Social Work Year Book 1939: A Description of Organized Activities in Social Work and in Related Fields

Abstract

This constitutes the fifth issue of a description of organized activities in social work and related fields. A considerable number of contributors are responsible for the material included. Unfortunately the work bears too largely the stamp of the field of social service and there is little to indicate any point of view expect that point of view. For instance, medical care is covered by Michael M. Davis and health insurance by I. S. Falk. In reference to surveys of medical needs there is not the slightest mention of the American Medical Association except to point out that it opposed some of the conclusions of the Committee on the Costs of Medical Care. In the discussion of new plans for medical care the organized medical profession is put in the position of opposing everything; the reader is in fact given a completely biased picture of the entire situation. If the publisher had been concerned with presenting to the readers an actual picture of the status of the various fields which are discussed, he might at least have indicated the existence of the diverse points of view. The book is, however, useful as a guide to the extent of activities in the field of social work.