Review: 101 Careers in Social Work - Third Edition (2019)

101 Careers in Social Work - Third Edition (2019) by Jessica Ritter, Ann Obermann and Kirstin Lindsay Danhoff, is an expanded career guidebook that addresses the breath of the social work profession and the different career options available with a social work degree. The goal of the book is to help readers assess whether they are suited for a career in social work, describe more than 100 distinct career paths for social workers, and provide readers with the tools and resources they need to plan their social work careers, based on their skills and interests. It builds upon the second edition with updated information and new features, such as:

• Fifteen new personal narratives describing the rewards and challenges of different social work practices
• A new section highlighting important social and political issues relevant for each social work practice
• New data on employment opportunities and salaries from the U.S. Department of Labor
• New resources (books, essays, films and websites) for additional career exploration

The book begins with dispelling myths about the social work profession and how it is different from related fields and disciplines, such as psychology, sociology and counseling. The book is categorized under three sections: a) The Profession of Social Work (which includes an overview and future outlook of social work); b) Careers in Social Work (featuring 14 practice domains); and c) education and job hunting tools and websites (from earning a degree in social work to preparing your future career). 

The featured practice domains comprise of the following:

• Child Welfare
• School-Based Social Work
• Social Work with Older Adults (Gerontology) 
• Social Work in Healthcare 
• Mental Health and Addiction
• Crisis Intervention
• Criminal Justice and the Legal Arena 
• International Social Work and Human Rights
• Poverty and Homelessness
• Advocacy and the Political Arena
• Community Practice
• Human Service Organizations
• Research and Academia
• Nontraditional Careers in Social Work (including Dual Degrees) 

Each practice domain chapter includes a wealth of information about various job titles and career paths (e.g., nonprofit agencies, research, and government), core competencies and skills, educational and licensing requirements, best and challenging aspects of the job, compensation and employment outlook, self-assessment questionnaires and checklist to see if the job would be a good fit based on interest and skills.

I enjoyed the section on nontraditional careers in social work because the social work degree is versatile in a variety of professional settings. Social workers can be found as filmmakers, consultants, mediators, journalists, attorneys, and much more! Social workers can pursue a myriad of dual degrees in fields such as law, public health, public policy, nonprofit administration, education/higher education, and so forth. Part of my blog has been to highlight nontraditional careers in social work, particularly for those who specialized in macro practice as administrators, researchers, and advocates/organizers. The social work profession is deeply committed to social justice and helping those in need regardless of practice. 

As a macro practice social work student, this career guidebook was a wonderful resource to help me plan my career path. Social workers can be found creating positive change with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.  I highly recommend this new edition to prospective and current students as well as working professionals and practitioners who want to explore the array of career options in social work. 

Review: The CQ Press' Career Guide for Public Sector Students (2020)

The CQ Press' Career Guide for Public Sector Students (2020) by Michelle C. Pantz is an informative book on careers in government and the nonprofit community. Geared towards undergraduate and graduate students, the booklet provides essential steps on finding your passion and the steps to pursue it. Professor Pautz (who has a background in public administration) guides the reader through an introduction to the public sector, recommended curriculum considerations, supplemental opportunities and experiences outside the classroom, and career profiles of individuals currently working in the public sector. Lastly, the book provides a career checklist with valuable insights on resume building, social media strategies, and networking.

This book has two major strengths. First, the application activities encourages readers to set personal and professional goals. These activities are motivating because you can discover new ideas and identify your academic and professional interests. Second, the curricular and co-curricular options enable students to develop a better understanding of how to tie their major and interests to the workplace. Too often, students believe they must major in traditional fields such as political science to pursue a successful career in the public sector. The truth is any major is sufficient as long as you gain knowledge and skills in the area that you wish to work. For example, a student who wants to specialize in social policy can major in, for example, sociology or social work, and link their research interests and co-curricular activities (e.g., internships, volunteer service) to a particular area within social policy (e.g., access to health care, poverty reduction, education, or labor). Employers care more about how your academic, research, and professional experiences can enhance the organization.

Once students have chosen their research area of interest, they should create an e-portfolio or master resume of their accomplishments in college. Professor Pautz suggests also graduate and professional school as an option to gain new skills and specialized knowledge as well as accelerate career growth. Examples form the booklet include earning a Master of Public Policy (MPP), Master of Public Administration (MPA), or Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) for example. I would go one step further and recommend other applicable fields such as a Master of Social Work (MSW) with a specialization in macro practice, Master of Public Health (MPH) with a specialization in health education or health policy, or a Master of Arts in Education (MA) with a specialization in public policy. These programs exist and require extra diligence and effort on your part. Research the different programs' websites for admissions requirements, attend graduate school and career fairs in your region (e.g. Idealist Graduate Fair), or speak to career services at your alma mater.

Overall, this is a useful guide for any student or early career changer who is new to the public sector. It is well organized, practical with action items, and easy to follow. I would have found this book (less than 50 pages in length) very convenient during my undergraduate studies. 

