Ida Cannon, Ethel Cohen, and Early Medical Social Work in Boston: The Foundations of a Model of Culturally Competent Social Service

Early medical social workers Ida Cannon and Ethel Cohen formulated innovative models of hospital social service in Boston. As directors of the social service departments of Massachusetts General and Beth Israel Hospitals, respectively, they ensured that medical social work developed as a profession....

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Bibliographische Detailangaben
Veröffentlicht in:Social Service Review. - University of Chicago Press. - 81(2007), 1, Seite 27-45
1. Verfasser: Praglin, Laura J. (VerfasserIn)
Format: Online-Aufsatz
Veröffentlicht: 2007
Zugriff auf das übergeordnete Werk:Social Service Review
Schlagworte:anti‐Semitism Beth Israel Hospital, Boston, MA Boston, MA Cabot, Richard C. Cannon, Ida Cohen, Ethel class ethnicity Hebraic debility hospital social work mehr... immigration jew‐neurasthenia Massachusetts General Hospital medical social work Mount Sinai Hospital, Boston, MA practice, culturally competent professionalization Progressive Era Progressivism race Richmond, Mary social service social work, history Washburn, Frederic A., Jr. Behavioral sciences Political science Economics Physical sciences Health sciences Laura J.
Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:Early medical social workers Ida Cannon and Ethel Cohen formulated innovative models of hospital social service in Boston. As directors of the social service departments of Massachusetts General and Beth Israel Hospitals, respectively, they ensured that medical social work developed as a profession. They also formulated standards of patient care and educated health‐care professionals about the social aspects of medicine. This study analyzes the work of Cannon and Cohen within the contexts of progressivism, professionalization, immigration, and ethnic identity. It proposes that Cohen adopted key aspects of Cannon’s model of hospital social service but revised it to further accommodate the particular ethnic needs of Jewish immigrants, who were not well served in Boston’s hospital structure. Cohen’s work provides an early model of culturally competent social work practice.
ISSN:15375404
DOI:10.1086/511013