The Visible Poor: Homelessness in the United States

Why, after "the greatest economic expansion in history" and endless proclamations of "recovery," do most Americans have to step over the homeless nearly every day? How has the richest country on earth created a spectacle of public misery that paralyzes politicians and policy-makers while forcing average citizens to run a gauntlet of direct moral challenges every time they walk the streets? In The Visible Poor, Joel Blau gives provocative answers to these and many other questions about one of the most difficult issues of our time. Disproving many convenient myths--that most of the homeless are crazy, drug-addicts, drunks, or lazy misfits who brought their sufferings on themselves--and moving far beyond conventional political explanations, Blau shows that the current crisis was an inevitable result of economic and political changes that swept through American society in recent decades: the explosion of low-wage jobs, systematic cutbacks in social welfare benefits to maintain the work-incentive, government's failure to provide adequate low-cost housing, and its virtual abandonment of the mentally ill. Blau argues that current government policies at every level are mired in pointless head-counting and quick-fix solutions that only push the homeless out of sight without touching underlying causes. He advocates instead a range of social reforms--including a national standard for welfare benefits, a higher minimum wage, and establishment of a social sector for non-profit, affordable housing--that will meet stiff resistance from those entrenched forces in the labor and housing markets that created widespread homelessness in the first place, but that may be our best hope for resolving the current impasse. A powerful contribution to public debate on homelessness, The Visible Poor must be read by concerned citizens as well as by policy-makers and advocates.

Politics & Social Sciences

Blau, Joel

Social Sciences

Oxford University Press

Taking an in-depth look at the causes of homelessness in the U.S., Blau debunks the convenient myths that most homeless are crazy, drug addicts, or lazy misfits who brought their suffering upon themselves. He argues that current government policies at every level are mired in pointless headcounting and quick-fix solutions that don't deal with the underlying causes.

Illusions of Prosperity: America's Working Families in an Age of Economic Insecurity

Faith in the free market--the idea that, for instance, profit-seeking managed care companies will improve the health care delivery system--has become a basic tenet of public policy debate. But as Joel Blau demonstrates in this eye-opening book, so-called "free market" programs have been a dismal failure, heightening inequality, lowering the median standard of living, and steadily eroding the quality of our social and political life. In Illusions of Prosperity, Blau launches a far-reaching assault on idea that "the market" knows best. Blau writes that while the share of the national income held by the bottom four fifths of the population (the poor and broad middle class combined) has continued to decline, the top fifth gained 97 percent of the increase in total household income between 1979 and 1994. "Few experiments," Blau comments, "yield such clear outcomes. Although many had hoped to benefit from the new market economy, this affluent fifth is the only segment of the population that truly has." Blau looks at recent reforms in NAFTA, education, job training, welfare, and much more, showing that the new social policies have made matters worse, because reforms that rely on the market can't compensate for the market's deficiencies. Instead, he calls for a stronger, more caring government to counter the debilitating effects of the market, and he urges the development of the broadest possible political alliances to ensure economic security. Sure to raise controversy, Illusions of Prosperity turns today's conventional wisdom inside out, making a profound case for the importance of a strong government in a world where markets do not have all the answers.

Business & Money

Economics

Faith in the free market--the idea that profit seeking, managed care companies will improve the health care delivery system--has become a hot topic in the public policy debate. But, as Joel Blau demonstrates in this splendid work, so-called "free market" programs have been a dismal failure. Here, he launches a far-reaching assault on the idea that "the market" knows best. He looks at recent reforms in NAFTA, education, job training, welfare, and much more, showing that the new social policies have made matters worse and calling for a stronger, more caring government to counter the debilitating effects of the market. He also urges the development of the broadest possible political alliances to ensure economic security. Sure to raise controversy, this book turns today's conventional wisdom inside out, making a profound case for the importance of a strong government in a world where markets do not have all the answers.

This instructor's manual mirrors the text's organization. It summarizes the basic content of each chapter; highlights key concepts, and presents a variety of multiple choice, true/false, and discussion questions. The instructor can use these questions to lead classroom discussion as well as to prepare exams that test students' mastery of the material. Learning social welfare policy requires that students know some facts and engage in ongoing dialogue with their instructor about social welfare policy concepts, values, and patterns. This manual is an instructional aid designed to promote that dialogue.

Instructor's Manual to Accompany The Dynamics of Social Welfare Policy

The first edition of The Dynamics of Social Welfare Policy reinvented the standard social welfare policy text to speak to students in a vital new way. This second edition builds on its strengths, with a more accessible graphic design and a thorough update of the ways in which recent political and legislative changes have affected social welfare programs. The bookâs five-part policy model â which shows how ideology, politics, history, economics, and social movements interact both to create and to change the social welfare system â and its overarching progressive narrative are bolstered by lucid discussions of these current issues. Analyzing, for example, recent developments such as the shortfall in the funding of the private pension system and the failed campaign to privatize Social Security; the split in the AFL-CIO and the founding of the Change to Win coalition; the reauthorization of the 1996 Temporary Assistance to Needy Families act; the campaign against Wal-Mart as the embodiment of proliferating low-wage work; and examination of the âNo Child Left Behindâ legislation, the authors show students how profoundly policy influences social work practice. The Dynamics of Social Welfare Policy 2/e captures the fluidity and change inherent in social policy like no other textbook. Its approach remains the most invigorating, forward-thinking one available.

