» non-profits

Rethinking urban poverty from institutional and organizational perspectives

mariosmall — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 19:23:52 +0000

Urban organizations conference in Chicago! “The University of Chicago is hosting a conference entitled “Rethinking Urban Poverty for the 21st Century: Institutional and Organizational Perspectives” on March 10-11, 2011. As we enter the second decade of the 21st century, the prospects for U.S. cities remain uncertain. The promised reinvention of many former manufacturing centers has been halted in its tracks, as record budget deficits, limited growth prospects, and stubbornly high unemployment rates undermine urban recovery. The urban poor continue to bear most heavily the burden of a continuing housing crisis, chronically underperforming schools at a time of increasing returns to education, persistently high births to unmarried mothers, unprecedented rates of obesity and other health problems, and an expansion of the criminal justice system that insists on breaking imprisonment records. Understanding these conditions calls for scholarly perspectives the focus not only on individuals or neighborhoods but also on the institutions and organizations that structure their daily lives, mediate their relation to the state, and facilitate or constrain their ability to acquire resources. The papers either adopt or examine the role of institutional and organizational perspectives to the study of housing, health, criminal justice, education, and immigration in urban contexts. For more, and to register, see http://urbanforums.uchicago.edu.”

Article published on how geographic and social spaces condition the use of social service organizations

Celeste Watkins-Hayes — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 16:32:53 +0000

Sociologist Rebecca Joyce Kissane has published a new article in Social Service Review that investigates how issues of geographic and social space condition participants’ use of social resources provided locally by nongovernmental social service organizations (SSOs). Using data from in‐depth qualitative interviews with poor non‐Hispanic white and Puerto Rican women living in a high‐poverty neighborhood in Philadelphia, this article finds that use of SSOs is highly contextual and situated in the local environment. In particular, proximity to agencies is found to be an important consideration in participants’ decision to use SSOs, but equally important are subjective understandings of the immediate environs and the ethnoracial groups that live there. Results suggest that studies of geographic place and social welfare might consider the role of service users’ sense of place and community in whether and how poor people make use of available organizational resources. The article citation is:

Kissane, Rebecca Joyce. 2010. “‘We Call It the Badlands’: How Social-Spatial Geographies Influence Social Service Use.” Social Service Review. 84(1): 3-28)

New edition of “Human Services as Complex Organizations” released

Celeste Watkins-Hayes — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 21:39:14 +0000

Sociologist and social welfare scholar Yeheskel Hasenfeld has recently published a new edition of his seminal volume, Human Services as Complex Organizations. This comprehensive and state-of-the-art collection on human service organizations weaves the latest theoretical and empirical studies in macro theory with contemporary examples from hospitals, schools, social service organizations, mental health centers, and public welfare agencies. Blending theory with application, this outstanding anthology highlights the moral choices and accomplishments made by human service organizations. University of Michigan Professor Emerius Mayer Zald writes, “Hasenfeld has done it again. An excellent collection of essays on many of the most important trends and issues involving human service organizations.” The volume features essays from urbanorgs.org members Celeste Watkins-Hayes, Evelyn Brodkin, Stephen R. Smith, Jodi Sandfort and many others.

Continuing the role model debate

Celeste Watkins-Hayes — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:33:11 +0000

Around the country, African American males are still feeling empowered by President Obama’s election, believing that the Head of State affects change through legislation and by serving as a powerful role model.

But he may also be serving as an inspiration for renewed community engagement and connection through non-profit organizations.

Three of the nation’s largest black fraternities have formed a partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. The fraternities — Omega Psi Phi, Alpha Phi Alpha and Kappa Alpha Psi — recently held a summit in Atlanta, Georgia to decide how to recruit more black men as mentors.

The number of black men volunteering at Big Brothers Big Sisters has increased. About 800 more African-American men have become big brothers since Obama’s election, compared with the same time last year, a group spokeswoman says.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” David Miller, co-founder of the Urban Leadership Institute in Baltimore, Maryland said of the President’s impact on civic engagement among black men.

Black men cite President Obama’s choice not to use his struggles as excuses as inspiration do the same. A year later, his speech calling men to step up still echoes for many as they explore ways to reach the country’s youth. Existing community organizations serve as the conduit through which to get involved.

To read more on CNN about the connection between the increased in mentoring among Black men, President Obama, and developing partnerships between civic organizations, please click here.

