I 1‘; fl. 0 'I‘."I..‘ .J a. . a | . sf, _ . . , SJ. ' ' ad 47)? ”it“; 1'3 r 1 311111 11111 111111 3 129 1:11111111111111111111 1‘ IVIESI_J RETURNING MATERIALS: P1ace in book drop to LIBRARIES remove this checkout from —_. your record. FINES will L4? be charged if book is returned after the date stamped be10w. II III IV VI VII VIII IX OUTLINE \\( '1 Title Page 1 /// Acknowledgments Table of Contents List of Tables Introduction (Chapter I) A. Justification and Background of Study Problem Review of Literature and Experience bearing upon the Study (Chapter II) Research Design (Chapter III) A. The Study Focus B. Method of Securing Data 1. Interview Guide C. Sample 1. Basis of selection 2. Identification of the group a. Major Characteristics D. Interpretation and Analysis of Data Racial Discrimination in Social Work (Chapter Iv) A. Close ended questions (Tables) B. Related statements of Open ended questions Communication between Social Work and Civil Rights Organizations (Chapter V) A. Close ended questions (Tables) B. Related statements of open ended questions Inconsistent or Conflicting Behavior in Social Work (Chapter VI) OUTLINE Page 2 A. Close ended questions (Tables) B. Related statements of Open ended questions XI The Advocated Role of the Social Worker (Chapter 7) A. Close ended questions (Tables) B. Related statements of Open ended questions 1. Comparison of data with recent Social Work litera- ture or speeches XII Conclusions (Chapter 8) XIII Bibliography XIV Appendices A. Pretest Results B. Interview Guide C. N.A.S.W. Policy Statement THE SOCIAL WORK ROLE IN CIVIL RIGHTS AS REROEItED BY CIVIL RIGHTS ADVOCATES by James J. Rashid An Individual Research Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK June 196# ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to express my gratitude to Mr. Joseph Heffernan, Jr. who, as my research instructor, had the responsibility of ac- quainting me with basic research methods and techniques as well as advising me on this study. Appreciation is expressed to Manfred Lilliefors who through his support, constructive criticism and editing of this project, furnished invaluable assistance. A great debt of gratitude is extended to each respondent interviewed in this study. It would seem to be of some signifi- cance that not one of the respondents selected refused to be inter- viewed. Certainly appreciation should be given to many others who, to a lesser extent, furnished support and advice when needed. Finally I would like to express a special vote of thanks to my wife. Having endured this somewhat painful procedure while pur- suing her own M.S.W. degree in 1962, her patience and encouragement were Vastly appreciated. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii LIST OF TABLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tiv CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 II LITERATURE AND EXPERIENCE BEARING UPON THE STUDY 0 O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O 5 III RESEARCH DESIGN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Iv RACIAL DISCRIMINATION IN SOCIAL WORK . . . . 18 V COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SOCIAL WORK AND CIVIL RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS . . . . . . . . . 22 VI INCONSISTENT OR CONFLICTING BEHAVIOR IN SOCIAL WORK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 VII THE ADVOCATED ROLE OF THE SOCIAL WORKER . . . 32 VIII CONCLUSIONS . O O O O C O 0 O C O O O O C O Q L*6 BIBLIOGRAPHY o o o o o o o o o o o o o o O o o o o o o o o 0 [+9 APPENDICES A. RESULTS OF PRE-TEST B. INTERVIEW GUIDE C. N.A.S.W. POLICY STATEMENT iii Table l. 9. 10. 11. LIST OF TABLES Amount of Discrimination seen in: hiring pol- icies concerning Social Work Agency Staff positions; selection of and service to clients; and selection of individuals to serve on agency boards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Social Work awareness of Civil Rights problem . Amount Of lack of communication between SoOial Work and Civil Rights Organizations . . . . . . . Knowledge and clarity of Social Work's stand on CiVil Rights 0 O I O O O O O O O O O O O O O 0 Knowledge of Social Work's support of the Civil Rights Bill 0 o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o 0 Evaluation of Social Work's effectiveness in con- tributing to the resolution of the Civil Rights Problem..................... Evaluation Of social workers previous contribu- tion through their activity in relation to the 7 areas of Civil Rights legislation . . . . . . . Encouragement of N.A.S.W. to practitioners to join in Civil Rights Demonstrations . . . . . . . Chest support of a Civil Rights Organization . . Placement of a non-white child in a white boarding home 0 o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o 0 Adoption of a non-white child by a white couple . iv Page 18 . 22 22 23 23 .26 26 27 33 31+ 35 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION This study is concerned with the present and future role of the Social Work profession in relation to the Civil Rights problem. It will be primarily based on interviews with Civil Rights advocates concerning their knowledge and evaluation of the Profession of Social Work. The long sought recognition that racial discrimination does commit a significant number of people to a second class citizenship has, within the last seven or eight years, emerged as one of the major problems Of the United States. Having final- ly reached the U.S. Senate where a bill to help correct this prob- lem is now being debated, one can easily trace the tedious, frus- trating path which Civil Rights advocates have patiently and pain- fully paved to reach their desired goal. As they were increas- ingly confronted with the obstacles and resistance of decades of racial prejudice, demands were placed upon many elements of our society to help carry this burden. When this request was met with what this core Of advocates interpreted as half-hearted or apa— thetic responses, blunt confrontation was presented in the form of challenges, severe criticism, and outright attack. The profession of Social Work has been one of the groups that received such a confrontation due to what some have interpret- -1- ‘2- ed as the lackadaisical manner in which it addresses the Civil Rights problem. This criticism is best reflected in the state- ment made by M. Leo Bohanon, Executive Director of the Urban League Of St. Louis, Missouri, who quoted a fellow Urban Leaguer as stating, "Instead Of our social agencies Offering leadership to our society in integration, we have almost been dragged, kick- ing and screaming into the last half of the 20th century." This, Of course, is not the first time that criticism has been leveled at Social Work prOgrams and policies, as the very problems that this profession is preSently engaged with Often en- courage such reactions. However, criticism concerning racial dis— crimination is indeed surprising due to the fact that Social Work V_" places a heavy emphasis on its individual practitioner to become ’-. __ _,....-.. ~..-...,.—... ___. ... \\ w increasingly aware of his role through a process of self-examinae r r.x-.-‘!--Ivi " K ytion.m“WithOut doing so one can readily understand the built-in \. \~‘-“'-~1_ -«n.. conflict that would result between the practitioner and his client, group, or community. Yet the criticism does exist although there seems to be one exception. It is not necessarily the individual practitioner or a specific program or policy being attacked, but rather the profession as a whole. Consequently it seems only log- ical that the profession handle this criticism in the same manner it would encourage a caseworker, groupworker or community organiza- lM. Leo Bohanon, "Civil Rights-~A Social Welfare Concern," Paper read before the Michigan Welfare League 1963 Annual Confer- ence, Lansing, Michigan, November 19, 1963. -3- tion worker to do so; through a process of self-examination. How well, for instance, has Social Work interpreted society's needs and adapted to the overall changes? Are the communication lines between groups, such as Civil Rights, and Social Work Open or closed? DO Social Workers stand rigidly in a position of laissez- faire? Is Social Work furnishing leadership based on its philos— Ophy, values and convictions? When examining itself, in light of its historical develop- ment, it is indeed curious that the individuals recognized as the pioneers of the profession, such as Dorothea Dix and Jane Addams, assumed much more aggressive stands on national problems such as poverty and mental health to the extent that they were judged to be reformists. It would seem that often the underlying implica- tion behind criticism leveled at Social Work today is that Social Work, in not assuming similar aggressive positions, is insensitive to and consequently ineffective in combating the gross injustice and inadequacies seen in the Civil Rights problem. Social workers seem to imply that their position is justi- fiable when one considers the many changes in methods and focus, perhaps not so much in its phiIOSOphy or goals, but certainly in its means to achieve the desired end. In essence, the relatively philanthrOpic attitude has been replaced by the conviction stated in the Social Work helping process, i.e., we shall help others to help themselves. Yet, in the face Of criticism, one beings to wonder how Social Work is helping advocates of Civil Rights who -A- are obviously trying to help themselves. It is the writer's hOpe that this exploratory study will offer some findings which will shed light onthe subject, clarify, and hopefully furnish a future basis upon which the questions asked will find some answers and,,in turn, lead to appropriate change and adjustment within the profession of Social Work. CHAPTER II LITERATURE AND EXPERIENCE BEARING UPON THE STUDY In reviewing the literature on Civil Rights, one finds two predominant conditions. There is an enormous amount of material on this problem in general and eSpecially as it relates to education, employment, law, and certain other areas. Second- ly, there appears to be an extremely limited amount of informa- tion on this problem as one relates it to the profession