Richard J. Estes: Pioneer in International and Comparative Social Indicators Research

Abstract

Richard J. Estes was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He is a graduate of LaSalle University (1965) with majors in literature and philosophy, the University of Pennsylvania (1967) where he earned a master’s degree in social work, and the University of California at Berkeley (1973) where he earned a doctorate in social welfare. He also received a post-graduate degree in Psychiatric Social Work from the Menninger Foundation now in Texas but originally located in Topeka, Kansas (1968). Estes’ research interests are quite broad and include: international and comparative social development; the history of well-being; global poverty; diversity-related social conflict; Islamic development trends; measures to counteract national and international terrorism; private philanthropy; social indicators; the shifting “welfare mix”; the public/ private partnership in human services; vulnerable population groups, including sexually exploited children and youth; strategic and long-range planning; resource development and fundraising; and, evaluative research. At the center of all these interests is the use of research as a method of acquiring knowledge for advancing the human conditionmore generally and that of individuals and collectives at “social risk” more specifically. Applied Research Quality Life (2014) 9:775–777 DOI 10.1007/s11482-014-9318-2