Social Work and Welfare in the 1920s

Historical Background w Americans in WW I from July 1917 until end in November 1918 w 4.8 million soldiers mobilized, 117, 000 killed and 204,000 wounded

w KKK founded in 1915 with 4.5 million members in mid 20s w 1919 Constitutional amendment requiring prohibition ratified w 1920 Constitutional amendment allowing women to vote ratified

Consumer and Business Culture w Buy, buy, buy – rise of advertising w Speculation on the stock market w Stock prices went up tremendously during the 1920s w Lots of people were getting rich based on the value of their stocks and bonds

Social Work Retreated from Social Reform w Moved to consideration of ego strengths and weaknesses w Casework became dominant w Mary Richmond wrote Social Diagnosis (1917) w Focus on investigation of individuals’ problems w Based on medical model

Trattner’s Comments on Social Diagnosis w Not influenced by Freud w Richmond believe casework was related to research and reform, but thought reform had failed w She believed treatment was as important as diagnosis

Social Diagnosis Response to Abraham Flexner w Speech at 1915 National Conference said social work not yet a profession w Response was that a technique was necessary w “diagnosis” seemed professional w Caseworkers employed by American Red Cross helped non-poor as well as poor

Smith College w Established psychiatric social work to work with mental patients w Psychoanalysis becoming popularized in 1920s w Freudian ideas gave theoretical base and scientific method w Childhood experiences and emotions shape personality and behavior of adults

Changed from Charity to Poor to Therapy w Maladjustment problem with upper classes as well w Increased status of profession w Reduced reform and humanitarian thrust w Poor seen as responsible for problems in “roaring 20s”

Importance of Agency Admin and Fund Raising w War chests developed to community chests w Federated funding - forerunner to United Way w Institutionalized anti-reform sentiments w In the prosperity decade, many thought social reform was unnecessary

Social Work’s Themes in the 20s w Professionalism w Psychiatry w Psychoanalysis w Also beginning to see family counseling, habit clinics, child guidance, adjustment problems w Psychiatric social worker the ideal

Social Work Education w Included Freudian concepts such as defense mechanisms, transference, ego strengths, Oedipus complex w Focus was on helping clients become adjusted to their environments, NOT on reforming ills of society w Also it seemed like social workers were junior psychiatrists, not professionals on their own