New book by SP2’s Yoosun Park explores social work’s role in shaping American identity
‘Social Work, the Americanization Movement, and the Construction of Americans, 1874-1930’ offers the first comprehensive study of social work’s involvement in the Americanization movement.
The book explores how the emerging profession of social work played a significant role in the Americanization movement. The authors argue that social workers not only helped implement the movement’s goals but also developed and promoted theories and practices that shaped ideas of citizenship, belonging, and who was considered “American.”
Park and her co-author examine how social work contributed to defining the boundaries of inclusion and exclusion during a pivotal period in U.S. history. Although Americanization, as a national movement, ebbed by the mid-20th century, the authors contend that many of its underlying assumptions continue to influence contemporary social work practice and broader national conversations about immigration, identity, and belonging.
As the first comprehensive historical study of social work’s role in immigration discourse, the book fills a significant gap in social welfare scholarship. “I came across the phrase the Americanization movement a long time ago when I was studying social welfare history, and it stuck with me,” says Park. “I started the process thinking that I was going to write about immigrants and immigration, and realized as I was doing research that I had really signed on for something much bigger, because it ended up being a story about the country. What is America? Who gets to be American? And perhaps more importantly, who doesn’t get to be American?”
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Penn researchers Vanessa and Alexis North are studying one of the largest collections of Egyptian blue objects ever found in the ancient Near East, shedding new light on how the world’s first synthetic pigment may have traveled far beyond Egypt.
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Vaccinations have traditionally been administered in primary care settings or pharmacies. However, for about a decade, some states have authorized dentists to administer vaccines, and many others did so during the COVID-19 pandemic. The effectiveness of this approach has led some countries and states to expand or consider expanding the role of dental providers in delivering routine vaccines, including those against COVID-19 and the human papillomavirus (HPV), and in providing vaccine education.
Penn student develops a way for computer chips to run more efficiently
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