of Social Work, especially in terms of Social Work literature. Viewing Civil Rights in general, an excellent background for the reader is provided in the areas of Voting, Education, Employment, Housing and Justice by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights which, in 1961, published five books on each of these sub- jects. For instance, in the area of education, extensive inves- tigations and reports have been made which disclose specific ex- amples of inadequacy as these problems were recognized in law pro- / '- Ix ceedings. Reviewed here were the U.S. Supreme Court's decisions beginning in 1896 when the court justified the "Separate but Equal" interpretation of the 14th amendment concerning education and seg- regation and later reversed this decision in 1954 by stating, "State enforced racial segregation in public schools cannot be reconciled with the dictates of the constitution."2 2 . . . . . . United States CommISSion on Civil Rights, Equal Protection of the Laws in Public Higher Education, (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1961), p. xi. -5- -6- Current popular publications are numerous on Civil Rights and range from brief reviews, Often concerning one or more of the five areas discussed by the U.S. Commission, to large sur- veys which attempt to identify specific attitudes and Opinions of individuals on both "sides" of the issue.3 Although it is true that many of these publications are primarily focused on what has been called the Negro revolution, it is just as accur- ate tO say that this problem involves more than twenty million Negroes, as such minority groups as the American Jews, Mexicans and Porto Ricans can well testify. Perhaps such publications are more prevalent concerning the Negro race due to the sensa- tionalism attached to the "bargaining tools" employed such as boycotts, sit—in's, freedom marches and rent strikes. 3Joseph P. Lyford, "Proposal for a Revolution," Saturday Review, (October 26, 1963). Louis Harris, Benjamin Bradlee gt 2l°9 "The Negro in Amer- ica," Newsweek, LXII (July 29, 1963), pp. 15-34. Louis Harris, James M. Cannon gt El“! "What the White Man Thinks of the Negro Revolt," Newsweek, LXII (October 21, 1963), pp. 44-57. Hillel Black, "This is War," The Saturday Evening Post, (January 25, 1964), pp. 60-63. Robert K. Massie, "Harlem Goes to War Against the Slum- lords," The Saturday Evening Post, (February 29, 1964), pp. 71-75. 7U.S. News and World Report, "Negro Leaders Tell Their Plans for '64m" (February 24, 1964), Vol. LVI, No. 8, p. 56. -7- Many pamphlets are also available and are sponsored by both religious or non-sectarian groups or institutions.1+ Again these sources frequently deal in one or more of the areas men- tioned by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. All of the preceding material frequently mentions the roles assumed by law, education, religion, labor, and the Federal government; however literally nothing was mentioned about the role of the Social Work Profession or social workers per se with but one exception. Whitney M. Young, Jr., the executive director of the National Urban League, is also the second vice-president of the National Association of Social Workers. Obviously his name does appear with some frequency in the previous publications and in one, featuring an interview with him, he is identified as a social worker.5 One must quickly realize, however, that he is also uAFL-CIO, Equal Rights for All--The AFL-CIO Position, (Wash- ington, D.C.: AFL—CIO Dept. of Publications, 1964). Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, Prejudice in Child- ren: A Conversation with Dr. Spock, (New York: Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, 1963). Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, What the High School Students Say, (New York: Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, 1961). The Department of Public Instruction, The Treatment of Minor- ity Groups in Textbooks, (Lansing, Michigan: The Department Of Pub- lic Instruction, 1963): 5U. S. News and World Report, "Negro Leaders Tell Their Plans for 'éh," February 24, 196A, Vol. LVI, No. 8, p. 56. -3- a member of the core of Civil Rights advocates by way of two cri- teria: one is, of course, his job, and secondly, he is a Negro. Turning to Social Work literature, one finds that the problem has received little attention. The 1960 Social Work Yearbook does recognize the problem giving a brief history of it under the section headed "Civil Rights and Civil Liberties." In the Social Work journals there were to be found three articles, two Of which were written by Victoria Olds, a social worker from a predominantly Negro university.6 In her latter article Olds discusses the freedom rides which she describes in terms of a social system develOped to combat passive resistance. Explaining the tension and conflict involved in such actions, she briefly refers to an observation made by a sociologist con- cerning his colleagues. In essence, he described the sociolOgists as a group that tends to avoid conflict, seeking to maintain a state of equilibrium. By way or comparison she adds, "Conflict situations are viewed as negative, disorganizing, or even de- structive, while the optimum condition is seen as one of harmony and equilibrium. Perhaps this observation may be made of social workers also, as a group that tends to underestimate the growth Victoria Olds, "Freedom Rides: A Social Movement as an Aspect of Social Change," Journal of Social Work, Vol. 8, NO. 3, (July, 1963). Victoria Olds, "Sit Ins: Social Action to End Segrega- tion," on n O o ’ , (April, 1961). Leonard C. Simmona,, "Crow Jim: Implications for Social Work," Journal of Social Work, Vol. 8, No. 3, (July, 1963). -9- potential inherent in conflict situations."7 The third article by Leonard C. Simmons on the reverse effect of Jim Crowism succintly points out the deep conflict of the Negro. Simmons states, "The Negro has been placed in an im- possible position. He is expected to conform to the standards of the dominant culture but at the same time is denied partici- pation in that culture."8 Advocating the role for Social Work, Simmons states, "StOpping the Oppression through social work methods, predicated on social work values and committment to social action is a most worthy goal Of the social work profession."9 "Negroes," Simmons further explains,"are in need of programs through which they can become habilitated--not rehabilitated."lo By way of Social Work activity it is true that the N.A.S.W. had a conference on human rights in Washington, D.C. on March 22- 24 which appears to have excited some recent activity on the part of social workers. It is also true that the N.A.S.W. did issue a policy statement backing the Civil Rights Bill in 1963. This lat- ter action, incidentally, did incite some negative feelings on the part of Mr. Allan Russell, a social worker from Albany, Georgia, as noted in the November 1963 issue of N.A.S.W. News. Perhaps of Victoria Olds, "Sit Ins: Social Action to End Segregation," Journal of Social Work, (April, 1961), p. 22. Simmons, 0 . cit., p. 29. 91bido’ Po 300 lOIbido’ p. 290 even more interest is the reaction expressed disputing his view- point by other social workers in the February 1964 issue. Many Social Work conferences have also been held on the local, state, and national level bringing in speakers from Civil Rights organizations to more fully acquaint those attending with the problem.11 Finally, it is known that Community Services Coun- cils have established and/or sponsored Civil Rights committees which contribute to the acknowledgement of the problem while at- temping to find some solutions. Having reviewed a sample of the current literature and ac— tivity, we shall now move on to the actual study problem and the manner in which the data was secured as set forth in the Research Design. llBohanon, op. cit. Whitney M. Young, Jr., "Remarks," Paper read before the 1964 Biennial Conference of United Community Funds and Councils of America, Cincinnati, Ohio, February 6, 1964. Sol J. Littman, "Remarks for Michigan Welfare League Con- ference," Michigan Welfare League 1963 Annual Conference, Lansing, Michigan, November 19, 1963. CHAPTER III RESEARCH DESIGN The Study Focus This study is essentially exploratory in nature. In es- sence it is the attempt of this study to ascertain the attitudes and Opinions of individuals, active in Civil Rights and/or human relations organizations in the greater Lansing area, as to their perceptions and evaluation of the current Social Work role and its effectiveness in dealing with the Civil Rights problem. Fur- thermore, this study has attempted to determine what changes these individuals would encourage and advocate in the profession of Social Work to help it deal more effectively with the issues 3/ and conflicts involved in Civil Rights in the future. Vi;//’ The data secured in this study was,,in part, related to V establishing or rejecting one or more of the three following hy- potheses: [X 1) Civil Rights advocates believe the profession of _y f Social Work discriminates and shows prejudice in 1\" D1 terms of its policies and prOgrams on the basis ¢\ Lt) Of race. 0% 1f 2) Civil Rights advocates believe the profession of "U( Social Work does not communicate its programs, pol- Q) icies and goals concerning Civil Rights to Civil Rights organizations. 