Preface | p. ix |
Acknowledgments | p. xi |
Introduction: Putting a Face on Welfare | p. 1 |
Critical and Feminist Frameworks | p. 6 |
Specific Contributions of This Study of Lived Experience | p. 8 |
Welfare and Public Policy | p. 10 |
Where Are the Voices of Welfare Recipients in the Discussion? | p. 14 |
A National Profile of Welfare Recipients | p. 15 |
Who Are the Participants in This Study? | p. 20 |
Conclusion and Organization | p. 23 |
Critical Thinking Questions | p. 26 |
Historical and Persisting Dilemmas: How Do We Explain Poverty, What Should We Do about It? | p. 27 |
History of Cash Assistance | p. 28 |
Welfare Reform: "Ending Welfare As We Know It" | p. 36 |
Explanations of Poverty and Welfare Use | p. 39 |
Individualism | p. 40 |
Social Structuralism | p. 42 |
Culture of Poverty | p. 44 |
Fatalism | p. 45 |
Critical Thinking Questions | p. 46 |
Stigma and Discrimination | p. 47 |
Awareness of Societal Attitudes Toward Welfare Recipients | p. 49 |
Racism and Welfare | p. 51 |
Contexts Where Stigma and Discrimination Occur | p. 55 |
Managing Stigma | p. 58 |
Denial | p. 58 |
Distancing Themselves from Other Welfare Recipients | p. 59 |
Blaming External Forces: "It's Not My Fault." | p. 65 |
Extolling the Importance of Motherhood | p. 66 |
Critical Thinking Questions | p. 69 |
Why Welfare? | p. 71 |
The Influence of Social Structure | p. 74 |
Employment | p. 74 |
The Risk of Losing Health Insurance | p. 76 |
Childcare | p. 78 |
Fathers' Involvement | p. 81 |
Transportation | p. 82 |
Racism and Sexism | p. 84 |
The Welfare System Breeds "Dependence" on the System | p. 85 |
Fatalism | p. 86 |
Bad Luck | p. 86 |
Poor Health | p. 88 |
The Ending of Relationships | p. 90 |
Violence | p. 91 |
Why the Inconsistency Between Explanations of Their Own and Others' Use of Welfare? | p. 93 |
Critical Thinking Questions | p. 96 |
Day-to-Day Living and Decision Making | p. 97 |
Daily Activities: Wild Living or Depressing Routine? | p. 101 |
Making Ends Meet with "The Check" | p. 102 |
Living and Surviving on Food Stamps | p. 106 |
Juggling Bills | p. 108 |
Coping with the Stress | p. 110 |
Affording Life's "Luxuries" | p. 112 |
Supplementing Welfare | p. 115 |
Critical Thinking Questions | p. 117 |
Living and Surviving Welfare: The Importance of Family, Friends, and Formal Support | p. 118 |
Informal Support: Help from Families, Friends and Neighbors, and Children's Fathers | p. 123 |
Assistance from Families | p. 123 |
Assistance from Friends and Neighbors | p. 127 |
Assistance from Children's Fathers | p. 130 |
Formal Support: Help from Charities and Social Services | p. 134 |
Working Side Jobs: Is This Fraud? | p. 136 |
Critical Thinking Questions | p. 139 |
Insider's Perspectives on the Welfare System | p. 140 |
Florida WAGES: A Case Example | p. 143 |
The Role of Government | p. 145 |
Opinions of the Welfare System | p. 147 |
Strengths of the Welfare System | p. 148 |
Weaknesses of the Welfare System | p. 150 |
Welfare Reforms | p. 152 |
Time Limits | p. 152 |
Work Requirements | p. 155 |
Family Caps | p. 158 |
Ideas for Reform | p. 159 |
Improving the Welfare System | p. 159 |
Improving the Structure of Low-Tier Work | p. 161 |
Critical Thinking Questions | p. 163 |
Getting Off Welfare | p. 164 |
The Women in the Middle: Increasing Human Capital Is Only One Answer | p. 169 |
Education and Employment Training | p. 170 |
Work Experience | p. 172 |
The Importance of Our Social Structure | p. 174 |
Not Enough Jobs | p. 175 |
Types of Jobs Available for Women on Welfare | p. 176 |
The Value of Health Insurance | p. 179 |
Why Some Women on Welfare Are Hesitant to Take Jobs | p. 181 |
Critical Thinking Questions | p. 185 |
Conclusion: Lessons Learned and Visions of Change | p. 186 |
The Gendered Nature of Welfare and Welfare Reform | p. 187 |
Has Welfare Reform Been a Success or a Failure? | p. 192 |
The Reasons for Its Failure | p. 193 |
Insights from Other Countries | p. 195 |
Critical Thinking Questions | p. 200 |
Appendix: Websites of Interest | p. 201 |
References | p. 206 |
Index | p. 217 |
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