Review: Toxic Inequality (2017)

Toxic Inequality: How America’s Wealth Gap Destroys Mobility, Deepens the Racial Divide, and Threatens Our Future (2017), by Thomas Shapiro, is a professor at the Heller School for Social Policy and the Director of the Institute on Assets and Social Policy Brandeis University. He is the leading figure on racial inequality and public policy.

From the book cover:

Since the Great Recession, most Americans' standard of living has stagnated or declined. Economic inequality is at historic highs. But inequality's impact differs by race; African Americans' net wealth is just a tenth that of white Americans, and over recent decades, white families have accumulated wealth at three times the rate of black families. In our increasingly diverse nation, sociologist Thomas M. Shapiro argues, wealth disparities must be understood in tandem with racial inequities--a dangerous combination he terms "toxic inequality."

In Toxic Inequality, Shapiro reveals how these forces combine to trap families in place. Following nearly two hundred families of different races and income levels over a period of twelve years, Shapiro's research vividly documents the recession's toll on parents and children, the ways families use assets to manage crises and create opportunities, and the real reasons some families build wealth while others struggle in poverty. The structure of our neighborhoods, workplaces, and tax code-much more than individual choices-push some forward and hold others back. A lack of assets, far more common in families of color, can often ruin parents' careful plans for themselves and their children.

i an a fan of Shapiro's work, which has generated much discussion on the widening racial wealth gap and economic inequality in the U.S. He uses a sociological lens to examine how years of homeownership, household income, and unemployment created racial disparities in wealth between white families and black families. Although the Fair Housing Act of 1968 prohibited housing discrimination on the basis of race, it has not stopped the practice of redlining. Black neighborhoods tend to have lower home equities than white neighborhoods which has huge implications on intergenerational wealth. Black families also tend to live in neighborhoods with higher proportion of blacks (or adjacent to working-class neighborhoods) than white families. For the past fifty years, black families have been playing catch-up to white families but neoliberal policies and the Great Recession eliminated much of black wealth. Overall, I highly recommend the book because it is easy to understand for the general audience to see that black families are NOT on an equal playing field with white families when it comes to wealth accumulation.

I would even further argue that this data supports why affirmative action is still necessary in elite college admissions. With fewer assets, black families are less likely to afford test preparation programs that can boost their child's scores on the SAT (which is poor predictor of college success) and must rely on student loans to finance their children's college educations. As the recent college admissions cheating scandal revealed, these racial inequities create an unfair advantage to already privileged students who do not have to financially struggle to gain admission into elite colleges and universities.

If you have not read Thomas Shapiro's previous books, I highly recommend his other phenomenal books, Black Wealth/White Wealth (2006) and The Hidden Cost of Being African Americans (2005).

Review: The Gilded Years (2016)

The Gilded Years (2016), by Karin Tanabe, is a historical fiction novel. It is based on the true story of Anita Florence Hemmings, the first African American woman to attend Vassar College, a prestigious women's college, in the 1890s. As the descendants of slaves, Hemmings passed as white so that she could enter Vassar and finds herself in the elite world of aristocrats and capitalists. She is treated as an wealthy, highly-educated white woman until she got attached to the wrong person--who could unravel everything she risked to accomplish for a better life. Passing meets House of Mirth in this best-selling historical novel on how race, gender and class intersected to influence social mobility and access to higher education during America's Gilded Age.

From the book cover:

Since childhood, Anita Hemmings has longed to attend the country’s most exclusive school for women, Vassar College. Now, a bright, beautiful senior in the class of 1897, she is hiding a secret that would have banned her from admission: Anita is the only African-American student ever to attend Vassar. With her olive complexion and dark hair, this daughter of a janitor and descendant of slaves has successfully passed as white, but now finds herself rooming with Louise “Lottie” Taylor, the scion of one of New York’s most prominent families.

Though Anita has kept herself at a distance from her classmates, Lottie’s sphere of influence is inescapable, her energy irresistible, and the two become fast friends. Pulled into her elite world, Anita learns what it’s like to be treated as a wealthy, educated white woman—the person everyone believes her to be—and even finds herself in a heady romance with a moneyed Harvard student. It’s only when Lottie becomes infatuated with Anita’s brother, Frederick, whose skin is almost as light as his sister’s, that the situation becomes particularly perilous. And as Anita’s college graduation looms, those closest to her will be the ones to dangerously threaten her secret.

I read this historical novel for a graduate-level course on the history of higher education. I had no idea that this novel would bring back memories of my own undergraduate courses on African American Literature. The early 20th century was considered the "nadir era" where both legal segregation (Jim Crow laws) and increasing racial violence were common occurrences against African Americans. For example, Harlem Renaissance writers such as Nella Larsen ("Passing", "Quicksand") and James Weldon Johnson ("The Autobiography of the Ex-Colored Man") knew about the dangers of passing for American Americans of mixed-race ancestry. Some made this choice to achieve upward social mobility and to escape the racial terror that limited educational and employment opportunities for African Americans. Those who did pass successfully had to completely detach themselves from their former lives, including their relatives and acquaintances who might expose their hidden secrets. Tanabe adds to this literary tradition to portray the danger and loss that occurs when one decides to pass and never look back.