3) Civil Rights advocates believe the personal and professional activities of the social worker in relation to Civil Rights are inconsistent and often in conflict with asserted professional val- ues and convictions. K24}; -13. Finally, the data, especially as disclosed in the open- ended questions, was related to the second part of the study focus; i.e., as it concerns the advocated future role of the profession of Social Work in relation to Civil Rights. This section will, then, describe what changes these respondents have recommended. Method of Securing the Data The data for this study was secured through the use of an interview in which a guide for questions was used. The fourteen questions involved were structured and ranged from completely closed-ended questions to one entirely Open-ended question. Spe- cifically, nine questions have closed-ended responses; four ques- tions call for closed-ended responses but allow for some qualifi- cations; and one question is entirely Open-ended. ’3 The writer conducted the interviews which lasted approxi- \J/1' mately 45 to 50 minutes. All interviewees, with one exception, 9V1 ( were identified by either one or both of the criteria described in the following section. The interview guide, which was subjected to a pretest, the results of which can be found in the Appendix, has been broken down into three sections, each of which is designed to secure data in relation to one or more of the stated hypotheses as well as the second part of the study focus. The reader will find the interview guide in the Appendix. -13- Finally it should be understood that the writer had very little previous contact, if any whatsoever, with any of the se- lected respondents. In fact, most of the individuals contacted were not known to this writer prior to this study. Sampling and IdentifiCation of Respondents There were no sampling methods used in this study. Since the writer's concern lay in gaining the Opinions and attitudes of individuals active in Civil Rights and/or Human Relations organi- zations, all but three of the interviewees were deliberately chosen on two bases: 1) he or she is a member of a Greater Lansing Com- mittee or Organization known to the Lansing Community Services Council to be concerned with problems in Civil Rights; 2) he or she has been chosen by his or her parent committee to be a dele- gate to the Greater Lansing Coordinating Council on Human Relations, which will be refered to hereafter by the initials of CLCCHR.’ Two of the three exceptions concern individuals who do qual- ify under the first criteria but not the second. The third indiv- idual, who does not actually qualify under either criteria, was se- lected due to his highly significant position in Civil Rights ac- tivity. Nine, then, of the twelve respondents, (or 12 of 15 when including the three respondents on the pretest), represent 8 (or 11) different organizations of a total of 3 committees, councils, chap- ters, or similarly designated organizations that furnish delegates -14- to the GLCCHR. (Two Of the members of GLCCHR belong to the same parent committee, one serving as a delegate and member, the other serving as Vice President of GLCCHR). The following are some significant characteristics Of the twelve respondents which are offered to give the reader some basic vauaintanceship and identification with the group. Education (Years) Sex Range -- 6 yrs to 26 yrs Male -- 9 Mean -- 16.08 yrs Female 3 Median - 16.5 yrs Ass Income (Family) Range -- 27 yrs to 66 yrs Under 35000 a year -- 1 Between 35000 and $10,000 a year .. Over $10,000 a year -- 7 Mean -- 43 yrs 5 mon 4 Median - 38 yrs Occupation Civil Rights Experience (yrs) Barber; College Professor, MSU; BIFZEIor Of Education; Michigan Civil Rights Commission; Ele- Mean -- 12 yrs 3 mon mentary School Teacher; House- !ife; Industrigl Truck Driver; Executive Director Council of Mode -- 1 yr Churches; Post Office Employee, Guard; Shipping and Receiving Clerk; President,fiMSU; Psychia- Religion islet. Range -- 1 yr to 42 yrs Median -- 6.5 yrs Chicago, Illinois; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Hanover, Vipginia; Lansigg, Michigan; N3! York, New York; Peking, China; Savannah, Georgia; Toronto, Canada; Weslaco, Texas. No Preference Protestant ~- Agnostic -- 1 Baptist -- 1 Place of Birth Catholic -- 3 Episcopalian 2 Brooklyp, New York; Carrolton, Jewish -- 1 Georgia; Chicagg, Illinois; 1 3 -15- Current Civil Rights Position 1. Chairman of Education Committee NAACP - Vice President GLCCHR. 2. Chairman of Negro Heritage Week *3. Chairman United States Commission on Civil Rights ‘A. Director of Education, Michigan Civil Rights Commission 5. Executive Director of Council of Churches ‘6. Former Chairman East Lansing Human Relations Commission 7. Member of American Civil Liberties Union 8. Member of Capital City Golphers - Corresponding Secretary, GLCCHR 9. Member of Lansing Branch NAACP 10. President of B'nai B'rith Women 11. State Chairman of Latin Americans' United for Political Action 12. UAW Chairman of the Fair Practice Committee of Greater Lansing Labor Council 'This individual is not a member of the Great Lansing Coor— dinating Council on Human Relations. He was selected on basis of holding a significant position in the area of Civil Rights. Review of some Past Significant Positions Held Board Member of Lansing NAACP Chairman of Anti Defamation League for B‘nai B'rith Women Chairman of Citizens Non Partisan League Chairman of Lansing Chapter of Latin Americans United for Political Action Chairman of Student Branch of National Citizens Political Action Committee -15- Industrial Relations Director for Urban League Member of Mayor's Committee on Human Rights Member of Michigan Regional Advisory Board of Anti Defamation League Permanent Trustee of Great Lansing Interfaith Council on Religion and Race President of Muskegon Branch of Urban League President of Lansing Branch NAACP Second Vice President of Lansing Labor Committee (A individuals are not represented here as they have held no previous position.) Interpretation and Analysis of Data The interview guide was designed to produce both open and close ended responses with variation seen in the four questions allowing qualifying remarks. All close ended responses were precoded and simultaneously tabulated at the time of the interview. This data, in turn, is presented in table form showing the exact distribution of responses to any given close ended question. All Open ended responses were taken down verbatim at the time of the interview. These responses were then transcribed to another document so that all responses concerning the same question appear together. This facilitated the analysis of similarities be- tween responses to the same question and, also, allowed a greater degree of objectivity as the respondent and his answer were sepa- rated. ....... -‘__-——y_za _‘_ m—fi —«r——fi 77* 7* -l,7- All of the data was then related to the establishment or rejection of the three hypotheses, as well as the second part of the Study Focus. The analysis of all Open ended responses is stated in descriptive terms using direct quotations from the raw material where apprOpriate. It is to be understood that all data describes the Opin- ions of interviewees and no concrete evidence of proof was ascer- tained. In fact, all data must first be weighed in terms of the effectiveness and applicability of the questions. Furthermore, one must acknowledge the severe limitation of this study due to the size of the group of respondents. Finally, the reader should understand that most of the interpretation and analysis of the data was significantly dependent on the writer's ability to per- ceive its relationship to the study focus and hypotheses. At best the data describes a tendency towards establishing or rejecting one or more hypotheses while also indicating the ad- vocated future role of the social worker as seen through the Opin- ions of twelve individausl active in Civil Rights activities. -L' .__—- a—...; CHAPTER IV RACIAL DISCRIMINATION IN SOCIAL WORK HYPOTHESIS: Civil Rights advocates believe the profession of Social Work discriminates and shows prejudice in terms of its policies and programs on the basis of race. The following chart discloses the distribution of responses on questions 1, 2, and 3 respectively under section I of the inter- view guide. TABLE 1 AMOUNT OF DISCRIMINATION SEEN IN: Great Qualified No Item Deal Some Little None Response Answer 1. Hiring policies concerning Social Work agency Staff Positions 2 3 3 3 1 2. Selection and service to client 0 6 2 2 l l 3. Selection of individuals to serve on Agency Boards 1 3 5 O 1 2 TOTAL 3 12 10 5 3 3 -18- -19- As the reader can see, all three questions elicited a var- iety of responses including 3 "no answers" and 3 “aulified" an- kg“ swers. The latter six responses are significant due to the fact that these three questions were close-ended and did not allow for either a "qualified" or "no answer" response. One individual re- Sponsible for two of the "qualifying" responses and one "no answer" response stated that the questions were impossible to answer in the form they were given. Although he asserted prejudice existed in the south but not necessarily in the north, he was unable to give a general answer. The three other respondents answering in a similar manner explained that they either had no knowledge of the answer or in- sisted on qualifying their answer. The majority of individual respondents did have difficulty answering the questions in the manner allowed and, in some cases, did so with the encouragement of the writer. At least one respond- ent answered one or more of the questions on the deductive basis that all people discriminate and therefore social workers, being peeple, discriminate to a greater or lesser extent. On the other hand, approximately half of the respondents were able to give a direct answer with no qualification to at least one and to a lesser extent all of the questions. Summarizing the close ended responses, one must reCOgnize that the three questions did not adequately allow enough flexibil- ity in the responses and therefore produced the previous discrep- -20- ancies given. (The pretest of the interview guide disclosed the same problem and the responses were enlarged on this basis.) Some measure of discrimination is detected, however, inasmuch as 28 responses, including the qualified responses, out of a total 36 were given that indicate this. In the examination of Open ended responses to other ques- tions, a limited number of respondents directly or indirectly in- dicated the existence of discrimination. Two respondents, answering question 6 of section I con- cerning an evaluation of social work's effectiveness in contrib- uting to the resolution of Civil Rights problems, made the fol- lowing explanations: " . . . However, though social workers are sympathetic with Civil Rights they tend to come from the middle class so that when their loyalties are tested their stand is not clear." " . . . Lansing social