The Hull-House Tradition and the Contemporary Social Worker: Was Jane Addams Really a Social Worker?

Hull-House, founded just a century ago, reflected the dedication of female leadership, identification with the neighborhood, and deep concern with the environment in developing a multiservice program. Social reform provided the drama of the tradition. In this article, the author examines Jane Addams' contribution to the definition of social work in the light of contemporary reform efforts, and the extent to which today's social workers follow the Jane Addams tradition.