History of Macro Social Work

    When I think of macro practice in a historical context, immediately settlement houses and Jane Addams pop into my mind. During the 1880's in London, social settlements began to develop in areas that were affected by urbanization, industrialization, and immigration. The concept of these settlement houses, also known as reform institutions, was to be able to provide immediate services to people in poor neighborhoods in an effort to eliminate poverty. Settlement houses were probably one of the first attempts to make a social change. Soon after settlement houses began in Europe the idea spread to other countries like the United States. The settlement idea appealed to young American's who desired to understand the causes of poverty in order to eliminate it and help the poor all while implementing Christianity. Of these young Americans is Jane Addams. Jane Addams was one of the founders of the most well known settlement house in Chicago, United States; the Hull-House. This is where Jane Addams, along with other prominent residents, began a reform movement that would have great outcomes. The Immigrants Protective League and the Juvenile Protective Association are just a couple of projects they took on. Jane Addams also fought to create federal policies in which she succeded. In 1912, the Federal Children's Bureau was created and in 1916 child labor laws were enacted. The efforts of these activists reached a national level. 

Below are some pictures of Jane Addams, Hull-House, and her efforts toward change:

Jane Addams (1860-1935) 

    

Hull House, Chicago, IL

     The Hardina article talks about empowerment and how the primary purpose of community organization practice is to acquire power for memebers of oppressed groups. This is what the beginning of macro practice was attempting to do. By empowering oppressed people, they could hope that members of the oppressed group could gain some confidence, control in decision making, and a better life. (Hardina, 2003)

          

Sources:

Arts, U. C. (2009). UIC. Retrieved February 2012, from Jane Addams Hull House Museum : http://www.uic.edu/jaddams/hull/_learn/_aboutjane/aboutjane.html

Foundation, T. N. (2012). Nobel Peace Prize . Retrieved February 2012, from Nobel Prize : http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1931/addams-bio.html

Hardina, D. (2003).  Linking citizen participation to empowerment practice: A historical overview. Journal of Community Practice, 11 (4), 11-38.

Huff, D. (n.d.). Settlements . Retrieved February 2012, from Social Work History : http://www.boisestate.edu/socwork/dhuff/history/chapts/2-1.htm

Work, H. o. (2009). Jane Addams . Retrieved February 2012, from History of Social Work : http://www.historyofsocialwork.org/eng/details.php?cps=5&canon_id=137