History of Social Welfare Policies & Programs Up to the 1930s

This guide focuses on resources that you can use when seeking information on the history of social welfare policies and programs in the U.S. up to the 1930s.

Getting Started

Articles in scholarly encyclopedias usually present a good overview of the topic and identify the current issues, approaches, and scholarship relating to that topic. Knowing the issues can help you focus your research on a particular aspect of a topic.

Encyclopedia of Social Work: New York, National Association of Social Workers and Oxford University Press.; Almost always a good place to begin your research. Over 700 lengthy signed articles with bibliographies on topics felt to be of particular relevance to social work; 200 brief biographies of key figures in the history of social work; and links to related social work resources. Many articles include a historical overview. Rutgers-restricted Access

Encyclopedia of Social Welfare History in North America.: John M. Herrick and Paul H. Stuart (eds.). Thousand Oakes, California: Sage Publications, 2005.; 180 essays, most signed, on the people, topics, and organizations that were important to the development of social welfare policies, services, and institutions in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Rutgers-restricted Access

Is It Still an Issue?

Social Work Speaks: National Association of Social Workers Policy Statements: 2021-2023.: 12th edition. Washington, D.C., 2021.; Statements designed to guide policy advocacy and legal action. Each statement includes background information, a statement of issues, the policy statement, its legislative history, and a list of references.