week 3 question

An Historical Examination of a U.S. Charitable Organization or Legislative Act

E. T. Devine (1913) noted, “The Charity Organization idea does have extraordinary staying power. Not being dependent upon the outcome of a political campaign, or upon an endowed foundation, it defies unpopularity and misrepresentation.”

Reference: Devine, E. T. (1913).  Social ideals implied in present American programs of voluntary philanthropy (Links to an external site.) . American Journal of Sociology, 18(6), 784-795. Retrieved from http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/toc/ajs/current

Hansan (2013) observed that the U.S. Charity Organization Societies (COS) began in the eastern United States during the 1870s to address the growing concerns of social need. Particularly during the early 1900s, progressive movements emphasized the coordination of many independent groups to form solutions to address the poverty caused by rapid industrialization. Many movements also began to address social needs beyond poverty, such as women’s suffrage, racial inequalities, and family violence.

Reference: Hansan, J. E. (2013).  Charity Organization Societies (1877-1893) (Links to an external site.) . Retrieved from  http://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/eras/civil-war-reconstruction/charity-organization-societies-1877-1893/

In this assignment, you will have the opportunity to conduct historical research to formulate a deeper understanding of what inspired the originators of social charities. In addition, you will research how charities continue their visions today or how they have developed in new directions.

Examine one U.S. charitable organization or legislative act and the historical context that formed it. Choose one of the following charitable organizations or legislative act for your analysis. Resources are provided to get you started.

A. The first settlement house in the United States (Hull House, 1889)

· Context: The settlement house movement

· Resources to get you started:

Hansan, J. E. (2011).  Settlement houses: An introduction (Links to an external site.) . Retrieved from http://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/settlement-houses/settlement-houses/

National Women’s History Museum (n.d.).  Hull house (Links to an external site.) . Retrieved from https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/settlement-houses/hull-house/

B. The YMCA (1844)

· Context: Founded in North America by George Williams, the YMCA was an international evangelical Christian response to poor working and housing conditions in the evolving industrial countries.

· Resources to get you started:

YMCA. (n.d.).  Our history - A brief history of the YMCA movement (Links to an external site.) . Retrieved from http://www.mfldymca.org/about_us/history_national.php

C. The Children’s Aid Society (1853) and the Children’s Bureau Act (1912, 1952)

· Context: The Orphan Train Movement of the Children’s Aid Society.

· Resource to get you started:

Children’s Aid Society. (n.d.).  History: About our founder (Links to an external site.) . Retrieved from http://www.childrensaidsociety.org/about/history

D. The Salvation Army (1880)

· Context: The history of the Quaker response to poverty.

· Resource to get you started:

Salvation Army (n.d.).  History of the Salvation Army (Links to an external site.) . Retrieved from http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/history-of-the-salvation-army

E. The National Conference of Catholic Charities (1924)

· Context: The NCCC was founded by a group of 17 laypersons and nine clerics to address the needs of the immigrant-swollen Catholic population in the United States. Thanks in part to the mass migration from Europe throughout the nineteenth century there were over 16,363,000 Catholics in the U.S. by 1910.

· Resource to get you started:

Catholic University of America. (2014).  Catholic charities USA (Links to an external site.) . Retrieved from http://archives.lib.cua.edu/findingaid/catholicCharities.cfm#series1

· Scroll down to the “Historical Note” to see a brief history of this organization

F. Bill of Rights (1944)

· Context: The American Legion designed the main features of what became the Serviceman’s Readjustment Act and pushed it through Congress. The bill unanimously passed both chambers of Congress in the spring of 1944. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed it into law on June 22, 1944, just days after the D-Day invasion of Normandy. American Legion publicist Jack Cejnar called it “the GI Bill of Rights,” (OurDocuments, 1944) as it offered federal aid to help veterans adjust to civilian life in the areas of hospitalization, purchase of homes and businesses, and especially education.

· Resource to get you started:

OurDocuments. (1944).  Servicemen’s Readjustment Act (1944) (Links to an external site.) . Retrieved from https://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=76

G. National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (1909)

· Context: Founded Feb. 12, 1909, the NAACP is the nation’s oldest, largest and most widely recognized grassroots-based civil rights organization. The NAACP was formed partly in response to the continuing horrific practice of lynching and the 1908 race riot in Springfield, the capital of Illinois and resting place of President Abraham Lincoln.

· Resource to get you started:

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. (2016).  NAACP legal history (Links to an external site.) . Retrieved from http://www.naacp.org/pages/naacp-history

In this three- to four-page paper, you must

· Describe the historical context and purpose of your chosen charitable organization or legislative act.

· Analyze the social marginalization and/or oppression it addresses.

· Evaluate how the charitable organization or legislative act influences thinking in U.S. policy today.

· Examine how the charitable organization or legislative act manifests itself in our current U.S. culture.

· Include a minimum of three full-text  Scholarly, Peer-Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources (Links to an external site.)  from the Ashford University Library to support your analysis (in addition to the course text and to those sources provided in this assignment). You may also wish to consider using the organization’s website or Facebook page.

The Historical Examination of U.S. Charitable Organizations or Legislative Act paper

· Must be three to four double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the  Ashford Writing Center (Links to an external site.) .

· Must include a separate title page with the following:

· Title of paper

· Student’s name

· Course name and number

· Instructor’s name

· Date submitted

· Must use at least three scholarly, peer-reviewed, credible sources in addition to the course text.

· The  Scholarly, Peer Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources (Links to an external site.)  table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. If you have questions about whether a specific source is appropriate for this assignment, please contact your instructor. Your instructor has the final say about the appropriateness of a specific source for a particular assignment.

· Must document all sources in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

· Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

Carefully review the  Grading Rubric (Links to an external site.)  for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.

Course Text: Segal, E. (2019).  Empowerment series: Social welfare policy and social programs  (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.