Del i serien City in the Twenty-First Century

Other Philadelphia Story

How Local Congregations Support Quality of Life in Urban America

Inbunden, Engelska, 2006

1 219 kr

Beställningsvara. Skickas inom 10-15 vardagar. Fri frakt för medlemmar vid köp för minst 249 kr.

For people living in U.S. cities, social services come not only from the government but increasingly also from local religious communities. Ever since the Clinton administration's welfare reform, faith-based institutions, and especially congregations, have been allowed to bid for federal funds for their programs. In The Other Philadelphia Story, drawing on the first-ever census of congregations in any American city, Ram Cnaan and his colleagues provide an authoritative account of the functioning of congregations, their involvement in social services, and their support of other charitable organizations.An in-depth study of 1,392 congregations in Philadelphia, the book illuminates how these groups function as community hubs where members and neighbors alike gather throughout the week. Cnaan's findings show that almost every assembly of parishioners emphasizes caring for others, even if the help is modest. Thus American congregations uphold an implicit but strong norm of social responsibility and work to improve the quality of life for members and nonmembers alike.Many of the problems associated with urban life persist in the face of governmental inaction, and the burden of responsibility cannot be shouldered entirely by congregations. However, in a city such as Philadelphia, where half the residents are regular attenders of religious congregations, hopes for urban improvement are largely to be found in these local groups.Special focus is given in the book to kinds of care that often go unnoticed: volunteerism, provision of refuge, and informal assistance to community members in need. All told, Cnaan asserts, congregations are an essential component of Philadelphia's civil society. Without them, the quality of life would deteriorate immeasurably.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum2006-11-10
Mått152 x 229 x 31 mm
Vikt667 g
FormatInbunden
SpråkEngelska
SerieCity in the Twenty-First Century
Antal sidor352
FörlagUniversity of Pennsylvania Press
ISBN9780812239492

Tillhör följande kategorier

Socialt arbete och välfärd inom Samhälle och politik

Ram A. Cnaan is Professor, Associate Dean for Research, and Chair of the Doctoral Program in Social Welfare, as well as Director of the Program for Religion and Social Policy Research, at the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy and Practice. He is the author of The Newer Deal: Social Work and Religion in Partnership and The Invisible Caring Hand: American Congregations and the Provision of Welfare.

SECTION I: INTRODUCTION TO THE FIELD OF STUDYING CONGREGATIONSChapter 1: "Here is the Church; Here is the Steeple": Defining and Measuring Religious CongregationsChapter 2: The Religious Landscape in PhiladelphiaChapter 3: The organizational behavior of the congregations in our studySECTION II: CONGREGATIONAL CONTRIBUTION TO QUALITY OF LIFE IN URBAN AMERICAChapter 4: Informal Care by CongregationsChapter 5: Formal Care-Congregations as Social Service AgenciesChapter 6: Using Space for Good UseSECTION III: SPECIAL CONGREGATIONS AND SUBGROUPSChapter 7: Black Congregations in the City of Brotherly LoveChapter 8: Latino congregations in the 21st centuryChapter 9: Women in congregations and social service provisionSECTION IV: AREA ORGANIZATIONS THAT ENHANCE THE CONGREGATIONAL SOCIAL SERVICE CAPACITYChapter 10: Interfaith coalitions-The Story of the Northwest Interfaith Movement (NIM)Chapter 11: Using the congregational capacity to help the homeless-the NPIHN storyChapter 12: Utilizing congregational volunteers: The stories of Amachi and REST PhillySECTION IV: CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONSChapter 13: The world of the clergy: Contextual necessities and leadership challengesChapter 14: Policy recommendationsAppendix I: MethodsReferencesAcknowledgments