Jack Rothman

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Jack Rothman
Occupation Sociologist

Jack Rothman (born 1927) is an American sociologist and social worker. He is best known for his work in community organizing within the field of social work. He has authored some 25 books and monographs and lectured extensively on social problems and social change. His core interests include poverty, inequality, racism and multicultural relations, mental health, and community participation. [1]

Contents

Professor Rothman is recognized nationally and internationally for “Three Models of Community Organization Practice,” a leading conceptualization of community intervention. [2] This formulation was designated a “Classic Text” by the Journal of Community Development, an Oxford University Press publication. His research and theoretical work have made major conceptual contributions to the field of community organization.

Early life and education

Jack Rothman was born in 1927 in the State of New York. He, as well as his older sister, are the offspring of Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe.

Rothman served as a Pharmacist Mate in the U.S. Navy during World War II and under assignment as a Fleet Marine was stationed with the Marine guard at Camp David, which was called Shangri-La at the time. After the war, he obtained his bachelor's degree from City College of New York. [3]

From there, he moved on to acquire a Master's in Social Work degree from the Ohio State University in 1951. [2] Afterwards he returned to New York and gained social work community-based practice experience with neighborhood centers, the New York City Youth Board, and B'nai B'rith Youth Organization. [3] A major project at the Youth Board involved action to curtail the blockbusting tactics of real estate agents in racially changing neighborhoods. In 1960 he earned a PhD from Columbia University, with an emphasis on social psychology. [4] In keeping with his dual interests, Rothman has been a lifetime member of both the American Sociological Association and the National Association of Social Workers.

Career in academia

Professor Rothman's research has centered on community and organizational analysis, including the designing of change in communities and social institutions.

In the early 1960s, Rothman joined Professor Meyer Schwartz at the University of Pittsburgh to implement the first contemporary two-year social work concentration in community organization. [5]

In 1962, Dr. Rothman joined the faculty at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. [1] He, along with his U of M colleagues, designed the most comprehensive community organization curriculum and through his writings influenced the profession to accept social action and political advocacy as a legitimate practice in social work. [2]

During his tenure at Michigan, Dr. Rothman co-authored "Strategies of Community Intervention", originally published in 1974, which is currently in its 7th edition and is the longest standing text in community organization—and possibly in social work generally. [5]

An ardent early opponent of the Vietnam War, Rothman was among the group of Michigan faculty members who in February and March 1965 conceived of and implemented the first ever Teach-in against the war.

In 1984, Rothman left Michigan to take a position at the University of California, Los Angeles. He currently holds the title of Professor Emeritus at the Luskin School of Public Affairs within UCLA. [1]

In 2012, Rothman conducted a survey of the membership of ACOSA (Association for Community Organization and Social Administration), which documented limitations in support for the macro area (community organizing, policy practice, and management of organizations) in the social work field. Subsequently, there was appointed a Special Commission on Macro Practice, with the aim of expanding and strengthening the social intervention arm of the social work profession nationally.

Research

Rothman's early work at the University of Michigan involved an extensive research utilization effort geared to developing an empirical knowledge base for community intervention. His 1974 book, "Planning and Organizing for Social Change: Action Principles from Social Science Research" was based on the retrieval of over 900 empirical studies from multiple disciplines and their synthesis into several hundred generalizations and action guidelines for practitioners and change agents. For this project he developed a unique methodology of qualitative meta-analysis - termed Systematic Research Synthesis, which he has used in a series of subsequent studies.

Rothman employed other methods for bridging research and social intervention. He developed a Social R&D paradigm that parallels the process used in the physical sciences and industry (Social R&D: Research and Development in the Human Services). A form of intervention research, it offers a systematic means for creating tested and user-ready tools for social innovation—for example, means of creating innovative social programs or fostering citizen participation. This work came into being prior to the emergence of evidence-based practice that has influenced academic research in social work and other professions in recent years. See the references for an overview of Rothman’s extensive research studies.

Books

Awards and recognition

Personal life

Jack met his wife, Judy, while they were both attending Ohio State University. They have three children, Amy, Dan, and Josh, and two grandchildren, Andrew and Emily. He is described as a kind and caring person by those who know him well, reflecting in his personal life his broader professional and philosophical values.[ citation needed ]

Rothman is a proponent of social activism and is a supporter of progressive causes, including the Workmen’s Circle and the Democratic Socialists of America. [8] He has written political opinion pieces for a variety of print and electronic media, including The Nation, Social Policy, The Humanist, The Los Angeles Times, and the Huffington Post. [1]

Living in Los Angeles, the mecca of film production, heightened Rothman’s lifelong passion for movies and inspired him to learn more about the film-making industry. [1] This interest culminated with him researching and writing "Hollywood in Wide Angle", published in 2004. [9] The book offers a glance into the film-making process and its sociological implications through interviews with over 30 Hollywood directors. [4]

Dr. Rothman’s aptitude for writing extends beyond his scholarly activities and into his personal life, as he enjoys composing various types of rhymes .[ citation needed ] In addition, he has always had a strong appreciation for wit, and stand-up comedy in particular. While growing up, his comedic idol was Jack Benny .[ citation needed ] Rothman has been quoted as saying, “Humor has always been a core part of my makeup”. [4]

