Synopses & Reviews
Over twenty-five years and through five editions, Walter I. Trattner's andlt;iandgt;From Poor Law to Welfare Stateandlt;/iandgt; has served as the standard text on the history of welfare policy in the United States. The only comprehensive account of American social welfare history from the colonial era to the present, the new sixth edition has been updated to include the latest developments in our society as well as trends in social welfare.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Trattner provides in-depth examination of developments in child welfare, public health, and the evolution of social work as a profession, showing how all these changes affected the treatment of the poor and needy in America. He explores the impact of public policies on social workers and other helping professionsand#8212;all against the backdrop of social and intellectual trends in American history. andlt;iandgt;From Poor Law to Welfare Stateandlt;/iandgt; directly addresses racism and sexism and pays special attention to the worsening problems of child abuse, neglect, and homelessness. Topics new to this sixth edition include:andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;-A review of President Clinton's health-care reform and its failure, and his efforts to and#8220;end welfare as we know itand#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;-Recent developments in child welfare including an expanded section on the voluntary use of children's institutions by parents in the nineteenth century, and the continued discrimination against black youth in the juvenile justice systemandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;-An in-depth discussion of Charles Murray and Richard Herrnstein's controversial book, andlt;iandgt;The Bell Curve,andlt;/iandgt; which provided social conservatives new weapons in their war on the black poor and social welfare in generalandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;-The latest information on AIDS and the reappearance of tuberculosisand#8212;and their impact on public health policyandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;-A new Preface and Conclusion, and substantially updated Bibliographiesandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Written for students in social work and other human service professions, andlt;iandgt;From Poor Law to Welfare State: A History of Social Welfare in Americaandlt;/iandgt; is also an essential resource for historians, political scientists, sociologists, and policymakers.
Review
andlt;Iandgt;Social Workandlt;/Iandgt; Trattner writes clearly and simply. It is a pleasure to read a book that one not only understands but that stimulates hope in the future from insights drawn from the past.
About the Author
Walter I. Trattnerandlt;/Bandgt; is Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Table of Contents
andlt;Bandgt;Contentsandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Preface to the Sixth Editionandlt;BRandgt;Preface to the Fifth Editionandlt;BRandgt;Preface to the Fourth Editionandlt;BRandgt;Preface to the Third Editionandlt;BRandgt;Preface to the Second Editionandlt;BRandgt;Preface to the First Editionandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Chapter 1 The Backgroundandlt;BRandgt;Chapter 2 Colonial Americaandlt;BRandgt;Chapter 3 The Era of the American Revolutionandlt;BRandgt;Chapter 4 The Trend Toward Indoor Reliefandlt;BRandgt;Chapter 5 The Civil War and After -- Scientific Charityandlt;BRandgt;Chapter 6 Child Welfareandlt;BRandgt;Chapter 7 The Public Health Movementandlt;BRandgt;Chapter 8 The Settlement House Movementandlt;BRandgt;Chapter 9 The Mental Health Movementandlt;BRandgt;Chapter 10 Renaissance of Public Welfareandlt;BRandgt;Chapter 11 The Quest for Professionalizationandlt;BRandgt;Chapter 12 Social Work and Welfare in the 1920sandlt;BRandgt;Chapter 13 Depression and a New Dealandlt;BRandgt;Chapter 14 From World War to Great Societyandlt;BRandgt;Chapter 15 A Transitional Eraandlt;BRandgt;Chapter 16 War on the Welfare Stateandlt;BRandgt;Chapter 17 Looking Forward -- Or Backward?andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Indexandlt;/Iandgt;