workers are largely ineffective and do not communicate with Civil Rights groups. There are more Negroes in Detroit and more Negro social work- ers. This helps." On questions one and two of section III concerning social workers taking more initiative in encouraging interracial place- ment of children in boarding homes or adoption, one respondent stated: " . . . to not offer this Opportunity would be discrimin- ation." Although the majority of respondents on the previous two questions agreed that such opportunities should be available, -2:- there was not a substantial consensus showing an inferred indi- cation Of discrimination if this should not be done. Finally on question three of section III, concerning the advocated role of Social Work, one individual stated that the profession should: " . . . Encourage future employment in the professional and office help of all races." In summarizing, the data as related to this first hypoth- esis does tend to support it. Since this area of investigation was quite sensitive, as noted in the reluctance and ambivalence of most respondents answering the questions; to substantially support this hypothesis, one would need to reconstruct the ques- tions to allow more flexibility in the responses. Nevertheless, it is still suspected that difficulty would be encountered in an investigation of this kind and it is thought that substantial and conclusive evidence would be hard to come by. To repeat, the data illustrates a tendency to support this hypothesis. CHAPTER V COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SOCIAL WORK AND CIVIL RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS HYPOTHESIS: Civil Rights advocates believe the profession of Social Work does not communicate its prOgrams, policies, and goals concerning Civil Rights to Civil Rights Organizations. The following four charts disclose the distribution of responses on questions A, 5, and 7 of section I and question 1 of section II of the interview guide. TMEEZ SOCIAL WORK AWARENESS OF CIVIL RIGHTS PROBLEM Great Deal Some Little None A 6 2 O TABLE 3 AMOUNT OF LACK OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SOCIAL WORK AND CIVIL RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS Great Deal Some Little None -22.. -23- TABLE A KNOWLEDGE AND CLARITY OF SOCIAL WORK‘S STAND ON CIVIL RIGHTS Clearly Somewhat Clearly Stated Unclear Ambiguous Unknown 1 l O 10 TABLE 5 KNOWLEDGE OF SOCIAL WORK'S SUPPORT ON THE CIVIL RIGHTS BILL Yes No Can't Say The previous four close-ended questions were answered with little or no apparent difficulty. Nineteen answers out of twenty- four (see Tables 4 and 5) indicated that the respondents did not know Social Work's stand on Civil Rights or its position on the Civil Rights Bill.- Furthermore one of the two individuals select- ing an answer other than "unknown" on Social Work's stand on Civil Rights added, after answering the question, something to the ef- fect of, "If they don't they should In any case I believe they do." -2135... All twelve respondents agreed there was a lack of communica- tion (see Table 3) with a clear majority indicating it was severe. Finally, all twelve respondents believed the Profession of Social Work is aware of the issues and problems of Civil Rights to some extent (see Table.2). One might deduct then that these Civil Rights advocates feel the problem is not one which must be communicated to Social Workers. Assuming the risk of Speculat- ing somewhat, the underlying implication of this belief could pos- sibly be part of the basis that Civil Rights advocates hold the profession responsible for the perceived lack of communication. Before summarizing this data, the writer will consult the related data on the open-ended questions. Three respondents when evaluating Social Work's effective- ness in contributing to the resolution of Civil Rights problems (question 6, section I) clearly indicated the problem of communi- cation existed. An example of this is seen in one respondent's answer which is as follows: " . . . There is not the communication there should be between Civil Rights and Social Work. Historically they Social Workers have not communicated with direct action groups . . ." Nine respondents recommended that more communication is needed, when answering the question concerning Social Work's advocated role (question 3, section III) and further stated that this should be done through such means as speaking out, educational -25- prOgrams and press releases. An example of these responses can be seen in the following two statements: " . . . Social Workers should inform the public more on what they do and where they stand. PeOple don't know what their services are and how to use them. Need more communication." " . . . Develop an educational program within the pro- fession to be directed at those social workers whose daily work does not involve work in Civil Rights. De- velop press releases and public relations efforts to let the public know where the NASW stands on Civil Rights." In summarizing this data the responses demonstrate a significant and clear cut majority of respondents that believe there is a definite lack of communication between Civil Rights organizations and Social Work. The data furthermore suggests that the majority of these respondents believe that the Profession of Social Work is largely responsible for this breakdown. Both close ended and open ended questions concerning related data sup- port these two premises. On the foregoing basis the writer would assert that the second hypothesis is confirmed through the data ascertained. CHAPTER VI INCONSISTENT OR CONFLICTING BEHAVIOR IN SOCIAL WORK HYPOTHESIS: Civil Rights advocates believe the personal and pro- fessional activities of the social worker in rela- tion to Civil Rights are inconsistent and often in conflict with asserted professional values and con- victions. The following three tables disclose the distribution of responses on question 6 of section I and questions 2 and 3 of section II of the interview guide. TABLE 6 EVALUATION OF SOCIAL WORK'S EFFECTIVENESS IN CONTRIBUTING TO THE RESOLUTION OF THE.CIVIL RIGHTS PROBLEM Completely Excellent Good Fair Poor Ineffective O 2 7 2 l TABLE 7 EVALUATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS' PREVIOUS CONTRIBUTION THROUGH THEIR ACTIVITY IN RELATION TO THE 7 AREAS OF CIVIL RIGHTS LEGISLATION Yes No Can't Say Qualified Responses 7 1 3 l -2iL -2?- TABLE 8 ENCOURAGEMENT OF N.A.S.W. TO PRACTITIONERS TO JOIN IN CIVIL RIGHTS DEMONSTRATIONS Yes No Before presenting the analysis of the responses shown in the previous tables, it is advisable that the reader understand the basic contentions underlying two of the three questions. A general evaluation of Social Work's effectiveness in contributing to the resolution of Civil Rights problems (question 6, Table 6) was asked for and the respondent was allowed to quali- fy or explain his answer. The qualification or explanation was seen as a means to answer an underlying question, i.e., "Did the activity of Social Work reflect agreement with what Civil Rights advocates perceived as Social Work's Role?" The perceived role would, of course, be determined by the perceived values and con- victions of the profession as understood by the respondents. It was contended here that the activities would not reflect argument with the perceived role. A more limited evaluation of Social Work's role was later attempted (question 2, Table 7) referring only to the seven areas Of the Civil Rights Bill. The question here concerned whether these close ended responses would support or contradict the previ- w-‘ ”w_ '0‘ ‘. ' " -28- ous evaluation. Finally it was contended (question 3, Table 8) that Civil Rights advocates would vigorously encourage the participation of social workers in Civil Rights demonstrations and would further- more see it as a professional obligation due to the perceived values and convictions of the profession. The allowance for a qualifying response on this question was anticipated to allow the respondent to further support or deny such a contention. This contention plus the previous contention referred to in relation to question 6 furnished the basis upon which this third and final hypothesis rested. It should be made perfectly clear to the reader at this time that the interpretation and analysis of this data presented a seri- ous problem. Although the previous questions were designed to secure data related to the hypothesis under consideration, it is believed that most of the data does not do this. Rather, the data seems to relate more to advocated role change as Opposed to incon- sistent or conflicting role behavior. There does exist, however, a limited amount of information which would support the hypothesis. By way of explanation the fellowing descriptions should give the reader an idea of the range and variety of the qualifying re- sponses ascertained. On question 6, concerning the general evaluation of Social Work's effectiveness, the following four responses were given: " . . . Social workers who have had experience and/or contact in Civil Rights are well informed and knowledge- -I_‘n7» "lFfl,im"Wga- #“— i _, — e » , -29- able but, being a new profession, they are not yet a part of the power structure and therefore are not in a role to make major decisions." (This individual's choice of the close ended responses was: completely ineffective). ",. . . Social workers are increasingly building their programs emphasizing them towards the disturbed peOple rather than the deprived. They show little interest in work with culturally deprived and this would include the Civil Rights problem." (This individual's choice of the close ended responses was: fair.) " . . . A lot of the social workers seem to be afraid of their job. They don't want to stick their neck out for what they know is the right thing to do." (This individual's choice of the close ended responses was: poor.) " . . . The problems that one sees in Civil Rights are often not the business of social workers. Rating of fair then must be interpreted in light of services of social workers which are not always the same. The solution of these problems does not primarily remain in the realm of the social