I was so thrilled to read Gilded Years because I could apply my background on race and educational inequality in a historical novel that intrigued me. Tanabe, who is also a Vassar alumna, does an excellent job of creating the setting for the Gilded Age. Anita's story takes her from her working-class neighborhood of Roxbury, Boston to the wealthy parts of Boston and New York City. The Gilded Age was a period of industrialization, the rise of modern capitalism, and imperialism abroad. It was also a dark, racist period in American history where African Americans were largely excluded from attending elite colleges. It is remarkable then that the real Anita Florence Hemmings (Class of 1897) (see picture on the right) represented one of the very few black women who was able to pursue an elite college education. Although she was a descendant of slaves, her light complexion was often mistaken for a Mediterranean look. Had she marked down "colored" on her application, her admittance surely would have been rejected. Despite this physical advantage, as the book reveals, her college peers start to question her ancestry weeks before graduation and her true racial identity is discovered in a tragic way. The real lesson then is, despite her academic accomplishments, not even Anita could escape America's obsession with race and the toll it would have on her family.

I highly recommend this novel. Meanwhile, I heard great news that Tanabe's novel may soon hit the big screens. Sony’s TriStar Pictures has won the worldwide rights to the psychological thriller “A White Lie,” produced by Reese Witherspoon and staring Zendaya as the first African-American woman to graduate from Vassar College. Stay tuned for further updates!

New Short Film: Segregated by Design by Richard Rothstein

This short film was just released on August 8, 2019!!

"Segregated By Design" examines the forgotten history of how our federal, state and local governments unconstitutionally segregated every major metropolitan area in America through law and policy. This legacy of segregation in cities across the country (through a practice known as redlining) had deep social and economic repercussions on African Americans, in terms of where they could live, where they could attend school, and how they could generate wealth. The short film (about 18 minutes) is based on the best-selling book, The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein, by Richard Rothstein. The book is available for purchase on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and your local bookseller.

From Economic Policy Institute (EPI):

“Segregated by Design,” a short film based on The Color of Law by EPI distinguished fellow Richard Rothstein, examines the forgotten history of how federal, state, and local governments used law and policy to segregate every major metropolitan area in the U.S. The film illustrates how racially explicit, unconstitutional policies created patterns of residential segregation that persist today, driving Rothstein’s conclusion that we are obligated to remedy it. “Segregated by Design” premiered at the American Documentary Film Festival on March 29 in Palm Springs, California.

The key takeaway is that segregation was not by choice. Discriminatory public policies at the local, state and federal level forced African Americans to live in segregated neighborhoods not of their own choosing. This legacy has led to structural inequalities that persist to this day. Click here to watch the film.

NPR also created an excellent short video on the history of race and redlining in the United States:

Review: Great Job for Sociology Majors - Third Edition (2009)

Great Job for Sociology Majors - Third Edition (2008) by Stephen Lambert is a comprehensive career guide book that highlights the myriad of careers that someone can do with a sociology major. I picked this book because sociology was one of my specializations in college. This book helps students and recent college graduates on how to present a major in sociology as a workplace asset during an interview, how to conduct a job search, and ways to use the major in sociology in the real world. The advice on cover letter and resume are very useful for recent college graduates on how to craft their skills and work experience in sociology for future employers.

The book covers five common career paths with a major in sociology:

1. Human Services (Community Organizations and Social Services)
2. Human Resources Management
3. Public Employment
4. Social Research and Data Analysis
5. Teaching with an Advanced Degree (Master's and Ph.D.)

The major in sociology, as you can tell above, is an ideal preparation for careers in social work, education, public policy, law, and the private sector. Lambert, who is a career counselor by training, does an excellent job breaking down sociological concepts to real-world application. If you think your sociology major has on real value, Lambert helps you re-think that idea. If your specialization is sociology of the family, then it's ideal background for work with children and youth in social service agencies. Do you like learning how human relations operate in the workplace? That sociology of labor coursework is ideal for careers in human resources management. Sociology has portable skills; thus, the possibilities are endless. Lambert outlines how to conduct a self-assessment of your personal values, skills, areas for improvement, and long-term goals. Then he identifies what it is like to work in that career path from recommended skills to employment outlook. He also provides a listing (directory) of organizations in the common career paths. Overall, I believe this book is a great resource for those who are seeking ideas on what career to pursue. The content is still relevant even a decade later.

Review: SAGE Guide to Social Work Careers (2019)

SAGE Guide to Social Work Careers: Your Journey to Advocacy (2019) by Melissa Bird, PhD is a career book about macro social work practice. Unlike the other career books, this book does not focus on clinical work. Rather, it provides guidance for social work students whose dreams and aspirations are leading them toward a career in social justice and advocacy work. In macro social work, students learn this under other names such as community practice or policy practice. Ultimately this book provides students and professionals with a strategy that can be used to effect broad policy change in all political climates: community engagement, policy and legislation.

