University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Evolution of organizational structure in a shelter for battered women: A case study

Shepherd, Judy Eileen

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Description

Title
Evolution of organizational structure in a shelter for battered women: A case study
Author(s)
Shepherd, Judy Eileen
Issue Date
1990
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Cowger, Charles D.
Department of Study
Social Work
Discipline
Social Work
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
  • Social Work
  • Women's Studies
Language
eng
Abstract
  • In this study, the author documented the development of the organizational structure of one of the oldest shelters for battered women in this nation, in order to assess the impact feminist ideology and the grassroots history of the shelter movement had on organizational functioning.
  • Data gathering for the study was begun in August of 1985 and concluded in January of 1988. Data came from three sources; (1) interviews with 39 individuals associated with the shelter, (2) documents from the shelter, and (3) participant observation at the shelter. This data was analyzed, using triangulation, by themes and time periods in the shelter's life.
  • Several findings emerged from this study, the foremost of which was that even though this shelter clearly evolved from a feminist collective to a hierarchical organization, it retained in its organizational structure many characteristics of an egalitarian collective, such as an emphasis on shared decision-making, minimal salary and status differentials, social change concerns and activities, and feminist consciousness raising, which make it a unique and valuable service provider in the social service delivery system.
Type of Resource
text
Permalink
http://hdl.handle.net/2142/21909
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 1990 Shepherd, Judy Eileen

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Graduate Dissertations and Theses at Illinois PRIMARY
Graduate Theses and Dissertations at Illinois
Dissertations and Theses - Social Work