Background
William Maurice Epstein was born on February 5, 1944, in New York City, New York, United States. He is a son of Harry Epstein, a typesetter, and Lillian Epstein, a receptionist.
2900 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11210, United States
In 1967, William received a Bachelor of Art degree from Brooklyn College, which is part of the City University of New York.
2117 Cathedral of Learning, 4200 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, United States
In 1968, Epstein got a Master of Social Work degree from the School of Social Work of the University of Pittsburgh.
1255 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10027, United States
In 1977, William received a Doctor of Social Work degree from the School of Social Work of Columbia University.
(In the current political climate of the United States, th...)
In the current political climate of the United States, there are no easily apparent solutions to the social problems people face. William M. Epstein claims, that people in need have been poorly served and misled by the American system of social welfare. This is one of those rare works, emanating from a social welfare expert, that does not offer easy placebos or simplistic claims, based on more money. "The Dilemma of American Social Welfare" argues against the idea, that there are inexpensive cures for serious societal sicknesses.
https://www.amazon.com/Dilemma-American-Social-Welfare-dp-1560000880/dp/1560000880/?tag=2022091-20
1993
(In "The Illusion of Psychotherapy" William Epstein assert...)
In "The Illusion of Psychotherapy" William Epstein asserts, that psychotherapy is probably ineffective and possibly harmful. He maintains, that there is no credible clinical evidence, that psychotherapy is effective in handling personal or social problems, or that it is more effective, than other modes of treatment.
https://www.amazon.com/Illusion-Psychotherapy-William-M-Epstein/dp/1560002158
1995
(William M. Epstein charges, that most current social welf...)
William M. Epstein charges, that most current social welfare programs are not held to credible standards in their design or their results. Rather than spending less on such research and programs, however, Epstein suggests we should spend much more, and do the job right. Analyzing Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) and the recent welfare reform act, Food Stamps, Medicaid, job training, social services and other programs, Epstein systematically challenges the conservative’s vain hope, that neglect is therapeutic for the poor, as well as the liberal’s conceit, that a little bit of assistance is sufficient.
https://www.amazon.com/Welfare-America-Social-Science-Fails/dp/0299155943
1997
(William Epstein takes an unblinking look at the failure o...)
William Epstein takes an unblinking look at the failure of public child welfare in America. The paltry response to children in need, Epstein contends, opens windows onto the nation’s soul, revealing a profoundly disturbing lack of generosity in the face of deserving and needy children. Epstein analyzes in detail the decay of the child welfare system through the case histories of Natalie and Adam, two children, who have spent their lives in and out of foster homes and orphanages. He shows how few studies actually measure the child’s real outcomes, and how unreliable social scientific research has ultimately been used to rationalize policies of public neglect. He condemns conservatives and liberals alike for their participation in this neglect, demonstrating, that the now popular social efficiency model in welfare reform, designed to reduce public responsibility, does not and cannot provide adequate care.
https://www.amazon.com/Children-Who-Could-Have-Been/dp/0299163806
1999
(This is a uniquely unsentimental analysis of American soc...)
This is a uniquely unsentimental analysis of American social policymaking with great scope and depth, particularly in the personal social services, philosophic and historical dimensions. It is also a bold call to action to create more effective policies for social welfare.
https://www.amazon.com/American-Policy-Making-Reynolds-Sociology/dp/0742517322/?tag=2022091-20
2001
(In "Psychotherapy as Religion", William Epstein sets out ...)
In "Psychotherapy as Religion", William Epstein sets out to debunk claims, that psychotherapy provides successful clinical treatment for a wide range of personal and social problems. He argues, that the practice is not a science at all, but rather the civil religion of America, reflecting the principles of radical self-invention and self-reliance, deeply embedded in the psyche of the nation.
https://www.amazon.com/Psychotherapy-As-Religion-America-2006-07-17/dp/B01K3NBPU2
2006
(The conservative attacks on the welfare system in the Uni...)
