Kaaryn S. Gustafson
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- March 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780814732311
- eISBN:
- 9780814733394
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- NYU Press
- DOI:
- 10.18574/nyu/9780814732311.003.0001
- Subject:
- Law, Employment Law
This book examines the history, social construction, and lived experience of welfare in the United States and how welfare use has resulted in the criminalization of poverty. Today's welfare system ...
More
This book examines the history, social construction, and lived experience of welfare in the United States and how welfare use has resulted in the criminalization of poverty. Today's welfare system treats those who use public benefits, or who even apply for benefits, as latent criminals. Changes in public attitudes and government practices have led to the so-called criminalization of poverty. Hence, many welfare policies are primarily intended to deter welfare use, to guard against misuse, and to punish welfare cheating. Despite this criminalization of the welfare system, poor families continue breaking the rules of welfare receipt and continue hiding information from welfare officials. This book analyzes the welfare system from two vantage points: from the policy level and from the perspective of those who use public benefits. It explores the construction of welfare fraud and the ways that welfare recipients cheat the welfare system as well as the ways that the existing system is at odds with the welfare of families as well as the welfare of society.Less
This book examines the history, social construction, and lived experience of welfare in the United States and how welfare use has resulted in the criminalization of poverty. Today's welfare system treats those who use public benefits, or who even apply for benefits, as latent criminals. Changes in public attitudes and government practices have led to the so-called criminalization of poverty. Hence, many welfare policies are primarily intended to deter welfare use, to guard against misuse, and to punish welfare cheating. Despite this criminalization of the welfare system, poor families continue breaking the rules of welfare receipt and continue hiding information from welfare officials. This book analyzes the welfare system from two vantage points: from the policy level and from the perspective of those who use public benefits. It explores the construction of welfare fraud and the ways that welfare recipients cheat the welfare system as well as the ways that the existing system is at odds with the welfare of families as well as the welfare of society.
Kaaryn S. Gustafson
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- March 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780814732311
- eISBN:
- 9780814733394
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- NYU Press
- DOI:
- 10.18574/nyu/9780814732311.003.0004
- Subject:
- Law, Employment Law
This chapter describes some of the salient background characteristics and histories of thirty-four welfare recipients in a Northern California county. Based on in-depth, semistructured interviews ...
More
This chapter describes some of the salient background characteristics and histories of thirty-four welfare recipients in a Northern California county. Based on in-depth, semistructured interviews with these individuals, the chapter highlights the ways that they may reflect the general welfare population and where it may differ. It also looks at some of the common experiences and backgrounds of the interviewees in terms of parenthood, substitute mothering, marital and nonmarital history, paternity and child support (for absent fathers), welfare use, the impact of race and ethnicity on welfare use, family history of welfare use, length of time on welfare, educational history, and employment history, Finally, the chapter considers some of the assumptions behind welfare's work requirements.Less
This chapter describes some of the salient background characteristics and histories of thirty-four welfare recipients in a Northern California county. Based on in-depth, semistructured interviews with these individuals, the chapter highlights the ways that they may reflect the general welfare population and where it may differ. It also looks at some of the common experiences and backgrounds of the interviewees in terms of parenthood, substitute mothering, marital and nonmarital history, paternity and child support (for absent fathers), welfare use, the impact of race and ethnicity on welfare use, family history of welfare use, length of time on welfare, educational history, and employment history, Finally, the chapter considers some of the assumptions behind welfare's work requirements.
