His core interests include poverty, inequality, racism and multicultural relations, mental health, and community participation.
[3] A major project at the Youth Board involved action to curtail the blockbusting tactics of real estate agents in racially changing neighborhoods.
In the early 1960s, Rothman joined Professor Meyer Schwartz at the University of Pittsburgh to implement the first contemporary two-year social work concentration in community organization.
Rothman's early work at the University of Michigan involved an extensive research utilization effort geared to developing an empirical knowledge base for community intervention.
For this project he developed a unique methodology of qualitative meta-analysis - termed Systematic Research Synthesis, which he has used in a series of subsequent studies.
Rothman is a proponent of social activism and is a supporter of progressive causes, including the Workmen’s Circle and the Democratic Socialists of America.
[8] He has written political opinion pieces for a variety of print and electronic media, including The Nation, Social Policy, The Humanist, The Los Angeles Times, and the Huffington Post.
[1] Living in Los Angeles heightened Rothman’s lifelong passion for movies and inspired him to learn more about the film-making industry.