Study finds racial difference in prevalence of political advocacy organizations

mariosmall — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:26:26 +0000

Sarah Reckhow’s “The Distinct Patterns of Organized and Elected Representation of Racial and Ethnic Groups,” published in Urban Affairs, uses data from Melissa DATA and newspaper accounts. She finds that, for Latinos and Asian-Americans, the group’s proportion in the population increases the number of political advocay organizations; for African-Americans, however, the pattern does not hold. From the abstract: Studies of minority political incorporation have demonstratedthat advocacy organizations are critical for advancing minorityelectoral success and policy change. Drawing on an originaldata set of 30 midsized U.S. cities, the author evaluates theextent of organized representation of racial and ethnic groupsand the effect of organized representation on elected representation.Latinos and Asian-Americans both have greater numbers of localadvocacy organizations as the groups’ proportion of thepopulation increases. Yet many cities with sizable African-Americanpopulations have a lower density of advocacy organizations thancities with fewer African-Americans. A smaller field of organizationsincreases elected representation for African-Americans but notfor Latinos.

Joe Galaskiewicz receives NSF funding to study Phoenix organizations and their impact on the urban community

Celeste Watkins-Hayes — Fri, 22 May 2009 00:34:53 +0000

Joe Galaskiewicz at the University of Arizona recently received $162,274 from
the National Science Foundation to fund his project, “Organizations and their
Impact on the Urban Community.” This funding helps Joe continue his research on
the distribution of organizational resources across the Phoenix metropolitan
area, their effect on what children do in the free time on the weekends, and
how organizations migrate across the metropolitan community in response to
demographic shifts, changes in zoning laws, and competition among
organizational providers. The research looks at a broad range of
establishments that serve community residents including parks, recreation
centers, churches, retail outlets, restaurants, bowling and fitness centers,
barber shops, department stores, malls, theatres, and many, many more local
establishments. For some of Joe’s preliminary results, go to:

http://www.childresearch.net/RESOURCE/RESEARCH/2007/GALASKIEWICZ.HTM

Welfare States in Transition Symposium – May 15, 2009

Celeste Watkins-Hayes — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 15:22:15 +0000

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!

Please click below

https://ssanet.uchicago.edu/rsvp/centennial/event.cfm?eventid=090515

Registration is required for attendance.

The University of Chicago -School of Social Service Administration Centennial Welfare States in Transition: Social Policy Transformation in Organizational Practice

Friday, May 15, 2009
9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. with reception to follow

The School of Social Service Administration
969 East 60th Street
Chicago, IL 60637

Organized by: Evelyn Brodkin, Associate Professor

Recent decades have witnessed a transformation in social policies and practices in the U.S. and internationally. Some of the most dramatic changes are occurring in policies that are reshaping the relationship between welfare and work. This symposium will examine this transformation, not only as enacted in law, but as enacted in practice. It will feature a series of papers and discussion that offer organizations-eye views of ways in which the changing relationship between welfare and work is being translated into practice in different states, cities, and in other countries.

The papers and discussion will consider shifts in both policy and practice, advancing new ways of thinking about the role of organizations in social policy transformation. As welfare and work policies have changed, so have the administrative arrangements under which they are implemented, arrangements increasingly constructed around new public management strategies of devolution, contracting, and performance measurement. How are these changes in policy and practice redefining the relationship between disadvantaged citizens, the state, and the market?

This symposium brings together researchers examining welfare-to-work as a global policy trend and new public management as a global administrative trend. It provides a forum for a discussion of the effects of these trends and their implications for future efforts to address poverty, inequality, and marginalization.

Confirmed Speakers:

Michael Adler
School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh – Scotland
Martin Brussig
University of Duisburg-Essen, Institut Arbeit und Qualifikation (Institute for Work, Skills and Training) – Germany
Joel Handler
University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), School of Law and School of Public Affairs – USA
Yeheskel Hasenfeld
University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), School of Public Affairs, Department of Social Welfare – USA
Henning Jorgenson
Aalborg University, Centre for Labour Market Research (CARMA) – Denmark
Petra Kaps
Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung (Social Science Research Center Berlin), Institut für Arbeitsmarkt und Berufsforschung (Institute for Labor Market Policy and Employment) – Germany
Matthias Knuth
University of Duisburg-Essen,Institut Arbeit und Qualifikation (Institute for Work, Skills and Training) – Germany
Susan Lambert
University of Chicago, School of Social Service Administration – USA
Flemming Larsen
Aalborg University, Centre for Labour Market Research (CARMA) – Denmark
Michael Lipsky
Demos, Center for the Public Sector, and Georgetown University, Public Policy Institute – USA
Gregory Marston
University of Queensland, School of Social Work and Human Services – Australia
Jennifer Mosley
University of Chicago, School of Social Service Administration – USA
William Sites
University of Chicago, School of Social Service Administration – USA
C.C.A.M. (Els) Sol
University of Amsterdam, Hugo Sinzheimer Institute – Netherlands
Joe Soss
University of Minnesota, Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs – USA
Ludo Struyven
Catholic University of Leuven, Higher Institute of Labour Studies – Belgium
H.H.A. (Rik) van Berkel
Utrecht University, School of Governance – Netherlands
Celeste Watkins-Hayes
Northwestern University, Departments of Sociology and African-American Studies – USA

This Symposium is sponsored in part by the Danish Social Science Research Council and RESq – an international research network studying reform of employment services and social welfare policy.

