"HELPING HUMANITY" - A STUDY OF SOCIAL SERVICE WORK IN CAIRO - THE MEMBERS OF THE SOPHOMORE CLASS

Sep 21, 2026

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“Helping Humanity” presents a rationale for conducting a city-wide social survey in Cairo, arguing that welfare work needs an evidence-based “birdseye view” of social and economic conditions. It highlights the information gap that leaves agencies, government officials, and the public insufficiently informed, leading to fragmented and poorly coordinated service. The pamphlet describes how the sophomore class began gathering data through visits to agencies, aiming to lay groundwork for future, more comprehensive social service planning.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLifestyle

FormatPDF

Pages19

Reading Time29 min

AccessFree to download

The need for information

Rationale for a city-wide social survey in Cairo

The absence of coordinated information and its consequences

The “pathfinder” approach and survey planning

Class effort to collect agency information

97-84078-18American University at Cairo # “Helping humanity” [Cairo] [1928?] ## COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY LIBRARIESPRESERVATION DIVISION BIBLIOGRAPHIC MICROFORM TARGET ORIGINAL MATERIAL AS FILMED·EXISTING BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD RESTRICTIONS ON USE: Roproductions may no be mado wihout pomisslon tom Coumbla UniverslyLibraries TECHNICAL MICROFORM DATA FILM SIZE: 35mREDUCTION RATIO: //:1 IMAGE PLACEMENT:IA IB IIB DATE FILMED: 5-9·97INITIALS: uB TRACKING\#; 23752 FILMED BY PRESERVATION RESOURCES,BETHLEHEM,PA. 120000 308 Z 30× 234 地 ## "HELPING HUMANITY" A STUDY OF SOCIAL SERVICE WORK IN CAIRO by ## THE MEMBERS OF THE SOPHOMORE CLASS AMERICAN COLLEGE OF ARTS &SCIENCES AMERICAN UNIVERSITY AT CAIRO ## "HELPING HUMANITY" A STUDY OF SOCIAL SERVICE WORK IN CAIRO by THE MEMBERS OF THE SOPHOMORE CLASS AMERICAN COLLEGE OF ARTS &SCIENCESAMERICAN UNIVERSITY AT CAIRO 工ee44f927 我车uuewa MM·Bute 32斤9 Committee in charge of the praparation of this pamphlet: ABD AL AZIM QURANI. ARTO YAZIDJIAN. CAMILLE SHAKOUR. LAZAR KATZ. MICHEL HAUSMANN SAUL ZAVELL Members of the class who helped: ABD ALQADIR HuSSEINI ABD AL RAHMAN BAMYA ATALLAH QIDESS BEDROS MARDIKIAN EMILE SAIGH ESSAYID GAMIL FARID MADAGGA HILMI BISHAI SADIQ SALAMA YASSIN KHALDI ANWAR SARKIS Teacher of the class,and editor of the pamphlet: ERDMAN HARRIS,B.A.,M.A. THE NEED FOR INFORMATION I. Sone day soon there should be undertaken a social survey of the cityof Cairo.Not until this is done will it be possible to plan and carry on 8city-wide program of welfare work.To do this would take men,women,money,time,boundless energy,limitless patience.It would take carefullytrained experts working in cooperation with all sgencies now performinghumanitarian service.When such a birdseye view of social and economiccondtions is completed its uses would be many.It would be s valuable mineof information for the Government,because it would,collect and present,inintelligently selected form,facts which are now only available piecemesl inthe records of various departments.It would be a sourco of appeal to publiespirited citizens who now either do not give money systematically to improveconditions or give to some institution which TBy not be investing its re-sources strategieally in view of the total situation.It would form the basison which the various social service agencies in town might band togetherfor greater cooperation and efficieney.It would provide a practical manualfor students who wish to be introdnced to the problems of social engineerinzin terms of their own rity.Such books have been written.One of them isentitled “Constantinople Te-day,or the Pathfinder Survey of Constantinople,8 Study in Oriental 8ocinl Life",writen“under the direction of ClareneeRichard Johnson,M.A..Professor of Sociology,Robert College,Constanti-nople,"and pnblished by Macmillnin New York City,U.S.A..in the yesr1922.The book is.wellillustrated and doeumented;and while it only claimsto be a popular or"pathfinder"survey,has fulfilled many of the functionsmentioned above as posible results of such an undertaking.A very valuableand more elaborate study was made of Peking a few years sgo.RecentlyPrague in Czechoslovakin has been the subject of a survey.Many citien inthe United States have heen analyzed sociologically.In each case,thereis abundant testimony to the worthwhileness of such a task. Cairo is badly in need of some such careful inveetigation.We all believethat this beloved eity of ours is susceptible to striking improvemente,but wehardly know where to begin.The first thing a doetor does is to make sdiagnosis of his patient on the basis of his study of actusl conditions.Thosewho would be the scientific social-doctors of Cairo must be able to make somekind of diagnosis also

FAQs

Why does the pamphlet argue that Cairo needs a social survey?

It states that without a comprehensive survey it is hard to plan and carry out city-wide welfare programs. The pamphlet emphasizes the value of systematically collecting facts that are currently scattered across departments.

What problems result from the lack of information and coordination?

Social service work is described as being carried on in isolated centers, with workers often unaware of similar work nearby. Government officials and the public are also said to be insufficiently informed.

How did the sophomore class begin its work toward a social service survey?

In the winter of 1927–1928, the class decided to start preparing a social service survey by locating agencies, visiting them, and collecting information, despite difficulties making a complete survey.

Sep 21, 2026

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