worker." From this raw data the reader can see that although the third reSponse tends to support the hypothesis, it would be diffi- cult and perhaps begging the question to attempt to relate the other three responses to confirming or rejecting the hypothesis. The other question concerning a more limited evaluation (Table 7) discloses that seven of the twelve reSpondents have credited Social Work with some contribution to one or more of the service areas of the Civil Rights Bill. This question did appear somewhat vague to the respondents, yet the majority did feel that some contribution had been made. It does, however, appear to sup- port the rating of "Fair" which was also used by seven respondents on question 6. -30. A similar problem to that which question 6 encountered was apparent in relation to the encouragement of social workers participating in Civil Rights Demonstrations, (question 3, Table 8). In fact all close ended questions were not generally explained or qualified in terms of a completely positive or negative reac- tion but rather a blend or gray area prevailed. In other words a Yes under certain conditions described was changed to a No and vice versa. The Open ended responses ranged from an emphatic or cau- tious Yes to an emphatic or cautious No as illustrated by the fol- lowing two responses. " . . . (Yes) There should be a very careful analysis of what the action is. In other words there are some actions they should participate in (March on Washington) and some they shouldn't. The social worker should not impair his work in the community and should look to re- serve his professional status. In those actions where there is wide representation they should join." " . . . (No) It would be inconsistent with his role." Furthermore three respondents stated this should be an in- dividual, not a professional decision. On the other hand three respondents clearly stated it was a professional and moral obliga- tion and three other respondents indicated social workers should participate but did not call it a professional or moral obligation. In summary, although the last question tends to encourage the idea of social workers participating in Civil Rights Demonstra- tions, the relationship of all the data to the hypothesis under IV C... ' 4“???"w—‘Wfi—c j:'_r -- -31- consideration is questionable. On the foregoing basis it is believed that the data does not clearly relate itself to either the confirmation or the re- jection of the hypothesis. Although there is seen some confusion in this data, it does appear to relate itself to role change. This, of course, will be the subject of the next chapter. CHAPTER VII THE ADVOCATED ROLE OF THE SOCIAL WORKER The purpose of this chapter is to present data which tends to describe the advocated role of the social worker as perceived by Civil Rights advocates. Five questions were specifically designed to allow each respondent some flexibility to comment on the social worker's future role with special emphasis on the last question which was completely Open ended. Related data will be used, however, from any questions that have elicited pertinent material. To facilitate the presentation of the following material, this chapter will be divided into two sections, A and B. Section A will deal with close ended questions which may or may not have allowed for qualifications, Section B will deal primarily with the final question of the interview guide. SECTION A Three respondents when explaining their answers concerning the evaluation Of Social Work's effectiveness (question 6, Table 6) indicated that Social Work concentrates its programs on the disturbed as Opposed tO the deprived. It was further indicated that most persons experiencing difficulty in relation to Civil Rights problems would fit into the latter category. This comment was repeated at other points in the study and will, therefore, be .3}. given further attention in section B. As the reader will recall, eight respondents indicated that social workers should participate in Civil Rights demonstra- tions, (question 5, Table 8), while four were against such a prac— tice. Recalling also the discrepancies previously discussed, one can see that although the tendency is to encourage the participa- tion of social workers, this should not necessarily be based on a professional Obligation, but rather on the individual's decision to do so. The following responses were elicited concerning the possi- bility of a Community Chest financed Civil Rights organization in Lansing (question 4, section II). TABLE 9 CHEST SUPPORT OF A CIVIL RIGHTS ORGANIZATION Yes No Undecided As social workers and their agencies are Often seen as con- nected to the Community Chest, possibly having some influence on the decisions made, this question sought to determine if an appro- priate way of helping Civil Rights advocates would be to encourage and help influence the Chest to accept and finance such an organi- zation with local funds. As far as can be determined, the responses ~33- shown speak for themselves. There was little apparent hesita- tion on the part of most persons to respond to this question with the exception that a few had some negative feelings concern- ing the Urban League which was used as an example. Although no qualification was allowed, a few individuals added that they knew Of examples Of other communities doing this. On the other hand, those that disagreed seemed to feel this was a responsibil- ity of the local or state government. In summary, Social Work's support was advocated by the majority of the group as a way in which it could help. Having social workers assume more initiative in encourag- ing more widespread practice of interracial boarding homes and adoptions (questions 1 and 2, section III) elicited the follow— ing responses: TABLE 10 PLACEMENT OF A NON—WHITE CHILD IN A WHITE BOARDING HOME Yes NO Can't Say ll 1 O Ll -35- TABLE 11 ADOPTION OF A NON-WHITE CHILD BY A WHITE COUPLE Yes NO Can't Say All respondents were given the Opportunity to qualify their answers after having first given their response to the close-ended parts Of the question. The key word in this question was "initiative." Would Civil Rights advocates encourage social workers to take more initiative in making interracial placements as a method of helping Civil Rights? The answer to this underlying question, as indicated by the following discussion Of qualifying remarks, is NO. As one can see, a clear majority, eleven of twelve, said "yes" to boarding home policies and more than half, eight of twelve, said "yes" to interracial adoption. However, a clear majority took the decision out of the hands Of the social worker by stating that it is the boarding home parents or adOpting couple who make the final decision. It was indicated that social workers should make available the Opportunity but that they, as well as the foster par- ents, should be very aware of the complicating factors. The three following responses will give the reader some in— sight into the nature of the qualifying remarks. -36- " . . . Color is a determining factor only if social prejudice exists. Since it does exist then the child's welfare comes first. The placement therefore should rest in the hands of competent boarding home or adoptive parents if suitable occasions arise. How- ever, the children should not be used as cannon fodder or shock absorbers in overcoming racial prejudice. If the right combination exists, then color should not be a determining factor." (This person said Yes to both questions.) " . . . The process Of qualifying a boarding home, if it is sound and where the home meets the criteria, is the important factor. There should not be rejection on the basis of race or rigid adherence to a placement on the basis of race. Something can be gained by these biracial boarding home situations. . . This adoption should not be initiated. But where requests are made for a child of a different race and the foster parents meet the specifications and requirements, this could be done." (This person said Yes to boarding homes and No to adoption.) " . . . The environment of a child means a lot. The child would feel out of place. Everyone has some kind of prejudice. Parents of the same race will feel more comfortable with the child. Mixture would create con- flict." (This person said NO to both questions.) In essence, although most respondents felt the Opportunity should be made available, the racial factor clearly was subordin- ate to the overall process of evaluation of the boarding home or adOptive parents. Only one individual stated social workers should initiate this practice if necessary. The majority, however, did not feel this was a decision social workers should make one way or the other. In this area, then, no role change was indicated except in an agency where such a practice was impossible regardless Of the circumstances. -37- SECTION B This final question (number 3 of section III) attempted to place the respondent in the position of one who had been asked to address an NASW conference with the sole purpose Of suggesting and/or recommending additional activities social workers might assume in relation to the Civil Rights problem. If encouragement was necessary the writer would add, "Let's as- sume social workers are really interested in helping, but they just don‘t know how to go about it. What observations and recom- mendations would you make?" The following observations and/or recommendations were made by two or more Of the respondents. The number following the response is to indicate how many individuals suggested the same observation or recommendation. 