makes the history depressing, but we need to understand where we have been in order to accurately chart where the country needs to go. That 1996's intensely punnitative welfare reform legislation was eagerly embraced by leading officials from all parties was only the most reccent mainifestation of the afforementioned love/hate duality.

Aid to Families with Dependent Children itself was ironically developed in the 1930's so widowed or single white women COULD stay at home with their children like all 'good' women of the day. Uncoincidentally, politicians began their assault on the program around the time of racial intergration even as enrollment remained predominantely white, the biggest federal expenditures were the armed forces and 'welfare mothers' as a whole were just as hardworking as the general population. Because payments never kept up with cost of living adjustments since the 1960's, the women by very definition had to be hard working in order to survive.

This book can be used in a course, but only in conjunction with a work such as Dinitto, emphasizing the inherently political activist underpinings and responsibilities of social policy.