Book review of Mary Keegan Eamon, Empowering Vulnerable Populations: Cognitive Behavioral Interventions. Chicago, IL: Lyceum Press, 2008. $59.95 papercover

Hernandez, Maria Y.

English

ScholarWorks at WMU

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare Volume 36 Issue 2 June Article 17 2009 Review of Empowering Vulnerable Populations: Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions. Mary Keegan Eamon. Reviewed Maria Y. Hernandez. Maria Y. Hernandez University of California, Berkeley Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw  Part of the Social Work Commons Recommended Citation Hernandez, Maria Y. (2009) "Review of Empowering Vulnerable Populations: Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions. Mary Keegan Eamon. Reviewed Maria Y. Hernandez.," The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare: Vol. 36 : Iss. 2 , Article 17. Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol36/iss2/17 This Book Review is brought to you for free and open access by the Social Work at ScholarWorks at WMU. For more information, please contact maira.bundza@wmich.edu. Book Reviewscausing confusion with other social science fields. His approachto the conceptualization of social policy and social work as "aunified field of social welfare," which utilizes interdisciplinaryperspectives is helpful.A major weakness of this book is that it is a translation. Thedemands of the Japanese language and the author's scholarlywriting style-which uses indirect, vague expressions and theuse of Japanese characters (kanji)-undoubtedly make trans-lating into English challenging. Translators tend to stress thefunctional meaning of the words and sentences rather than thestylistic emphasis. These translation challenges result in theatypical use of English expressions. Despite these difficulties,Furukawa has done a fine job in meeting his goal of "portray-ing and explaining Japanese social welfare and social welfarescience." However, if he hopes to reach a broad audience, heshould include more comparative examples and illustrations,which show the similarities and differences between Japanesesocial welfare and social welfare in other parts of the world.Christina Miyawaki, University of California, BerkeleyMary Keegan Eamon, Empowering Vulnerable Populations:Cognitive Behavioral Interventions. Chicago, IL: LyceumPress, 2008. $59.95 papercover.It is well known that cognitive behavioral interventionshave been proven effective for a wide array of mental healthconcerns. Nevertheless, mental health providers remain in-terested in improving their knowledge of the selection andimplementation of cognitive behavioral interventions thathave lasting results for vulnerable groups. The field of socialwork and other professions invested in improving the mentalhealth of at risk and marginalized populations and can agreethat client empowerment is an ideal treatment outcome con-nected to lasting results. Mary Keegan Eamon provides asource book with descriptions of the process and outcomes ofvulnerable client empowerment through cognitive behavioralinterventions.The author's introductory section provides a description ofthe situations and pertinent factors connecting a client with a196 Journal of Sociology & Social Welfarevulnerable population (such as ethnicity, gender, sexual pref-erence, age, disability and immigration status). She delineatesthe terms, theories, and common interventions of cognitive be-havioral methodology. Consistent with the author's explana-tion of empowerment, the remainder of the book is dividedinto descriptions of interventions targeting the enhancementof social interactions, the attainment of economic resources,the fortification of autonomy, and the involvement of vulner-able populations in macro decision making.The book has many advantages for both the clinical andresearch community. It serves as a reference guide to cliniciansof all levels wishing to learn about empirically-based inter-ventions for vulnerable groups. A full range of behavioral andoperant conditioning techniques, with a strong emphasis onsocial skills training, are frequently prescribed by the interven-tions discussed throughout the book. Multi-component pro-grams incorporating cognitive behavioral strategies teachingadvocacy skills are discussed. In addition to targeting variousvulnerable populations, some interventions relevant to non-vulnerable individuals are described. Several of the interven-tions attempting to enhance social skills among disabled youthinclude non-disabled peers. Equally useful is the author's in-clusion of prominent cognitive behavioral programs found inwell-known institutions. Keegan Eamon enhances the utilityof the book with additional readings, resources, and websitesat the end of each chapter as guides. To the research commu-nity, the author presents a range of cognitive behavioral inter-ventions available to empower vulnerable populations, theirclinical effectiveness, and their research limitations.Despite the volume's dedication to empowering vulner-able populations, further discussion is needed in the area ofcultural competence. While any competent professional willconsider the targeted population's world view and ethnicity inthe implementation of interventions, general guidelines of cul-tural competence and cognitive behavioral interventions arehelpful for novice clinicians or others who have not workedwith specific populations before. Many researchers have dis-cussed means of adapting cognitive behavior interventionsfor diverse groups. A section addressing cultural compe-tence congruent with cognitive behavioral techniques wouldfurther enhance the book. Vulnerable populations cannot beBook Reviewsempowered if their culture is not properly understood. Yet, itshould be noted that the recommended additional readings doconsider cultural differences. The author acknowledges thatthe interventions do not target all vulnerable groups and rec-ommends their possible applications to other groups. Throughthe use of the author's recommended functional assessments,clinicians implementing these interventions may ensure the in-clusion of cultural considerations. Perhaps researchers hopingto answer the limitations of this book will ensure greater diver-sity in their studies.Taken as a whole, the book has managed to demonstratethat cognitive behavioral interventions can empower vulner-able individuals. It is an excellent introduction to cognitivebehavioral interventions for empowering vulnerable popula-tions, and it is the first of its kind. A foundation has been createdfor the identification of useful interventions and recommenda-tions for future research have been outlined. Future research-ers may build upon this work by identifying and evaluatingother interventions and groups not discussed in this book orby finding the means to strengthen these interventions.Maria Y. Hernandez, University of California, BerkeleyNancy Folbre, Valuing Children: Rethinking the Economics of theFamily. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2008.$45.00 hardcover.Calls for acknowledging the economic value of so-called"women's work" were heard in the United States as far backas the days of Elizabeth Cady Stanton. More recently, popularworks have highlighted the high "price" of motherhood paidby women and children in a society that discounts the eco-nomic contributions made by caregivers. At the same time,other authors bemoan the commodification of family life andoutsourcing of caregiving activities to paid providers such ashousekeepers, nannies, and dry cleaners. Is it possible to placea dollar value on caregiving without denigrating the impor-tance of "giving" within families?After reading Nancy Folbre's new book, this reviewer cameaway thinking, "Yes, it is!" Indeed, Folbre argues that because

Review of \u3cem\u3eEmpowering Vulnerable Populations: Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions.\u3c/em\u3e Mary Keegan Eamon. Reviewed Maria Y. Hernandez.

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Review of \u3cem\u3eEmpowering Vulnerable Populations: Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions.\u3c/em\u3e Mary Keegan Eamon. Reviewed Maria Y. Hernandez.

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