Getting Old in the U.S.: Dilemmas of Indo-Americans

Adapting to old age is an arduous task in every society. For Asian immigrants because of drastically different value systems getting old in the U.S. poses a number of dilemmas. For the Indo-American elderly and their families a major dilemma is whether to expect and abide by the value orientation of collectivism or follow the main stream American value of individualism. In this study the ethnographic approach operationalized through Interpretive Interactionism for an understanding of the interaction between the elderly and their families and their overall coping and adaptation process in the United States is presented

Ethnic Minority Leadership: A Theoretical Perspective

Although numerous approaches have been utilized to study leadership (focusing on traits, attributes, styles, roles, situations, performance, results, and so on), there is no agreement on the idal approach. The debate over this issue especially as related to the study of ethnic minority leadership continues. In this paper two major approaches - the Great Main or Trait and the Times or Situational approaches are examined, and the latter is presented as a viable theoretical framework for studying the ethnic minority leadership

The Worker/Client Relationship: Relevant Role Theory

The historic concept of friendly visitor has blurred the distinction of professional and personal in worker/client relationships. Current social trends and social problems as well as recent theory applications in practice have made these distinctions harder to identify and maintain. Role theory can be used to analyze behavioral indicators of objective and subjective components of relationship

Role of Social Institutions In a Multicultural Society

With the rapid change in the demographic structure of the American society, the United States is becoming a mosaic of multiculturalism. Such changes have dramatic implications for social institutions. To understand such changes an overview of the evolution of multiculturalism from a historical perspective is provided. The concept of cultural pluralism is discussed for delineating the role of social institutions. Also examined is the issue of affirmative action, and the role of social welfare institution

Injured Workers: From Statutory Compensation to Holistic Social Work Services

Despite legal and technical advances in assuring safe work settings, on-the-job accidents still occur. These events, which impose emotional and financial hardships as well as physical injury, have been given minimal attention by social workers. Existing services to accident-injured workers include monetary compensation through federal and state programs, trade union negotiation for broader benefits, and counseling and referral provided by Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs). Yet each of these service areas falls short in establishing a holistic, personin-environment approach to the injury. Here it is argued that an ecologically based social work practice can address many of the shortcomings of existing services for injured employees

Problems in using social work records in assessing change

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston Universit

Oral History Interview, Pallassana Balgopal (2102)

In his interview with Joy Block on November 25, 2016, Pallassana Balgopal talks about his upbringing in India and the process of transitioning to a new life in the United States. To learn more about this oral history, download & review the index first (or transcript if available). It will help determine which audio file(s) to download & listen to.In his interview with Joy Block on November 25, 2016, Pallassana Balgopal talks about his upbringing in India and the process of transitioning to a new life in the United States. He discusses the challenges he faced during this transition and what he learned about India after moving overseas. He finishes by talking about how he got his green card and how he kept in touch with his family abroad. This interview was conducted for Joy Block’s Oral History Interviews and is housed in the Oral History Collection at the UW-Madison Archives