The Dynamics of Social Welfare Policy

Abramovitz, Mimi

The Dynamics of Social Welfare Policy reinvented the standard social welfare policy text to speak to students in a vital new way. As we enter a new political era, the third edition deploys its distinctive model of how policies develop to include an analysis of the social policy initiatives of the Obama administration. With more graphics, updated charts, sidebars to highlight main points, and definitions of all of the major policy terms, this third edition is the text that best explains the evolution of U.S. social policy from a conservative to a more progressive era. The book begins by discussing how social problems are constructed. After an analysis of social welfare policy, its purposes, and functions, a unique policy model bolsters the text's overarching progressive narrative. Through this model, students learn how five key social forces-ideology, politics, history, economics, and social movements-interact both to create and to change the social welfare system. By applying this model to five critical social welfare policy issues-income security, employment, housing, health, and food-the text demonstrates to students that every kind of social work practice embodies a social welfare policy. The model is also telling in identifying the triggers of social change and the effects of race, class, and gender. By applying the policy model to the latest developments in social welfare, the chapter-long case studies in this third edition equip students with knowledge about social welfare policy and the tools for comparative analysis. With this knowledge, students begin to understand that both the whole and the parts of the social welfare system affect what they actually do as social workers. The Dynamics of Social Welfare Policy, Third Edition captures the fluidity and change inherent in social policy like no other textbook. Its approach remains the most invigorating, forward-thinking one available. Highlights from this edition include: * The most recent information on the Obama administration's policy initiatives * Revised data in text, charts, and graphs show how government policies are proving the points made throughout the chapters * Exhaustive statistics are included about every major social program's budget, benefits, and participants * Key words section at the end of each chapter explains basic policy terminology * Sidebars, graphics, and study questions highlight the main points and ensure that every student understands the fundamental concepts in social welfare policy * Content and writing style are appropriate to both bachelor's- and master's-level programs

The Dynamics of Social Welfare Policy uses the lens of an innovative policy model and an emphasis on social change to break new ground in social welfare policy texts. Starting from the explicit premise that every kind of social work practice embodies a social policy, the book stresses that policy knowledge enables social workers to help clients as well as to help themselves. Drawing on this awareness, the text then makes the standard social welfare policy material come alive by asking two new questions: 1) what factors trigger social change in these social policies?; and 2) how do these factors affect the social policies that influence what social workers actually do? To answer these questions, it develops a five-part policy model, which shows, through full chapters on each subject, how economics, politics, ideology, social movements, and the history of social welfare define social welfare policy.

Why, after "the greatest economic expansion in history" and endless proclamations of "recovery," do most Americans have to step over the homeless nearly every day?  How has the richest country on earth created a spectacle of public misery that paralyzes politicians and policy-makers while forcing average citizens to run a gauntlet of direct moral challenges every time they walk the streets?  In The Visible Poor, Joel Blau gives provocative answers to these and many other questions about one of the most difficult issues of our time.     Disproving many convenient myths--that most of the homeless are crazy, drug-addicts, drunks, or lazy misfits who brought their sufferings on themselves--and moving far beyond conventional political explanations, Blau shows that the current crisis was an inevitable result of economic and political changes that swept through American society in recent decades:  the explosion of low-wage jobs, systematic cutbacks in social welfare benefits to maintain the work-incentive, government's failure to provide adequate low-cost housing, and its virtual abandonment of the mentally ill.  Blau argues that current government policies at every level are mired in pointless head-counting and quick-fix solutions that only push the homeless out of sight without touching underlying causes.  He advocates instead a range of social reforms--including a national standard for welfare benefits, a higher minimum wage, and establishment of a social sector for non-profit, affordable housing--that will meet stiff resistance from those entrenched forces in the labor and housing markets that created widespread homelessness in the first place, but that may be our best hope for resolving the current impasse.      A powerful contribution to public debate on homelessness, The Visible Poor must be read by concerned citizens as well as by policy-makers and advocates.

Sociology

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See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Blau, Joel. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Blau, Joel

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Blau, Joel. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Visible Poor: Homelessness in the United States

The Visible Poor: Homelessness in the United States

Illusions of Prosperity: America's Working Families in an Age of Economic Insecurity

Illusions of Prosperity: America's Working Families in an Age of Economic Insecurity

Instructor's Manual to Accompany The Dynamics of Social Welfare Policy

The Dynamics of Social Welfare Policy

The Dynamics of Social Welfare Policy

The Dynamics of Social Welfare Policy

The Visible Poor: Homelessness in the United States

The Defective In Jewish Law And Literature: A Paper Read Before The New York Board Of Jewish Ministers...