2006 - School of Social Service Administration - University of Chicago

FROM THE EDITORS
Social work is a profession with a rich history dating from the late
1800s. Early social work pioneers established as central to the social
work profession the tasks of working toward social justice and serving
underprivileged populations. More than 100 years later, these core
concerns remain fundamental to both social work education and
practice. Nevertheless, the social work profession has been responsive
to changes in the social environment. In a continually evolving world,
social workers have been forced to adapt our practice methods to
the changing needs of clients. We do this by conducting research and
evaluation, developing new technology, and, most of all, remaining
connected to the needs and concerns of the communities we serve and
the world around us.
The articles in the 2006 volume of Advocates’ Forum reflect the
range of the concerns facing social workers today. The first two articles
speak to recent events with implications for both clinical practice and
policy reform. Hurricane Katrina’s devastation of New Orleans took
place more than 9 months ago, yet the political, economic, and social
issues that came with it remain. In her article, “Mapping the American
Political Stream: The Stuart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act,”
Betsy Carlson takes a critical look at a topic that has taken on a new
significance in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, homelessness
legislation. Frank Baiocchi’s article, “The Stink beneath the Ink: How
Cartoons Are Animating the Gay and Lesbian Culture Wars,”
is particularly relevant given the recent turmoil incited in the Muslim
world by political cartoons.
Changes in the ways social workers provide services are often
precipitated by the discovery of a new or previously unrecognized need
in a population. In “Those of a Queer Age: Insights into Aging in the
Gay and Lesbian Community,” Stephanie Schmitz-Bechteler explores
an underdeveloped aspect of aging that is likely to become a growing
area of concern for policy makers and clinicians alike. Another topic of
increasing relevance, society’s response to transgendered individuals,
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