A compelling examination of the careers of Richard Cloward and Frances Fox Piven as well as Jane Addams demonstrates how politically-active scholarship can contribute to struggles for social justice.

Praxis for the Poor puts the relationship of politics to scholarship front and center through an examination of the work of Frances Fox Piven and Richard Cloward. Piven and Cloward proved that social science could inform social-policy politics in ways that helped energize a movement. Praxis for the Poor offers a critical reflection on their work and builds upon it, demonstrating how a more politically-engaged scholarship can contribute to the struggle for social justice.
Necessary reading for political scientists, sociologists, social workers, social welfare activists, policy-makers, and anyone concerned with the plight of the poor and oppressed, Praxis for the Poor shows how social science can play a role in building a better future for social welfare.

"“This wonderfully lucid, well developed volume should perhaps have been called Suggested Praxis for the Poor, since, instead of describing the current state of welfare, the author argues for a revamped praxis that would rescue our failing programs….Highly recommended." - Library Journal

"Schram poses an important challenge for those who would like to restore to political science its sometime concern with power and inequality." - American Politics Book Review

"I recommend reading this book, and I applaud Schram’s many accomplishments while I share his long-term commitments." - American Journal of Sociology