1. Communication and Education-- Social workers should communicate their programs, policies and goals concern- ing Civil Rights to Civil Rights Organizations. The social workers are also in a position to help eduCate the public in terms Of the human side of the problem. (9 respondents) 2. Political Involvement--Social workers should become ac- tive in politics and give active support to the Civil Rights Bill. Again they can represent the human side in politics. (6 respondents) -38- 3. Research-~Social workers should investigate through research methods, some of the problems of Civil Rights, i.e., housing, education, employment, and report their findings to the community. (6 respondents) 4. Reporting Discrimination--Social workers by way of their jobs are in a position to detect and even verify inci- dents Of discrimination concerning their clients. They should report these incidents to the proper authority. (5 respondents) 5. Joining Civil Rights Organizations--If social workers are really interested in the problems and want to help, they should join an organization here in Lansing. In this way we could help each other. (3 respondents) 6. Self Examination--Social workers should look within their programs, policies, and goals to determine if they are un- wittingly or unknowingly discriminating or encouraging discrimination. (2 re5pondents) 7. Challenge the Power Structure~~Social workers should chal- lenge the power structure and stOp the process of them being dictated to by the community. (2 respondents) Since the above seven statements have been written in an at- tempt to summarize the similar recommendations of each respondent, it may be helpful to the reader to see two examples of the raw data ascertained from the respondents. The reader will notice that each statement in the total response is numbered as a different Observa- -39- tion and/or recommendation made by the same respondent. " . . .(l)Social workers can do a great deal to help change the image of the minority group. He has the professional knowledge through his experience with these groups. They could help through educational programs, speaking up, pub— licity, and full participation. (2) Get into politics and lobby on the current bill. The social worker can, due to his training, introduce the human side Of problems in pol— itics. (Referral to T.V. program, 'East Side,West Side.')" " . . .(1)The Social Work involvement and activity in Civil Rights is not communicated to Civil Rights groups. On this basis it leads one tO believe they are not involved in a leadership position as their theoretical commitments would indicate they should be. Must take a more active role in Civil Rights Organizations." (This comment was one of the few that did suggest inconsistency or conflict in the pro- fession.) "(2) Social workers hesitate to challenge the power structure of the community. This is an unrealistic position and prevents them from dealing with this problem. (3) Social Work activity Often centers on the results of problems rather than the causes, i.e., work with disturbed rather than the deprived. (e) Michigan State Social Work Curriculum is slanted more at disturbed rather than deprived. Personal orientation seems to be directed in clinical psych- ological approach. It should bring in more economics, his- tory, and political science to arrive at basic causes. (5) Social Work should assume active leadership roles in all issues leading towards social action. Also take roles in other organizations to help culturally deprived groups in such areas as the school system, labor unions, etc." As the reader will recall, Section A of this chapter disclosed three responses to question 6 concerning a perceived focus of Social Work as being on the disturbed rather than the deprived. Recommenda- tion 3 of this last complete quote of raw data repeats this same observation. The writer now would like to acknowledge this observa- tion as well as the general recommendation #2 concerning political involvement and relate these two factors to some additional sources -40- of Social Work literature and activity. If the reader will bear with the writer at this point, the purpose for doing this should become self evident. Bearing the two previous factors in mind, then, the fol- lowing material has been extracted from relatively current Social Work literature and, in one case, a very recent speech. Alan D. Wade in his article entitled "Social Work and Polit- ical Action" referred to the activity Of the dedicated old maids of Social Work who, battling problems Of poverty and mental health, became the pioneers of the profession of Social Work. In compar- ing the present social worker to these "Old maids" Wade states, "The great majority of us, however, seeking to avoid guilt that must inevitably come as a result of comparison with these illustri- ous forebears, seek refuge in rationalization; we point out, on the one hand, that the conditions of modern urban life do not offer enough abuses to elicit the same degree of intense community con- cern that our turn-of—the-century colleagues commanded and, on the other hand, that these same conditions are so complex as tO elude or exceed the resources of the profession. Our response has been our continuing preoccupation as a profession with mastering the devel- Oping methods and techniques for dealing with the problems Of in- dividuals and small groups."12 Wade later continues by stating, "For four decades, we have been largely preoccupied with the complex lelan D. Wade, "Social Work and Political Action," Journal Of Social Work, Vol. VIII (October 1963), No. A, p. 3. -fiq- I task of develOping professional method for application to the dis- ruption suffered by individuals and small groups. As our services become more SOphisticated, many of our 'better' agencies and those who man them have tended to lose touch with the basic bread and butter problems and everyday survival needs of the poor."13 When speaking of social reform through political action, Wade indicates that there seem to be many barriers preventing social workers from participating. In explaining he states, "Among these are the widespread view among social workers that politics is a dirty business and that it is beneath our dignity to engage in it; . . ." He further adds, “It must be remembered, that if politics is dirty, it is dirty because it is profoundly human."1 Many people are under the impression that reform movements seek radical changes. This is not so according to Victoria Olds who states, "A reform movement seeks no radical change in the social structure: The scope of objectives is limited to change in specific behaviors. The participants accept the prevailing mores and codes of ethics. It appeals to the middle class and seeks a favorable public reaction. Its primary function is to reaffirm the ideal values of society."15 13 ll+Ibido , Po 9. Wade, Op. cit., p. 8. 15Victoria Olds, "Sit Ins: Social Action to End Segrega- tion," Journal of Social Work, (April, 1961), p. 21. -he- In a most recent article, April 1964, W. Joseph Heffernan, Jr. discloses the results of an exploratory study he did concern- ing the political activity of Social Work executives in relation to becoming active in partisan politics. Six of the fourteen ex- ecutives interviewed were employed in Lansing, the other eight re- siding in Durham, North Carolina. Heffernan refers, as did Wade, to the drastic alteration of the methods and techniques between the pioneers of Social Work and current day social workers. The interviews, however, allow one to gain Some insight into this be- havior and to identify with the conflicting position that Social Work executives find themselves in. In terms, then, of political activity and action one reSpondent stated, "You work as a lobbyist not for particular bills but for Social Work values. For instance, I would have no objection to being quoted personally as in favor of extended public housing but it would do more good to get my board chairman to be quoted because he has more influence in the community than I do. But if I were quoted in favor of integrated public hous- ing-~well, I am working in the south and this would hurt me in other things I would want to do."16 Another respondent, referring to the idea that the Democratic Party is more in accord with the goals of social workers than the Republican Party, stated, "I agree with the statement in terms that 6 l W. Joseph Heffernan, Jr., "Political Activity and Social Work Executives," Journal of Social Work, (April l96h), Vol. IX, No. 29 P0 210 —us. I vote Democratic. I believe that it's true from a more lOgical point of view too. But I have to put over a fund drive so I re- frain from playing an active role in the party. County is solidly Republican and the peOple I work with in the community are prominent in that party. My own identification with the Dem- ocratic Party might hurt the fund drive and I simply can’t afford to do that."17 Heffernan's article does lay bare some of the internal con- flicts that Social Work executives must contend with in the polit- ical realm. Yet he would suggest to give this matter further con- sideration, perhaps through research, instead of avoiding the conflict while seeking a state of equilibrium. Finally, the State Journal of Lansing published two arti- cles based on two different presentations within a one week period of time, both of which concerned the role of the social worker. In its May lkth issue it repeated the charge made by Dr. Herman D. Stein at Michigan State University's 20th Anniversary Social Work Institute under the title of "Hits Social Agencies in Use of Aid." In essence Dr. Stein stated that volunteer social agencies were de- voting too much time and resources to middle class families and not enough to the very poor. Furthermore in the Journal's May 22nd issue, a publication entitled "Social Workers Facing Test in Civil Rights, Says Speaker" was noted. This speech was presented by 17Heffernan, op. cit., p. 21. 