Handbook of Clinical Sociology PDF
Preview Handbook of Clinical Sociology
Handbook of Clinical Sociology Handbook of Clinical Sociology EDITED BY HOWARD M. REBACH University of Maryland, Eastern Shore Princess Anne, Maryland AND JOHN G. BRUHN University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston, Texas Springer Science+Business Media, LLC Library of Congress Catalog1ng-1n-Publ1cat1on Data Handbook of clinical sociology / edited by Howard M. Rebach and John G. Bruhn. p. en. Includes bibliographical references. Includes Index. ISBN 978-0-306-43579-9 ISBN 978-1-4615-3782-3 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-1-4615-3782-3 1. Clinical sociology—Handbooks, Manuals, etc. I. Rebach, Howard M. II. Bruhn. John G.. 1934- [DNLM: 1. Social Medicine. 2. Sociology. Medical. WA 31 H23551 HM73.H315 1990 301—dc20 ONLM/DLC for Library of Congress 90-7998 CIP 1098 76543 © 1991 Springer Science+Business Media New York Originally published by Plenum Press, New York in 1991 All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher To Louis Wirth, Saul Alinsky, John Glass, Alfred McClung Lee, Sojourner Truth, "Mother"Jones, andJane Addams-all pioneers whose vision and dedication to social change and humanistic values have led to the creation and reemergence ofclinical sociology. We also dedicate this volume to the contributors and our other colleagues who labor in the vineyards. Contributors Rae Banks Adams, Department of Sociology, Abilene Christian University, Abilene, Texas 79699 Adrianne Bank, Graduate School of Education, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90024. Janet Mancini Billson, Department of Sociology and Women's Studies, Rhode Island College, Providence, Rhode Island 02908 Clifford M. Black, School of Community Service, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas 76203 DavidW. Britt, DepartmentofSociology, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michi gan 48202 JohnG.Bruhn,SchoolofAlliedHealthSciences,TheUniversityofTexasMedical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77550-2782 NathanChurch, DepartmentofCounselingand Health Sciences, Western Wash ington University, Bellingham, Washington 98225 Estelle Disch, Department of Sociology, University of Massachusetts, Boston, Massachusetts 02125-3393 RichardEnos,CenterforPublicService,SchoolofCommunityService,University of North Texas, Denton, Texas 76203 JackFerguson, UniversityofWindsor, Harper Hospital, Detroit, Michigan48201 Tamara Ferguson, Lafayette Clinic, Harper Hospital, Detroit, Michigan 48201 JanM.Fritz,DepartmentofSociology,CaliforniaStateUniversity,SanBernardino, California 92407-2397 vii viii CONTRIBUTORS John E. Holman, Institute of Criminal justice, School of Community Service, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas 76203 DavidJ. Kallen, Department ofPediatrics and Human Development, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824 Alfred McClungLee, Brooklyn College, City University ofNew York, Brooklyn, New York 11210, and Drew University, Madison, Newjersey 07940 Elliot D. Luby, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Harper Hospital, Detroit, Michigan 48201 Julia A. Mayo, Department of Psychiatry, St. Vincent's Hospital and Medical Center, New York, New York 10011 John S. Miller, College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, Arkansas 72204 James F. Quinn, Institute of Criminal justice, School of Community Service, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas 76203 Howard M. Rebach, Department of Social Sciences, University of Maryland, Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, Maryland 21853 Lance W. Roberts, Department ofSociology, University ofManitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3T 2N2 BruceSaunders, College ofEducation, University ofWashington, Seattle, Wash ington 98195, and Clinical Sociology Associates, Seattle, Washington 98115 Arthur B. Shostak, Department ofPsychology and Sociology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104 Yvonne M. Vissing, Family Research Laboratory, UniversityofNew Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire 03824, and Department of Pediatrics, Boston City Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02118 DavidW.Watts, CollegeofArtsand Sciences, Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond, Louisiana 70402 Nina B. Wright, High Risk Youth Prevention, San Marcos, Texas 78666 Foreword This book is a most welcome addition to the growing literature on sociological practice.Thereisawealthofwisdomandexperiencereflectedinthesechaptersas well as a wide variety ofexamples ofsociology in action. Clinical sociology, in its broadest sense, is the application of a sociological perspectivetofacilitatechange.Itspractitionersareprimarilychangeagentsrather than scholarsorresearchers, and workwithaclient, be thatan individual, family, group, organization, or community. The reappearanceand growthofclinical sociologyduring the pastdecade is therealizationofavisionofmine,borninthe1960sand1970soutofmyangerand frustration-firstasagraduatestudentand thenasa professor-thatsociologists, unlike their psychologicalbrethren, did not practicewhat they preached. Persons trainedinotherdisciplineswerepracticingclinicalsociology,andthosefewsociolo gists who did kept it a secret. TheClinicalSociologyAssociation, whichIcofoundedin 1978,haditsbegin nings at a roundtable I led at the American Sociological Association meetings in New York in 1976. I hadjustconcluded four years as the only sociologist on the facultyoftheCaliforniaSchoolofProfessionalPsychologyinLosAngelesteaching graduateclinicalpsychologystudentshowtodosociology.Isawsociologygivingup by default a role in change efforts that necessitate the consideration of social systems.Socialworkers,psychologists,politicalscientists,gerontologists,criminolo gists, marriageand family counselors, to namea few, haveeagerlygone where we had failed to tread. Practitioners in these fields, as social systems change agents, have carved a niche, often protecting themselves with licensing laws and other restrictions that make entry by sociologists difficult. Thus we