The conservative attacks on the welfare system in the United States over the past several decades have put liberal defenders of poverty relief and social insurance programs on the defensive. In this no-holds-barred look at the reality of American social policy since World War II, William Epstein argues, that this defense is not worth mounting - that the claimed successes of American social programs are not sustained by evidence.
https://www.amazon.com/Democracy-Without-Decency-Citizenship-Poverty/dp/0271036338
2010
(William M. Epstein sees contemporary empowerment practice...)
William M. Epstein sees contemporary empowerment practice in the United States as a civic church of national values, one better in performing its ceremonial role, than god-based houses of worship. By itself, empowerment is not worth the effort of commentary, since it achieves none of its goals and has not even generated a respectable critical literature. But Epstein argues, that empowerment practice and American social welfare both embody prescriptive cultural preferences. Epstein shows, that those in social work practices have not only deluded themselves into thinking, that these services have real instrumental value, but really operate at cross-purposes. This accessible work will attract critical attention among these professional groups. It bases its carefully-documented insights upon informed sociological and anthropological theory.
https://www.amazon.com/Empowerment-as-Ceremony-William-Epstein/dp/1412851602
2013
(In this pithy yet provocative book, Epstein argues, that ...)
In this pithy yet provocative book, Epstein argues, that Democracy in the United States is not progressive, but is instead populist, and that the core of the populist ideology is romantic, rather than pragmatic.
https://www.amazon.com/Masses-are-Ruling-Classes-Romanticism/dp/0190467061/?tag=2022091-20
2017
William Maurice Epstein was born on February 5, 1944, in New York City, New York, United States. He is a son of Harry Epstein, a typesetter, and Lillian Epstein, a receptionist.
In 1967, William received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Brooklyn College, which is part of the City University of New York. The following year, in 1968, he got a Master of Social Work degree from the School of Social Work of the University of Pittsburgh. Then, William enrolled at the School of Social Work, Columbia University, graduating with a Doctor of Social Work degree in 1977.
In 1963-1965, William served as a volunteer for the United States Peace Corps. Between 1967 and 1968, he volunteered at Action Housing in Pittsburgh. In 1968, William was appointed a special assistant at the United States Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C., a post he continued to hold until 1971. Also, in 1968, he served as an organizer at the National Welfare Rights Organization in Pittsburgh.
Between 1973 and 1974, Epstein acted as a policy analyst at the Office of Legal Counsel, United States Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. During the period from 1974 till 1976, he held a post of a staff officer at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C.
In 1977, William was made the director of research at the United States Department of Health, Education and Welfare in Washington, D.C. He continued to hold this post until 1978, when he was promoted to the position of Chairman and assistant professor at the School of Social Work of the State University of New York at Buffalo. Epstein remained in those positions till 1985.
In 1987, Epstein was made an associate professor at the Graduate School of Social Work of the University of Southern Mississippi. From 1989 till 1991, he lectured in the Department of Social Work at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Between 1992 and 1994, William acted as an associate professor at the School of Social Work at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he is currently a professor.
During his career, William also served as a consultant for SterlingHobe Corp. in Washington, D.C.; Governor's Office, State of Mississippi; Integrated Mental Health, Inc., in Rochester, New York; Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the United States Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., among many others.
Moreover, Epstein has penned several books, including "The Dilemma of American Social Welfare" (1993), "The Illusion of Psychotherapy" (1995), "Welfare in America: How Social Science Fails the Poor" (1997), among others, and contributed to different professional journals, including Science, Technology and Human Values; Research in Social Work Practice; Journal of International and Comparative Social Welfare and others.
(In this pithy yet provocative book, Epstein argues, that ...)
2017(The conservative attacks on the welfare system in the Uni...)
2010(This is a uniquely unsentimental analysis of American soc...)
2001(In "Psychotherapy as Religion", William Epstein sets out ...)
2006(In the current political climate of the United States, th...)
1993(In "The Illusion of Psychotherapy" William Epstein assert...)
1995(William Epstein takes an unblinking look at the failure o...)
1999(William M. Epstein charges, that most current social welf...)
1997(William M. Epstein sees contemporary empowerment practice...)
2013William is a member of the American Sociological Association, PEN International and Council on Social Work Education.