4+4- Burton I. Gordin, the new director of the Michigan Civil Rights Commission, at the Lansing Community Services Council's annual luncheon. According to this publication Burton stated, "that the need for social workers, trained to handle the social action of the race movement, is acute." However, Burton was said to have first challenged the social workers to be sure they and their agencies are free of discrimination. Incidentally Mr. Gordin is a fully trained social worker, having secured his Mas- ter of Social Work degree. In summary it would seem as if the data secured on the ad- vocated role of the social worker in many ways reflects and echoes the same themes the five previous social workers have brought for- ward. Although the writer has perhaps belabored this comparison, it is offered so that the reader can acknowledge what appears to be a steadily growing undercurrent within the profession. The Civil Rights problem has offered an excellent Opportunity to ex- plore and crystallize this evaluation of Civil Rights advocates. Although a good many other observations and recommendations were individually made by each respondent, the writer will have to leave these for lack of time and space. The advocated role of the social worker as seen by this group of Civil Rights advocates makes it sufficiently clear that the profession does have a role to fulfill and, in many cases, it is not being fulfilled in the manner expected. From both within and outside the profession, recommendations are forthcoming which -45- certainly deserve further consideration. This chapter has men- tioned but a few of these possibilities. CHAPTER VIII CONCLUSION Having advanced this far under the cloak of "the writer," I shall now discard this accepted practice of technical writers so as to enable me to speak as directly as possible about the conclusions of this study. I shall not attempt to review the data or emphasize any of the anticipated findings as I feel this , would be repetitious. I will, however, take an overview of this study and reflect on several unanticipated findings and/or events that appear to be of pertinence. At the time this study was being conducted, several sig- nificant developments were beginning to emerge out of the IOCal chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. Fortun- ately the data was collected prior to these develOpments becoming known to the respondents in this study. By way of explanation, the N.A.S.W. chapter has recently entered a statement in the Lansing State Journal supporting the Civil Rights Bill. It is also currently in the process of develOping an overall policy statement on Civil Rights which includes some recommendations to be quickly implemented. (See Appendix for the rough draft of this statement.) The basis for this somewhat abrupt change is a matter of speculation. However these changes would Obviously have affected this research project to a considerable extent in relation -46- ". 3"" ‘r‘7QWsphwaMH' ‘_r-rr~‘~l‘. ._,_-. fit-'7 ~.« » .h?. to at least the hypothesis concerning communication. If the present interpretation or analysis of the data reflects this in any way, it of course would be due to the circumstances cited. As I reviewed a sample of Social Work Literature and Ac- tivity, it was inevitable that a comparison with the findings of this exploratory study would be made. Two relatively unantici- pated discoveries emerged. First there appears to be a stunning agreement, with but few exceptions, between those few writers and speakers from the profession of Social Work who were cited here in this study and the Civil Rights Advocates who were interviewed. I would merely suggest that if we social workers would keep an ear to the ground within our own profession on issues other than pro- fessional decorum and, at the same time, learn to establish better communication with groups such as Civil Rights, we might find that the condition described by Victoria Olds, i.e., avoidance of con- flict while seeking a state of equilibrium, would appear with less frequency in our profession. It may well be that we have more allies than we suspect and that actions considered to be radical, inappro_ priate and self defeating are in actuality excellent Opportunities for constructive change and adjustment. At the very least we should explore these possibilities as Wade, Heffernan and Olds sug— gest if we are to make use of all Opportunities available. Secondly, it would have been one thing to find that the pro- fession was not engaged in any way with Civil Rights Activities. However, prior to recent events, there were a few social workers ”I “*-' .‘ I " ym a—HQ~!.*=~P..__d~-.—:1 1. AM” - 1, ,“ -ua- directly concerned with this problem as indicated through their publications or activity. It is alarming when considering the impression I received, i.e., that the majority of these social workers belonged to minority groups. Although this must not be interpreted as a matter of fact, it is a matter that appears to warrant further investigation. Acting through one's personal concern is one thing; acting as a professional Social Worker is en- "‘~ “C‘K‘tfi tirely another. Finally I feel that this eXploratory study, within its obvious limitations, has accomplished its main purpose. The hy- potheses, with their underlying contentions, have been subjected to examination through research methods and techniques. With the exceptions of the hypothesis concerning communication which was substantially supported, and the descriptive data concerning the advocated role of the social worker, this research has, in fact, produced discrepancies and, in this sense, contributed to a greater awareness of the complexity and ambivalence one can ex- pect to encounter in studying such a problem. I would hOpe, then, that future research projects in this area will be able to make constructive use of this data and find— ings so as to enable them to gain a greater understanding and pro- duce more definitive hypotheses in their quest for knowledge. This, in essence, is the best measure of the effectiveness of an exploratory study. H -- 1:»: .. an . -__-.-——r-.—-—. ---- ..._..., — -—-— H, -*—--—-- BIBLIOGRAPHY A;__§225§ 1961 United States Commission on Civil Rights Report, Superintend- ent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, 25, D.C. (5 volumes) United States Commission on Civil Rights. Equal Protection of the Laws in Public Higher Education. Washington, 25, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1961. B. Journal Articles Heffernan, W. Joseph, Jr. "Political Activity and Social Work Ex- ecutives," Journal of Social Work, (April 1964), Vol. IX, No. 2, pp. 18~23. Olds, Victoria. "Freedom Rides: A Social Movement as an Aspect of Social Change," Journal of Social Work, (July 1963), Vol. VIII, No. 3. Olds, Victoria. "Sit Ins: Social Action to End Segregation," Journal of Social Work, (April 1961). Simmons, Leonard C. "Crow Jim: Implications for Social Work," Journal of Social Work, (July 1963), Vol. VIII, No. 3. Wade, Alan D. "Social Work and Political Action," Journal of Social Work, (October 1963), Vol. VIII, No. 4, pp. 3-10. C. Magazine Articles Black, Hillel. "This is War," The Saturday Evening Post, January 25, 1964, pp. 60-63. Harris, Louis, Bradlee, Benjamin 33 El. "The Negro in America," Newsweek, LXII, July 29, 1963, pp. 15-34. Harris, Louis, Cannon, James ££.El° "What the White Man Thinks of the Negro Revolt," Newsweek, LXII, October 21, 1963, pp. 44-57. _.________ Lyford, Joseph P. "PrOposal for a Revolution," Saturday Review, October 26, I963. Massie, Robert K. "Harlem Goes to War Against the Slumlords," The Saturday Evening Post, February 29, 1964, pp. 71—75. Ik9- '_‘ '. ...." .'-"-‘ or“ 2mm q .-h. L...» L—4.7'4~ ~— I“!— *k -50- "Negro Leaders Tell Their Plans for '64," U.S. News and World Re- uort, Vol. LVI, No. 8, February 24, 1964, p. 56. D. Pamphlets AFL-CIO, Equal Rights for All-~The AFL-CIO Position. Washington, D.C.: AFL-CIO Dept. of Publications, 1964. Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith. Prejudice in Children: A Conversation with Dr. Spock. New York: Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, 1963. km Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith. What the High School Students Say. New York: Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, 196i. The Department of Public Instruction. The Treatment of Minority Groups in Textbooks. Lansing, Michigan: The Department of Public Instruction, I963. i E. Bulletins Washington Bulletin. House Report on Civil Rights Bill, HR 7152. F. Speeches Bohanon, M. Leo. "Civil Rights--A Social Welfare Concern," Paper read before the Michigan Welfare League 1963 Annual Confer- ence, Lansing, Michigan, November 19, 1963. Littman, Sol J. "Remarks for Michigan Welfare League Conference," Michigan Welfare League 1963 Annual Conference, Lansing, Michigan, November 19, 1963. Young, Whitney M. "Remarks," Paper read before the 1964 Biennial Conference of United Community Funds and Councils of America, Cincinnati, Ohio, February 6, 1954. G. News or Newsletters N.A.S.W. News. Vol. 9, No. 2, February, 196%. National Assn. of Social Workers, 2 Park Avenue, New York 16, New York. Executive Newsletter. United Community Funds and Councils of America, 345 E. 46th St., New York 17, New York. Vol. 9, Number 27. APPEN DI CES "V ~“",“ 4" Fir—1" (’4 ' If—V’_:: I“? --.—-,rv——- wane“! (‘7' cry: ‘9 ‘=-' RESULTS OF PRE-TEST This pre-test of the interview guide was conducted during the latter part of March. The purpose of this was to evaluate the effectiveness of the questions and to determine if the type of data secured would relate to the verification or rejection of Three Civil Rights Advocates were inter- the prOposed hypotheses. all of whom met conditions one and two as discussed in the viewed, On the basis of this pre-test the follow- sample (see page 13). ing modifications or changes were made in the interview guide and the design itself. Questions one through six of section I did not allow the Further- respondent enough flexibility in the allowed responses. more question 3 was somewhat ambiguous which was reflected in two of the three respondents' resistance and inability to answer it. On the foregoing basis question 3 was thrown out and responses for questions one through six were changed from "Yes," "No" and "Undecided" to "a little," somewhat," "a great deal," and "none at Finally, on question 8 of section I the response of "unknown" all." was added as two respondents could not answer the question for this reason. Question 3 of section II was thrown out due to the duplica- tion of responses as noted in the final question of section III. Questions 1 and 2 of section III were changed from completely closed ended questions to a form which allowed for a qualifying All respondents indicated the desire to explain their answer. Lie; "h answers and this was seen as desirable upon the reexamination of the questions. The final change in the interview guide consisted of a minor revision of words in question 3 of section III. Upon the examination of data secured on the open ended questions, it was obvious that the material would not relate to either the confirmation or rejection of two of the three hypoth- eses. On this basis the latter two hypotheses were thrown out and two others were formulated to replace them. The first hypoth- esis concerning discrimination within the profession seemed appro- priate even though the questions met with some difficulty. As has been explained, these questions were made more flexible so the hypothesis in question remained unchanged. - i 5" V ’1’." ww._.