Each chapter has stories from the profession, job descriptions from the practice area, as well as advocacy and policy examples in each practice area. I am thankful for this book because there is little literature out there that focuses specifically on the needs of macro social workers. Macro social work practice is underrepresented in the social work profession, yet the origins and foundation of social work is rooted in macro-level processes (e.g. the settlement house movement, Progressive era, and New Deal policies such as Social Security, disability insurance, workers' compensation, and so forth). This timely book, based on the author's own experience as a social worker in political advocacy, is needed to encourage more social work students that they can have a career in macro social work practice. While the career path is more entrepreneurial than the typical requirements for a clinical social worker, the experiences gained can be rewarding and life-changing, particularly if you work on a policy that will benefit a population in need. Overall, I highly recommend this invaluable resource for anyone who is considering macro social work practice. I believe that everyone should follow their passion and use the available resources to turn those aspirations into a career, whether it's through direct work with individuals or advocating on behalf of groups in the policy arena. Social work is not simply clinical work; it a microcosm of the different ways in which we as a profession effect social change.

This book contains the following chapters:

1. Follow Your Passion, Not Just a Path
2. Poverty
3. Child Welfare
4. Health Care
5. Disability
6. Mental Health
7. Substance Abuse
8. Aging
9. Criminal Justice
10. Advice for Moving Forward (resume, interview, etc.)

Review: Careers in Human Services (2015)

Careers in Human Services (2015) by Michael Shally-Jensen, PhD is a comprehensive occupational guidebook that contains 25 chapters describing specific fields of interest in the human services. It provides the necessary insight into potential careers and instruction on what job seekers can expect in terms of training, advancement, earnings, job prospects, working conditions, relevant associations, and more. Each chapter comes with fun facts, famous firsts, photos, and charts and tables, including projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and median annual salaries or wages for those occupations profiled. A highlight of each chapter is the interviews with a professional working in a related job sharing their personal career paths, detail potential for career advancement, and advice for students. The guidebook is specifically designed for undergraduate students or those changing careers.

Social Work is one of the chapters in the guidebook. The first section provided a snapshot with career cluster, interests, earnings, and employment outlook. The overview focused on the sphere of work ("Social workers are social service professionals committed to improving the social and behavioral lives of individuals, families, and communities." Macro social workers are labeled as "administrative social workers" who engage in research, policy, and administration. Interestingly, the profile section includes the type of people drawn to the social worker profession and the Holland Interest Score, a career inventory that measures your personality under six occupational categories. This makes me want to take a Holland Interest Test! There is extensive coverage on the duties and responsibilities of social workers by practice area (child welfare, school, psychiatric, etc.) as well as relevant skills and abilities in the physical and human environment. The second section focused on education and training. It starts with high school/secondary preparation and continues with recommended college majors. There is detail on the professional licensure requirements and the importance of joining a professional social work association. All of this information is helpful and conducive for someone who is new to careers. The third section focused on earnings and advancement. The guidebook offers a hourly wage chart for social workers by metropolitan areas which is useful when one must consider regional economic differences. It concludes with an interview with a clinical social worker, selected schools that offer MSW programs, and websites of professional social work associations.

Overall, I found this guidebook to be wonderful for young readers who might be intimidated by career books and want a gradual introduction to human services. It doesn't only focus on social work but related fields like psychologist or the clergy. For someone who wants to help individuals and communities but have not decided on a precise occupation, this is the right book for you to explore and learn. I highly recommend it.

Review: The Death and Life of the Great American School System (2010)

The Death and Life of the Great American School System (2010) by Diane Ravitch is a critique of the modern American public educational system in which she previously espoused, particularly its growing emphasis on accountability, privatization, standardized testing, and charter school movement since the 1990s. Ravitch said that the charter school and testing reform movement was started by billionaires and "right wing think tanks like the Heritage Foundation," for the purpose of destroying public education and teachers' unions. She proposes several solutions to fix American education to its original principles: leave decisions about schools to educators, not politicians or businessmen; develop a national curriculum that sets out what every children should be learning; pay teaches a fair wage for their work that is not based on students' performance on standardized tests; encourage family involvement in education from an early age.

Ravitch is a historian by training, having earned her doctorate in the history of American education at Teachers College - Columbia University. In addition, she reflected on her own career in public service and academe. She was the Assistant Secretary of Education (1991-1993), National Assessment of Educational Progress (1997-2004); and the Brookings Institution (1995-2005) . She witnessed the rise of No Child Left Behind, a landmark legislation that championed many of the education reformers' goals in quantitatively evaluating student progress. She thought the accountability movement was the solution to enhancing K-12 education only to find out later that she was blindsided by its consequences, chiefly its impact on the declining enrollment of traditional public schools and parochial schools and the over-emphasis on tests to measure student achievement. The only flaw in this book is that I wished that she advocated for the elimination of charter schools, which are pseudo-private schools receiving public funding which have the effect of competing with public schools. This shift gives charter schools (which can be operated by a for-profit company or educational institution) an unfair advantage over traditional public schools who have the greatest need. Research has shown that charter schools have not exceeded the academic performance of public schools.

