Director of Social Work Robert Birkey to share about Greek social welfare programs in March 14 Afternoon Sabbatical

GOSHEN, Ind. – Living on Paros Island for six months afforded Robert Birkey the opportunity to study first-hand the social welfare programs in Greece. At 1 p.m. on March 14, Birkey, professor of social work at Goshen College, will share the results of his sabbatical study in Greece in a presentation in the college’s Sauder Concert Hall. The lecture is free and open to the public.

“I have long been intrigued with the difference between social welfare in the U.S. and those in other nations, particularly the European ‘welfare states’ which typically have more comprehensive and generous benefits than the U.S.,” said Birkey. “When the opportunity arose to live there for six months, I decided to focus my study on Greece specifically. What I discovered is that there are at least four distinct ‘Europes’ when it comes to provision of social welfare assistance.”

During his sabbatical, Birkey researched the development of Greek social welfare programs, and interviewed both recipients and providers of social welfare assistance. He will present a brief summary of social welfare programs in Greece and discuss the importance of informal systems of support, with a special focus on the family. He will also share some photographs from his time, helping this presentation to serve as a sort of preview for the Adult Education Trip to Greece that Birkey will be leading in 2007.

Birkey obtained his bachelor’s degree in social welfare from Goshen College in 1969, before going on to complete a master of social work degree from California State University. He earned a doctorate in sociology from the University of Notre Dame.

During his time in Greece, Birkey, who has taught at Goshen since 1975, took short trips to other Greek Islands and mainland Greece, as well as Italy, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary and Turkey. His other international experience includes leading Belize Study-Service Term in 1979-80, two more recent visits to Belize and Costa Rica and a three-week visit to Europe in 2000, including stops in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Switzerland and Italy.

Future events in the Afternoon Sabbatical series:

·    April 11, 12 p.m., Church-Chapel Fellowship Hall – “International Lunch: Peru – A Land of Contrasts” with Dean Rhodes, associate professor of Spanish, and Janette Yoder, director of community program and adult educational travel. Cost: $20.

·    May 9 – Bus tour to Meijer Gardens and Ford Museum. Cost: $45.

Goshen College’s Afternoon Sabbatical program is in its 29th year of offering rich diversity in programs for the community. A committee of area representatives and college personnel look to the wealth of knowledge and talent at Goshen College and among Elkhart County citizens and selects programs that will appeal to a wide variety of interests. Programs have an integral connection to the college, either through subject matter or in ways in which the campus and community are interrelated.

For more information on the Afternoon Sabbatical series call the Goshen College Welcome Center at (574) 535-7566 or e-mail welcomecenter@goshen.edu.

- by Jennifer Rupp

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a four-year residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S.News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.