are latecomers in a crowded field. Another problem facing thesociological practitioneris the invisibilityofsoci ology. Ifyouasktheaveragecitizenwhatasociologistis,youwilldowellifyougeta distinction from socialist or social worker. Anything beyond that is gravy! All too manyofus hide our identities as sociologists. My own recentexperience as man ager ofa community service program forjuvenileoffenders is an example. As a nonacademic sociologist, I often do not reveal my background, training, and ix x FOREWORD degree. I was socialized to believe that "real" sociologists become scholars and researchers and that working in the community is for social workers. Yetclinicalsociologycanonlyflourishifitspractitionersdogoodwork,identify themselvesassociologistsandtheirworkassociological,anddisseminatewhatthey dotoalargerpublic.Untilrecently,practitionershavenotwrittenmuchaboutwhat theydo, probablybecausetheydonothavethe time,opportunities,and incentives thatacademics have for getting published. Hopefully, this willchangeas the field matures. IalwayshavemarveledatKurtLewin'swonderfuldictum,"Thereisnothingso practicalasagoodtheory," whichisequallyvalidturnedaround:"Thereisnothing so theoretical as a good practice." Lewin also believed that the bestway to under standsomethingistotrytochangeit.Theoryandpracticearetwosidesofthesame coin. Good practice is informed and guided by theory; it is a creative process involving feelings, intuition, risk taking, and problem solving, as so many ofthe chaptersinthisbookamplyillustrate.Jan Fritz'scarefullydetailedandfascinating resurrectionofthelongandallbutforgotten historyofclinicalsociologycertainly gives a precedent for sociologists to be more involved as practitioners. Inmyowncommunity,IamseeingthelateSaulAlinsky'sbrillianttheoriesand strategies for community organization come alive as a newly formed community group in the San FernandoValley tackles graffiti, crime, and other problemsofa suburban area in transition. My own consulting experience with problems of moraleinacorporationcreditdepartmentled tothediscoveryofhowanalcoholic manager,andacodependentassistant,canaffectanentireworkgroupinahighly dysfunctionalmanner:anexampleofseeingthesystemicconsequencesofindivid ual behavior. There are limits to individual treatment. Societyincreasingly recognizes that powerlessness, homelessness, and drug abuse, for example, are not simply the individual derelictions ofdeviants but are also symptoms ofa disordered social system. Our society is facing unprecedented problems in health care, environ mental pollution, a changingwork force, and an aging population to namea few current conditions that have profound sociological aspects to their amelioration. Clinical sociology, despite its name, is not limited to healing the sick, as the rangeofworkdescribedinthisbookclearlyindicates.Iamgladtoseeachapteron public policy-on the nuts and bolts of making an impact at the societal level. Organizationalconsultingoffersa made-to-orderopportunity for clinicalsociolo gists to help solve problems when firms with different cultures merge, or when corporationsbecomemultinationalorattempttointegratedifferentethnicgroups intheirworkforce. Clinicalsociologistsseektounderstand thesocialdynamicsof the situation and intervene with this in mind. Clinicalsociologyintheeyesofitsproponentsisguidedbyhumanisticvalues,a prizingofcommunity, collaboration, concern for others, for theenvironment, for helping people to realize their potential in the social settings in which they find themselves. Finally, handbooks suchas this one, bythe natureoftheir titles, hard covers, and cost, are usually only found on the shelves of professors and libraries. That FOREWORD xi would be a shame with this book. Itshould be available to both introductoryand advanced students, scholars, policymakers, and practitioners in allied fields. Wang-Yang-Ming, a sixteenth-century Chinese philosopher, wrote, "Knowl edgeisabeginningofpractice;doingisthecompletionofknowing....Thosewho totheveryendoflifefailtopracticealsofailtounderstand."Thusclinicalsociology is a contemporary embodiment ofan ancient truth. JOHN F. GLASS Studio City, CalifOrnia Preface This book is an outgrowth ofthe reemergence ofclinical sociology as a formally organizedsubdiscipline. Inthelate1970s,agroupofsociologistsmetandformedthe ClinicalSociologyAssociation.Thisorganizationwasformedoutsidethemainstream ofsociology,largelybecausetheseindividualswereactivelyengagedinintervention andsocialchangebutdidnotfindmainstreamsociologysupportiveoftheirefforts. However, these individuals felt the need to establish a community ofinterest and shareinformation.Theyalsofeltthat,byorganizing,theycouldincreaseawareness ofsociological practice and be a catalyst for further developing the discipline. We feel that, aftera decade, it isappropriate to assessour presentstatus and suggestdirectionsforitsfurtherdevelopmentandencouragesociologistsandallied disciplines to join in the progress ofclinical sociology and sociological practice. Therefore,wesubmitthisbookwithsamplesofcontributionsfromclinicalsociolo gists over the past decade. OBJECTIVES In our selection of topics and chapters, we were guided by three principle objectives: (1)topresentarepresentativeselectionofcurrentpracticeactivitiesand issues; (2) to presentabroadspectrumofthe field; and (3) toexpose readers toa varietyofperspectives,general practiceconcerns,the practiceofclinicalsociology inspecificsettings,theworkofclinicalsociologistswithspecialpopulations,andto examine issues ofidentity and future directions ofclinical sociology. Thecontributorstothisvolumearethemselvesactivelyengagedintheapplica tion ofsociological knowledge, methods, and theory to active intervention. They workassociologists.Theircontributionsdrawheavilyontheirownworkinillustrat ingclinicalsociology; therefore, theHandbook providesa resourceanda guide for sociologists and others on how people have done clinical sociology. ORGANIZATION Thebookisorganizedaround practiceconcerns,specificsettings,andspecial populations as frameworks. In addition, we have attempted to cover the social xiii
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