The title of the book pays homage to Jane Jacobs' seminal book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, which was also a critique of American urban planning in the 1950s and offered solutions on maintaining healthy neighborhoods. I recommend Ravitch's book to educators, students majoring in education, and policymakers who specialize in educational issues. Social workers who work in K-12 schools and educational nonprofits will also benefit from gaining a better understanding of why the current education reform movement on testing, accountability and charter schools is doing more harm than good.

Review: 101 Careers in Education (2016)

101 Careers in Education (2016) by John S. Carlson and Richard L. Carlson is a comprehensive career guide book on education-related fields. Education is a broad field with different career paths and a variety of subfields depending on which student population (e.g., age, profession, online vs. brick and mortar, and special needs) you want to specialize. A college-level degree is the minimum education necessary for the majority of careers in education. Increasingly, many fields are seeking majors with specialty in specific content area (e.g., calculus, biology, and music) or specific skills useful (e.g., counseling, foreign language, and educational technology). The introduction includes a list of in-demand careers to date. Each career profile includes a basic description, core competencies and skills needed, educational requirements, type of experience necessary to succeed in the field, certification and licensure, salary compensation, employment outlook, and list of professional associations. The career profiles are concise and comprehensive which makes this book such an invaluable resource to have in your personal library.

The book also spends a great amount of detail on educational careers in non-traditional settings, such as religion, camping, adult education, public health, book publishing, archives and museums. This section will interest anyone who has an interest working in an educational setting but does not have an undergraduate or advanced degree in education. Finally, the book concludes with the author's views on the future of education with two chapters dedicated to professional development and career growth and the job-search process. The introduction includes a self-assessment tool that will identify which careers in education fits a person's interests and skills. Since Careers in Education is newly published, the resources are accurate and up-to-date.

I also recommend Careers in Education to social workers who work with student populations. Social workers and educators often work together in similar fields to achieve the mission of their organizations. We have the gift to naturally give back and help others reach their potential.

Introduction to a Career in Education
• Careers in Early Childhood Education
• Careers in K-12 Schools
• Careers in Postsecondary Education
• Part-Time Careers in Education
• Careers Serving Special Needs Populations
• Careers in Educational Administration and Leadership
• Non-traditional Positions in Education
• Careers Pertaining to Web-Based Learning and Educational Technology
• The Future of Education

Review: 101 Careers in Social Work - Second Edition (2015)

101 Careers in Social Work - Second Edition (2015) by Jessica Ritter, Halaevalu Vaakalahi, and Mary Kiernan-Stern, is a comprehensive career guidebook that highlights the interdisciplinary nature of social work and the different career options available with a social work degree. It builds upon the first edition with updated information and new features such as:

• Introduction to the social work profession (including a brief history)
• Differences between social work and other related professions
• Benefits and challenges of a career in social work
• Education and licensing requirements for social workers
• Paying for your social work education
• Future outlook of the social work profession in the United States

The next section has chapters that cover a myriad of sub-fields within the social work profession. Each chapter includes sections about the sub-field's core competencies and skills, educational and licensing requirements, best and challenging aspects of the job, compensation and employment outlook, self-assessment checklist to see if the job is right for you, and recommended readings and websites. The beginning has the most common career paths (e.g., child welfare, school social work, gerontology, health care, and mental health/addictions) and explores emerging fields that would be of particular interest to macro practice social workers, such as:

• Crisis intervention
• Criminal justice and the legal arena
• International social work and human rights
• Poverty and homelessness
• Politics and public policy
• Community practice
• Research in academia
• Leadership in human service organizations and much more!

The authors are supporters of dual degrees for social work students who want to pursue a rigorous course of study that draws upon a diverse academic disciplines/fields such as public health, public policy, law, business administration, ministry, educational leadership, or urban planning. I highly recommend this new edition to any social work student or practitioner who wants to explore what they can do with a degree in social work. The possibilities are limitless!

Review: Whitney M.Young, Jr. and the Struggle for Civil Rights (1989)

Whitney M. Young, Jr. and the Struggle for Civil Rights (1989) by Nancy J. Weiss is an autobiography of the late social worker and civil right activist during the War on Poverty movement. Weiss stated in the epilogue that "Whitney Young spent his life making the needs and interests of black Americans comprehensible and compelling to the whites who had the power to do something about them. Consummate politician, salesman, and interpreter, he goaded and challenged the white establishment to redress the effects of segregation, discrimination, and poverty" (p. 230). This classic autobiography also contains black-and-white photographs of Young's time in the army, civil rights movement and Kennedy and Johnson administration.