Contact 001.773.702.1166 or centennial@ssa.uchicago.edu with
questions.

http://ssacentennial.uchicago.edu/events/symposium-brodkin.shtml

Two new studies find that supplementary educational settings and ethnoburbs important for Chinese immigrant incorporation

Celeste Watkins-Hayes — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:24:13 +0000

In, “The Ethnic System of Supplementary Education: Non-profit and For-profit Institutions in Los Angeles’ Chinese Immigrant Community,” Min Zhou examines how particular types of informal social settings created and structured within ethnic communities generate resources for school success. By looking specifically at non-profit and for-profit institutions serving youth in Los Angeles’ Chinese immigrant community, Zhou highlights an ethnic system of supplementary education that not only offers tangible support but also reinforces cultural norms in pushing immigrant children to succeed in school. The full citation for the piece is:

Zhou, Min. 2008. “The Ethnic System of Supplementary Education: Non-profit and Forprofit Institutions in Los Angeles’ Chinese Immigrant Community.” Pp. 229-251 in Beth Shinn and Hirokazu Yoshikawa, eds., Toward Positive Youth Development: Transforming Schools and Community Programs. New York: Oxford University Press.

In addition, Min Zhou and her co-authors have published a piece looking at new patterns of residential assimilation through the case of a sprawling Chinese ethnoburb in the San Gabriel Valley of California. Using U.S. Census data, field observations, and previous literature, the authors demonstrate that new patterns of immigrant settlement are reshaping Chinese American commercial investment, real estate, educational institutions, and other organizations. The full citation for the piece is:

Zhou, Min, Yen-fen Tseng, and Rebecca Y. Kim. 2008. “Rethinking Residential Assimilation through the Case of Chinese Ethnoburbs in the San Gabriel Valley, California.” Amerasia Journal 34 (3): 55-83.

Urban Affairs Association Meetings – Panel of Interest

Celeste Watkins-Hayes — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 15:29:38 +0000

We are pleased to announce that several urbanorgs members will be featured on a panel at this year’s Urban Affairs Association meetings on Saturday, March 7, 2009 in Chicago. Organized and moderated by Heather MacIndoe, these talks represent exciting new directions in the study of nonprofit institutions in urban contexts.
Renaissance Chicago Hotel
1 West Wacker Drive
Chicago, Illinois 60601
Panel 123 New Roles for Urban Nonprofits
Saturday, 10:35 AM–12:00 PM, Bucktown A and B (3rd Floor)
Moderator: Heather MacIndoe (University of Massachusetts Boston)

Nonprofits and the City Bureaucracy: Opportunities for Immigrant Political Incorporation, Els de Graauw, Harvard University

Civic Engagement by Local Community Nonprofits: Bringing New Voices into Urban Governance? Susan Ostrander, Tufts University

Charter Schools, Urban Nonprofits and Neighborhood Revitalization: A Comparison of New York City and New Orleans, Charisse Gulosino, Brown University

Sector Mobilization: Public Policy Initiatives of Nonprofit Membership Associations, Heather MacIndoe, University of Massachusetts – Boston & Sarah Hogue, University of Massachusetts – Boston

Scenes, Nonprofits, and Urban Development, Terry Nichols Clark, University of Chicago & Eric Rogers, University of Chicago

For more on this conference, visit http://www.udel.edu/uaa/annual_meeting/index.html.

New paper finds that vertical ties among organizations needed for economic reform

mariosmall — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 05:16:00 +0000

In “Collaboration Is Not Enough: Virtuous Cycles of Reform in
Transportation Policy,” Margaret Weir, Jane Rongerude, and Christopher K. Ansell analyze the vertical and horizontal networks of development organizations in Chicago and Atlanta. From the abstract: “Over the past two decades, a burgeoning literature has touted the promise of regional collaboration to address a wide range of issues ranging from economic development to poverty and sustainability. This article challenges the premise that horizontal collaboration alone can empower regional decisionmaking venues. By analyzing the organizational networks that emerged in Chicago and Los Angeles in the wake of federal transportation policy reforms in the early 1990s, we show that vertical power is essential to building regional capacities. Only by exercising power at multiple levels of the political system can local reformers launch a virtuous cycle of reform that begins to build enduring regional capacities.” Forthcoming in Urban Affairs Review.