__. 7.. - -~..-.—-—_. ~H,. QQESTIONNAIRE Name Place of Birth Date of Birth Civil Rights Experience (years) Sex Occupation Income Current Capacity in under $5000 Parent Committee between 85-10,000 over 810,000 Significant Positions Previously Held Religion Education (years) SECTION I (1) (2) (3) (h) (5) Do you feel social work agencies discriminate in their hiring J policies concerning staff positions? a little some a great deal not at all Do you feel social workers discriminate in relation to the type of clients they now serve? a little some a great deal not at all Do you feel that social workers adequately strive to get indiv— iduals of all races on their agency boards? a little some a great deal not at all Do you feel social workers are aware of the issues and problems involved in civil rights? a little some a great deal not at all Do you feel there is any lack of communication between social workers and civil rights organizations? a little some a great deal not at all _ F‘ -- ‘ ' _‘ — _—:___‘,‘—-_ Lghe -2- (6) If you were to rate the Profession of Social Work in terms of its effectiveness in contributing to the resolution of issues and problems in civil rights, would you rate it: Excellent Good Fair Poor Completely Ineffective Could you briefly explain this answer? (7) Do you feel social work's position in relation to its stand on civil rights is: clearly stated somewhat unclear clearly ambiguous unknown SECTION II The Civil Rights Bill now in the U.S. Senate covers seven areas. They are: Voting, Public accommodations, Public faCilities, Pub- lic education, Civil Rights Commission, Federally asSisted programs and Equal employment Opportunity. (1) To the best of your knowledge do you feel the Profession of Social Work gives its support to the passage of this bill? Yes No Can't Say (2) Do you feel that social work has previously recognized and given these areas consideration in their programs, progects and services? Yes No Can't Say -3- The civil rights movement has given rise to a number of methods and techniques to accomplish their goals. The sit-ins, boycot- ting, and freedom marches are well known. (3) Do you feel the Profession of Social Work should actively encourage its members to participate in these programs as members of different religious groups are now doing? Yes No Could you explain your answer? There are a number of civil rights organizations in the Greater Lansing Area. One which seems to have a good deal of support is the Urban League. To date there is no civil rights organization that receives local Community Chest money although the Urban League has applied. (4) Do you feel that the Lansing Community Chest should make available money to support an organization like the Urban League, if not this agency itself? Yes No Undecided ‘ SECTION III Social workers often find themselves in a very critical and influ- ential position in relation to giving help to individual and iimily needs and problems. In the field of adoption, for instance, hiigr decisions carry very significant and permanent effeCts on a c and a married couple. Would you advocate social workers taking more initiative in en— couraging the following kinds of poliCies? mm.” 'vw :" " ‘Y q.‘ “mm _ -_m~ ..- fa-- « .. -1+- Placement of a non-white child in a white boarding home (1) Yes No Can't say Adoption of a non-white child by a white couple (2) Yes No Can't say Could you give an eXplanation of your answer? The Profession of Social Work has advocated certain values and con- victions which are based on the dignity and worth of any given in- dividual. Programs and services such as child welfare and marital counseling have thus evolved in an attempt to understand, protect and offer help to individuals, families, and communities. In rela- tion to the civil rights problem, where flagrant violations to these values and convictions exist, many social workers have at- tempted to help through such means as develOping committees at the community level to eXplore the specific problems there, by holding conferences on the local, state and national level, and be declar_ ing through the National Association of Social Workers a stand on Civil Rights which includes support of the current Civil Rights Bill in the Senate. In light of the previous activities, it is nevertheless true that many persons are not satisfied with Social Work's participation and have severely criticized it. Although the validity of the crit- icism may or may not be questionable, the very fact that it exists seems to suggest there may be additional roles or activity that Social Work could adept. 25m (3) If you were asked to be a speak at a Social Work Conference and specifically requested to comment on additional roles social workers might assume, in relation to Civil Rights, what would be some of your suggestions? Lansing—Jackson Chapter, National Association of Social Work POSITION STATEMENT ON HUMAN RIGHTS e lensing-Jackson NASW Chapter affirms its belief in equality of rights and portunity for all individuals regardless of race, color, creed, or national igin. Th3 chapter recognizes and accepts its professional and social responih- lity to help remove all forms of discrimination. implement the policy the chapter accepts the following specific objectives: ) To work vigorously for the passage of the l96h Civil Rights Bill in Congress without weakening amendments. We recognize that this bill is a minimum floor from which further gains in human rights must later be made. ) To support and strengthen existing constitutional and legislative provisions for human rights at the state and local levels. ) To support and strengthen both governmental and voluntary human relations commissions or coordinating groups which seek to promote human rights at the federal, state, and local levels. ) To work actively for the provision of social services without discrimination in Michigan and in our local communities. When equalitarian policies do not exist, they should be instituted. Where equalitarian policies are already in effect, they need the fullest possible implementation to prevent dg facto, subtle, often unintended, forms of discrimination which may Operate because of ignorance or unconscious bias. Therefore, the chapter calls upon individual social workers and citizen leaders of social welfare agencies continually to concern themselves with practices to insure conformity with enlightened civil Specifically, such an objective suggests: rights policies. (a) Elimination of all agency policies and agency or individual practices which have their origin in bias or prejudice, whether intended or un- intended. (b) Participation by qualified individuals from all major ethnic and income groups in social planning at the state and local levels. (c) Inclusion in practice, as well as in policy, of qualified individuals from all segments of the community on the governing bodies of social agencies; (d) Improvement and extension of professional practice as it deals with services to persons handicapped by prejudices and discrimination. (e) Elimination in practice, as well as in policy, of all forms of discrimi— nation and segregation in personnel actions of social agencies-- recruit- ment, selection, assignment, promotion and compensation; m .2“); ; .‘i. $1.455 l“ ‘ -- - e -‘- med v WW~’ (2) (f) Continuing concern on the part of the Michigan colleges and schools of social work with regard to the implementation of equalitarian practice, as well as policy, in respect to admission and placement for field training and the preparation of all social work students for effective work with minority groups through stronger emphasis on cultural content, in the curriculum; (g) Leadership by social work faculty and agency executives in the human rights movement so that they may serve as effective models for social work students and agency personnel in promoting and deepening their commitment to equali— tarian democratic values; (h) Provision of continuing staff training in all agencies to promote knowledge and application of cultural content to improve services to minority groups; (i) Leadership by community organization agencies in the promotion of community- wide assessment and implementation by all social agencies with respect to their policies and practices in the area of human rights--including the possibility of community institutes, professional seminars and joint citizen and professional conferences sponsored by community planning agencies; ) To work with other groups to eliminate social injustice from community life in .such specific areas as: (a) Employment, including equal opportunity for vocational training, hiring, and promotion; (b) Education, including the avoidance of d3 facto segregation resulting from segregated residential patterns; (c) Housing, including the support of open occupancy without restriction by color, creed, or national origin; (d) Poverty, including social and economic programs designed to lift the living standards of the lower quarter of our population. ) To urge individual chapter members to promote better human relationship between people of differing origin by; (a) Acceptin professional responsibility for doing what they can to carry out g these policies individually and through their agencies. (b) By establishing meaningful relationships with all members of the community on the simple level of friendship through contacts in offices, homes and community organizations--fully recognizing that.extraordinary efforts frequently will be required to break down the artifical barriers of a se- gregated community. MICHIGQN STQTE UNIV. LIBRRRIES | IIuumulimmjijiuiliimiiuin 312