As executive director of the National Urban League, Young pushed major corporations to hire more blacks and co-organized the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963. To improve the economic conditions of African Americans at the time, he proposed a domestic Marshall Plan that would rebuild cities, reduce poverty, and provide job training programs to millions of Americans. This plan, which called for $145 billion in spending over 10 years, was partially incorporated into President Lyndon B. Johnson's War on Poverty. Young described his proposals for integration, social programs, and affirmative action in his two books, To Be Equal (1964) and Beyond Racism (1969). Despite his reluctance to enter politics himself, Young was an important advisor to Presidents John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Richard Nixon. In 1968, Young refused a Cabinet-level position in Nixon's administration, believing that he could accomplish more through the Urban League.

For a documentary on Whitney Young's life, click the video below:

Review: Careers in Politics, Government, and Activism (2008)

Careers in Politics, Government, and Activism - Second Edition (2008) by Joan Axelrod-Contrada is a comprehensive employment guidebook (~300 pages) for persons seeking employment in public service in the United States. It includes over 75 career profiles in politics, government and activism. It also includes a wonderful foreword written by Congressman Richard E. Neal. It will leave you truly motivated to pursue this carer path!

The book aims to introduce readers to the depth and complexity of pursuing a public service career. It starts with an industry outlook to bring awareness about advantages and drawbacks in this type of work. The most common response is that people want to make a difference. The author scanned sources from industry professionals, association and employment websites, college carer centers, and books and newspaper articles. Overall, this book is very easy to read and left a positive impression on the types of job positions that exist in public and nonprofit sectors. In this world, networking (who you know) is very important to move up the career ladder.

The book is divided into three parts: politics, activism, and and government. Each job description contains a career profile with duties, similar titles, and career ladder (promotions). In addition, each career profile includes salary range, employment prospects, advancement prospects, sample of skills and experience, education and training, and tips for entry. There is an expansive appendices section containing frequently asked questions about civil service and federal employment, federal pay scale, graduate school programs in public service, advocacy groups, how to run for political office, and much more. This is a great resource if you're a recent college graduate or career changer who wants in public service.

Politics

• Political campaigns
• Political office

Government

• Local/state government - general positions
• Local government
• Local/state specialists
• State/federal legislative staff
• Other state/federal positions
• International affairs

Activism

• Nonprofit advocacy administration
• Public interest law
• Community, social and international issues
• Lobbies, unions, and associations
• Service programs

Review: Affecting Change -- Social Workers in the Political Arena (7th Edition)

Affecting Change: Social Workers in the Political Arena (7th Edition), by Karen S. Haynes and James S. Mickelson, is a pragmatic, step-by-step guidebook that teaches social workers how to become agents of change. This is one of the premier textbooks in the growing specialization of political social work. It shows how the skills of social workers are also the skills of effective organizers, lobbyists, policy analysts, and elected officials. Each chapter begins with an inspirational quote that invokes the importance of social justice. The assignments, case examples, summaries, and suggested readings demonstrate the importance of social workers' participation in the political arena. BSW and MSW social work students interested in political and social advocacy, lobbying, and policy practice would find this book a useful tool in learning the tools to effectively influence public policy. At 215 pages, this book includes a glossary of important terms that will help you promote socially-just policies with key stakeholders and understand how the political process works.

1. All Social Work Is Political
2. Social Work Values versus Politics
3. The Emergence of a Social Work Polity
4. The Debate
5. Policy Models for Political Advocacy
6. The Practitioner's Influence on Policy
7. Influence through Lobbying
8. Tools to Influence and Organize Others
9. Monitoring the Bureaucracy
10. The Campaign
11. Social Workers as Politicians
12. Your Time Is Now!
13. Glossary of Legislative Terms

Review: Multicultural Student Services on Campus (2011)

Multicultural Student Services on Campus (2011), edited by Dafina Lazarus Stewart, is a comprehensive resource for graduate students and new professionals in multicultural student services in higher education. It explores contemporary issues of multicultural student services and its historical development. It focuses on the three most common aspects of multicultural student services in higher education: race/ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender identity, and religious/spiritual identity. It examines how institutional context (liberal arts colleges, public universities, community colleges, and minority-serving institutions) influences the design and practice of multicutural student services. Lastly, it discusses ways in which practitioners in other units and divisions within colleges and universities can collaborate and advocate for stronger multicultural student services.

Published by ACPA: College Student Educators International, this book is an important reference for student affairs professionals who need to understand the history, breadth, depth, and future of multicultural student services. Senior-level administrators, who have a desire to make socially-responsible decisions that transform college campuses into democratic and multicultural communities, should also consider this reference as a starting point for ideas and solutions. Since I study diversity and social justice in higher education, this book has become an invaluable resource for enhancing my awareness and knowledge of pertinent issues in multicultural affairs. Dafina Lazarus Stewart is an associate professor of higher education and student affairs at Bowling Green State University.

