The Legacy of McCarthyism on Social Group Work: An Historical Analysis

Authors

Janice Andrews, University of St. Thomas
Michael Reisch, University of Pennsylvania

Abstract

This paper explores the impact of McCarthyism on the ideology, education, practice, and public image of group work. The authors argue that the witchhunts that occured during the period and its climate of widespread fear purges and political conservatism diminished the gains the social work profession had made in the 1930s and 1940s through its participation in progressive activities and left the profession, particularly social group work ill-prepared for the issues and activism of the 1960s and 1970s.

Recommended Citation

Andrews, Janice and Reisch, Michael (1997) "The Legacy of McCarthyism on Social Group Work: An Historical Analysis," The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare: Vol. 24: Iss. 3, Article 13.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15453/0191-5096.2445
Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol24/iss3/13