Jack decided to give stand-up comedy a try for himself after retiring from being a full-time professor. He started by enrolling in amateur comedy classes [4] and then performed off-hours at clubs around Los Angeles such as the Comedy Store, The Improv in Hollywood, and the Ice House in Pasadena. [1]

Jack Rothman’s trademark look is not a tweed jacket, as is the stereotype for a college professor, but rather to wear a flat cap on his head. [4]

Related Research Articles

Community Social unit which shares commonality

A community is a social unit with commonality such as place, norms, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geographical area or in virtual space through communication platforms. Durable relations that extend beyond immediate genealogical ties also define a sense of community, important to their identity, practice, and roles in social institutions such as family, home, work, government, society, or humanity at large. Although communities are usually small relative to personal social ties, "community" may also refer to large group affiliations such as national communities, international communities, and virtual communities.

Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social work practice draws from areas, such as psychology, sociology, health, political science, community development, law, and economics to engage with systems and policies, conduct assessments, develop interventions, and enhance social functioning and responsibility. Social work practice is often divided into three levels. Micro-work involves working directly with individuals and families, such as providing individual counseling/therapy or assisting a family in accessing services. Mezzo-work involves working with groups and communities, such as conducting group therapy or providing services for community agencies. Macro-work involves fostering change on a larger scale through advocacy, social policy, research development, non-profit and public service administration, or working with government agencies. Starting in the 1980s, a few universities began social work management programmes, to prepare students for the management of social and human service organizations, in addition to classical social work education.

Community psychology Branch of psychology

Community psychology is concerned with the community as the unit of study. This contrasts with most psychology which focuses on the individual. Community psychology also studies the community as a context for the individuals within it, and the relationships of the individual to communities and society. Community psychologists seek to understand the functioning of the community, including the quality of life of persons within groups, organizations and institutions, communities, and society. Their aim is to enhance quality of life through collaborative research and action.

School social work is a specialized area of social work concerned with the psychosocial functioning of students to promote and maintain their health and well-being. The School Social Work Association of America defines school social workers as "trained mental health professionals who can assist with mental health concerns, behavioral concerns, positive behavioral support, academic, and classroom support, consultation with teachers, parents, and administrators as well as provide individual and group counseling/therapy.”

Community organization or Community Based Organization refers to organization aimed at making desired improvements to a community's social health, well-being, and overall functioning. Community organization occurs in geographically, psychosocially, culturally, spiritually, and digitally bounded communities.

Community practice also known as macro practice or community work is a branch of social work in the United States that focuses on larger social systems and social change, and is tied to the historical roots of United States social work. The field of community practice social work encompasses community organizing and community organization, community building, social planning, human service management, community development, policy analysis, policy advocacy, mediation, electronic advocacy and other larger systems interventions.

Bertram Herbert Raven was an American academic. He was a member of the faculty of the psychology department at UCLA from 1956 until his death. He is perhaps best known for his early work in collaboration with John R. P. French, with whom he developed an analysis of the five bases of social power.

UCLA Fielding School of Public Health

The UCLA Jonathan and Karin Fielding School of Public Health is the graduate school of public health at UCLA, and is located within the Center for Health Sciences building on UCLA's campus in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The UCLA Fielding School of Public Health has 690 students representing 25 countries, more than 11,000 alumni and 247 faculty, 70 of whom are full-time.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Profile of Jack Rothman, Association of Community Organization and Social Administration (ACOSA), https://www.acosa.org/joomla/special-commission/special-commissioners/108-special-commissioners/54-jack-rothman Archived 2015-01-20 at the Wayback Machine (retrieved January 10, 2015).
  2. 1 2 3 4 The Ohio State University College of Social Work, http://csw.osu.edu/alumni-giving/alumni-hall-of-fame-award-recipients/ (retrieved January 10, 2015).
  3. 1 2 Biography of Jack Rothman, Faculty History Project, University of Michigan, http://um2017.org/faculty-history/faculty/jack-rothman/bio (retrieved January 12, 2015).
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 UCLA Spotlight, Published September 1, 2003, http://www.spotlight.ucla.edu/faculty/jack-rothman_soc/ (retrieved on September 22, 2020).
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 The NASW Foundation, https://www.naswfoundation.org/Our-Work/NASW-Social-Workers-Pioneers/NASW-Social-Workers-Pioneers-Listing.aspx?id=489 (retrieved on January 10, 2015).
  6. ↑ Zev Hurwitz, "The Lost Shtetl", May 9, 2017
  7. ↑ "Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) - Jack Rothman". cswe.org. Archived from the original on 2016-04-01. Retrieved 2016-01-17.
  8. ↑ KeyWiki profile of Jack Rothman, http://keywiki.org/Jack_Rothman (retrieved on January 10, 2015).
  9. ↑ Hollywood in Wide angle: How Directors View Filmmaking; Jack Rothman; Publisher: Scarecrow Press; ISBN   081085015X ISBN   9780810850156 LCC: PN1993.5 Edition: (alk. paper)
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