The book is divided into four sections with 19 chapters:

1. History and Evolution of Multicultural Student Services
2. Multicultural Student Services Affirming and Integrating Diversity
3. Diverse Contexts, Similar Goals (Academic and Student Affairs)
4. Building Bridges (Collaborations and Multicultural Competence)

Review: Getting your MSW - 2nd Edition (2013)

Getting Your MSW: How to Survive and Thrive in a Social Work Program - 2nd Edition (2013), by Karen Sowers (University of Tennesse-Knoxville) and Bruce Thyer (Florida State University), is a comprehensive survival guidebook published by Lyceum Books for prospective and current students interested in graduate social work (MSW) programs. This guidebook helps orient new students to the social work profession, the MSW admissions process, the organization and structure of social work education, state licensure requirements, and a listing of professional social work organizations in the United States. This edition has four new features:

• Extended table of contents for quick and easy reference
• Employment resources for today's economic climate (including job search strategies)
• Information on the use and relevance of technology in social work education
• Content on MSW  programs and field work opportunities

Like the previous edition, this book provides a clear and concise overview of MSW social work programs. It continues to be a recommended reference for social workers in the early stages of their career. I enjoyed the chapter about the MSW curriculum and field education, which goes into detail on the Council on Social Work and a basic overview of the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS). Students will thrive much better in graduate school if they have a solid understanding of the MSW curriculum.

Unfortunately, the guidebook is biased towards clinical social work. It does not provide adequate resources for social work students who want to pursue careers in macro practice (organizations, communities, and public policy). There is an appendix section on how to earn the LCSW in Florida. While this process is helpful for students in Florida, other students would be wise to look up license requirements in their state of employment (such as Social Work License Map). Your state board of social work would also provide application materials and instructions for licensure. Overall, this is a wonderful reference to keep for graduate school. Students may have to look to other books for macro social work-specific employment information and professional organizations. I was very disappointed that the Association for Community Organization and Social Administration (ACOSA) was not mentioned in the appendix of professional social work organizations.

Review: Social Work Matters -- The Power of Linking Policy and Practice (2012)

Social Work Matters: The Power of Linking Policy and Practice (2012), edited by Elizabeth F. Hoffles, MSW and Elizabeth J. Clark, PHD, ACSW, MPH, is a collection of essays by over 50 authors who demonstrate how social work matters to the healthy functioning of society. This statement supports that argument: Social justice is the fuel that drives social workers and what sets social work apart from other professions. Social workers with practice experience make excellent advocates, organizers, and policy-makers. The two goals of this book were to 1) portray what social workers accomplish in different fields on a daily basis because the professional is often misunderstood and undervalued, and 2) link traditional, direct practice with the critical policy and advocacy components of the profession.

In the introduction, the editors highlight famous social work trailblazers--Jane Addams, Frances Perkins, Harry Hopkins, Dorothy I. Height, and Whitney M. Young--who were the key architects on groundbreaking social initiatives in the twentieth century. The editors also highlight how social workers provide the majority of mental health services in the United States and work on a variety of social issues, such as poverty, inequality, insecurity, fear, violence, trauma, loss, and pain. Thus, it is important that social workers not only know what is happening at the agency level but also have a good understanding of social policies that influence their practice. According to the editors, social workers are trained to "acquire resources for clients, organize communities for causes, and coordinate grassroots advocacy campaigns."

“Social work is more than just a ‘value added’ service,” says Hoffler. “It is essential to ensuring that our country continues to provide opportunity, promotes equity, and help millions of individuals fulfill their potential. Readers of this book will understand that truth as never before.” The chapters of this book illustrate what different kinds of social workers do on a daily basis, and how macro action can be applied to help individuals, communities. Each chapter explores the transition from micro-level service—working directly to improve the lives of individuals—to the macro-level work of altering our social systems and institutions through broad social action and advocacy. The authors describe a real-life social issue, argue why this issue matters in social work, provide implications for policy and practice, and conclude with discussion questions for further exploration.

In this 325-paged book, the chapters focus on the following topics: administration, advocacy, children and families, communities  corrections and the courts, direct practice, education and loan forgiveness (my favorite chapter, which is usually ignored in most social work career books), equality and social justice, finances, government programs, health, HIV/AIDS, parity (mental health/substance abuse), and research. I loved the education and loan forgiveness section because the chapters focus on the importance of exposing macro practice to students, educating students on student loan forgiveness programs, and social work opportunities in higher education administration. As a joint degree student in social work and higher education, it is satisfying (I can't say this enough) to hear about other social workers' experiences working with college students (the clients).

Overall, I highly recommend this text to social work (especially macro practice) students, educators, and practitioners who want to link their practice experience with policy developments. It is promising that NASW produced this much needed text; now, if only the leadership will expand their membership base beyond clinical social workers. If the social work profession truly promotes social justice and advocacy, then NASW needs to provide better support (networking, educational resources, and continuing education opportunities) for macro social workers.

Review: The Idealist Guide to Nonprofit Careers for First-Time Job Seekers (2008)

The Idealist Guide to Nonprofit Careers for First-Time Job Seekers (2008), by Meg Busse with Steven Joiner, is a career guidebook for emerging professionals seeking their first position in the nonprofit sector. Whether you are a college student, recent college graduate, or someone entering the workforce for the first time, this comprehensive resource provides invaluable advice, strategies, and nonprofit-specific resources to guide your job search. Topics include an overview of the nonprofit sector, myths and facts about nonprofit organizations, job search strategies, self and career assessment, networking and interviewing strategies, resume and cover letter writing tips, nonprofit hiring practices, and salary and negotiation tips. It also includes an appendix of common vocabulary terms in the nonprofit sector.

