LibGuides: SW 101: Intro to Social Work and Social Welfare: Social Work Pioneers

What Does This Guide Do?

This guide gathers resources on social welfare pioneers. It will assist you in gathering information for your presentation in SW 101: Intro to Social Work and Social Welfare including things like:

Pictures of the pioneer;
Life and personal history, including factors that led to their career in social work/social welfare;
The person’s contributions to social work and social welfare, including any policies that the pioneer initiated or influenced;
The strategies utilized by this person in creating social change;
The important social work values that this person exemplified;

Library Search

Search articles, journals, books, media, and more

Getting to Know Your Topic

Are you looking for information about the context or history of your topic? Try the resources on this page for background and general context as well as biographical information.

Encyclopedia of Social Work Online Database
Contains articles which represent a thoroughly updated and expanded look at the entire field of social work. It covers all aspects of social work from practice/interventions, social environments, social conditions and challenges to social policy and history.
Credo Reference
Helps define your topic and then use the links on topic pages to discover more in-depth information in books and journals, find thousands of art images and connect your ideas using concept mapping.
Social Work Reference Center
This tool is designed for clinical professionals dedicated to improving patient quality of life. All evidence is rigorously evaluated and topics are updated as evidence changes. This resource includes care sheets, patient information, and images usable in all clinical settings - including hospitals, elder-care centers, and mental healthcare facilities.
Kanopy
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A leading distributor of online educational videos across a wide variety of subject areas. Kanopy also provides access to classic Hollywood and foreign films from the Criterion Collection.

Biographical Reference Sources

Women and Social Movements in the US, 1600-2000
WASM is useful for students and scholars of U.S women's history and U.S. history in general. It centers around the history of women and social movements in the U.S. between 1600 and 2000. The site brings together books, images, documents, scholarly essays, commentaries and bibliographies that document women’s reform activities.
Women and Social Movements, International
Through the writings of women activists, their personal letters and diaries, and the proceedings of conferences at which pivotal decisions were made, this collection lets you see how women’s social movements shaped much of the events and attitudes that have defined modern life. Women and Social Movements, International is a landmark collection of primary materials that includes close to 4,000 sources such as diaries, conference proceedings and more.
Biography (Gale In Context)
Biography in Context uses numerous reference works to provide extensive biographical information. This database features many different search options, that can be searched according to various categories. Entries include full-text articles from hundreds of periodicals and reference sources. Search for subjects based on one or more personal facts or combine criteria to create a highly-targeted custom search.

NASW Foundation: Social Work Pioneer Program
The Pioneer Program identifies and recognizes individuals whose unique dedication, commitment and determination have improved social and human conditions.
The History of Social Work
A website that offers an overview and timeline of selected people and events in the development of modern social work.
Social Welfare History Project
A nonprofit project designed with the goal of better informing the public about the history of American social welfare.

Did you cite it? You need to cite it.

You already know about the cite button in databases and Google Scholar right? And to check the bottom of a page for its citation and/or the reference list, right?

APA has citations for datasets, tables/graphs, webpages and much more. Remember, you want to provide an accurate citation so that someone else can find the awesome data and sources that you're using.

Meet Your Librarian

Stacy Collins

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Stacy is the Research & Instruction Librarian for the Children's Literature and Social Work programs. She can help with your research or library-related questions⁠—weird and silly questions especially welcome!

• Children's Literature Guide• Social Work Guide• Simmons Library Service Guide• Navigating Simmons Guide

Subjects: Children's Literature, Social Work

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Google Smarter

You'll probably find some great stuff through Google, consider switching your results to "news" to get a feel for current events.

Remember to be skeptical, evaluate everything you find and to cite it!

(Some) Social Welfare Pioneers

Jane Addams
Mary Richmond
Dorothy Height
Sarah Fernandis
Francis Perkins
Jeannette Rankin
Janie Porter Barrett
Gail Abarbanel
Bertha Capen Reynolds
Fredericka Douglass Sprague Perry
W. Gertrude Brown
Diana Ming Chan
Edgar William Pye
Gail Abarbanel
Ida Maud Cannon