I wished this book was around when I was an undergraduate student! It contacts interesting facts, exercises, and websites for readers to explore on their own time. Unlike the for-profit and public sectors, the nonprofit sector has a decentralized job posting system. This means that you have to be proactive in researching agencies and organizations that fit your interests. Most nonprofit workers found work through word-of-mouth and employee referrals. Therefore, this guidebook is great for those who need guidance and structure in preparing for a competitive job market. Volunteering, internships, and networking (I can't stress this enough) are very important in launching your nonprofit career.

If you enjoy the Idealist.org series, check out the rest of their career books here. Other topics focus on career switch, service corps, and personal profit. The books are also available to download as free PDFs.

Review: Essentials of Social Work Policy Practice (2007)

Essentials of Social Work Policy Practice (2007), by Cynthia J. Rocha, provides a concise overview of policy practice methods and tactics that social workers need to know in order to advocate for policy changes within an organization and different government levels.  Social workers must understand social problems and the ways in which education and social welfare policies are established to address these social problems. Rocha is currently the Associate Dean and Profession of Social Work at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. She is an expert on social welfare policy, evaluation research, and political social work.

As part of the Essentials of Social Work Practice series, this book is a practical resource that includes step-by-step guidelines for putting a plan into action and working efficiently within a system. Techniques are presented for handling a number of related topics, including effective interpersonal communication and participation, utilizing technology and the media in policy practice, creating change within organizations, and many more. Each chapter features key concepts, case examples, extensive illustrative material, and vignettes that promote critical thinking around planning and policy development.  

This is a skill-based book written for social work students in policy practice classes and is an easy reference guide for social work practitioners. Topics are organized for an easy understanding of the essential material related to a particular practice area. Chapters 3 through 6 provide step-by-step instructions on skills that can be used across organizations and policy levels. Chapters 7 through 10 provide specific strategies for working with the community, in organizations, and at the legislative, bureaucratic, and judicial levels of government.

Review: Unfaithful Angels - How Social Work Has Abandoned its Mission (1994)

Unfaithful Angels: How Social Work Has Abandoned its Mission (1994), by Harry Specht and Mark E. Courtney, is a critique of the evolution and status of the social work profession in the United States up to the last decade of the twentieth century. The authors contended that social workers have largely abandoned the original tenets of Jane Addams and Mary Richmond, early pioneers of societal improvement through community organization and social case work, respectively. Social workers today are primarily trained to use a psychotherapeutic or psychoanalytic approach to help build individual's sense of self-esteem. This type of training neglects the increasingly vulnerable underclass and the macro dimension (community capacity building and policy advocacy). Since most social workers aspire to establish private practices, their clientele is largely middle-class because work in the public social services is daunting, underpaid, and under-appreciated by policymakers and the general public.


As a result, Specht and Courtney argue that this trend has betrayed the original mission of social work, which was primarily to direct those in need to appropriate resources. Students are entering social work to become clinical private practitioners in order to make money and become their own boss.  Furthermore, clinical social workers offer individualized treatment that resembles the therapy of psychologists and psychotherapists. This is a mistake for two reasons: 1) the authors believe that society's problems are caused by the social isolation of modern life (fewer people participate in civic associations and live close to their family), and 2) it is the job of psychptherapists to help people with emotional and mental problems. Social workers should return to their original mission by connecting people with resources and supporting sustainable communities. I provide the preamble to the NASW Code of Ethics (2008) below:

The primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well­being and help meet the basic human needs of all people, with particular attention to the needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty. A historic and defining feature of social work is the profession’s focus on individual well­being in a social context and the well­being of society. Fundamental to social work is attention to the environmental forces that create, contribute to, and address problems in living.

Based on the preamble above, Specht and Courtney argue that social workers should stay true to their original mission--improving the welfare of families and empowering communities to achieve economic and social justice. Social workers should spend less time fighting for clinical licensure protection and third-party reimbursements. Instead, social workers should focus instead on promoting policies and services that enhance social participation and community well-being. In other words, social workers should work on addressing the environmental conditions that hinders their clients' well-being (e.g., lack of jobs, inadequate transportation or child care arrangements, etc.) rather than looking for irrelevant psychological treatments.

Recommendations included public policy and fiscal support at federal, state, and county levels to redirect the social work profession toward a community-oriented social care system in every neighborhood. Although their guidelines are vague and impractical (everything ties back to funding, and governments are notoriously conservative when it comes to allocating funds for the poor), they believe this will ensure a healthier society for all. While some readers may not agree with the authors' views, it is timely and relevant because social work has drifted too far from its original mission of providing resources for the oppressed and marginalized. The arguments and proposals of these two educators in the field will be of much interest to academics, professionals, social welfare students, and other readers who are searching for antipoverty frameworks..