Safety Net Flashcards
How have welfare programs in the US evolved over the years?
(1896-1914) - Mothers Pensions during Progressive Era- to get women out of the job market to reduce job competition
- served mainly white widows
- strict gender roles enforced for benefits
(1935) - expanded by FDR- AFDC (aid to families with dependent children)
- still very strict gender roles
- but now included single women, married women with unemployed husbands, racial diversity (however in southern states regulations excluded racial minorities by requiring specific literacy rates to receive benefits)
what is the current welfare legislation in the US?
EXPLAIN IN GREAT DETAIL
PRWORA- Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 - Clinton
replaced Aid to Families with Dependent Children of 1935 (AFDC)- FDR
State block grant allowing autonomy i each state to decide how to achieve their goal of reducing poverty
Lifetime cap (5 yr max) on receiving welfare, however this varies by state
Welfare recipients must work (adult) or attend school (unmarried teen parent)
**July 2012 - Obama- states can be exempt from stringent work requirements ONLY if they can find a way to increase overall employment rate by 20%
What was the impetus for the creation of PRWORA?
(the reason to revise or reform AFDC benefits)
1) increase number of women in labor market= questioning whether or not they really need benefits.
2) Desire to reduce welfare dependency particularly cash assistance.
3) Political pressure
4) increase in population = increase in people in poverty
5) on a Macro level increasing the growth of the nation
6) Lack of funding
What have been the successes and failures of the numerous US welfare programs?
Successes: greater inclusion of different racial and status, at least there is a safety net.
Failures: women told not to work, benefits are low, politics, dependence on the system, stigmatization.
What are the common themes presented in the stories found in Eitzen and Smith Chapter 7?
- Welfare System
- mainly focused on different U.S. safety nets (various federal assistance programs) that supported the needs of the poor
- “Welfare as they know it” (story)- talked about different low class workers who worked in street cleaning industry, construction sites & yard work etc.- workers lacked cleaning equipments which led to healthcare probs, had no place to use the bathroom, jobs didn’t have orientation with no safety precaution tips, no proper uniform for work (clothes get easily contaminated–> people get sick faster)
- “Money” (story)- people struggle to pay bills (med/healthcare bills, house bills), income was not enough to survive and support family
- “Tapped in the Double-Bind of Welfare”- language barriers among immigrants, lack of healthcare funding provided by gov’t, latino’s citizenship is “looked down upon”
Food Stamp Program (explain some issues)
debit card - due to symbolic interactionism
food insecurity put people at higher risk for obesity
lack of affordable healthy food choices
lack of time to cook
ignorance of healthy choices
location of organic food stores in low income neighborhoods
rationing of food = processed food not fresh
labeling- lobbing by large food companies
Medicaid, Medicare, and SCHIP (explain some issues)
symbolic interactionism- prejudice
lower quality services
longer waits
(conflict theory - capitalist resistance- insurance company)
Head Start (explain what the program is intended to do)
designed to increase school readiness and offer nutritional services to poor pre-school children
+ early head start now serves infants and toddlers
designed to put an emphasis on parental involvement
2004 data: 31% Hispanic
31% African American
27% White
3% Native American
3% Asian American
explain Social Security
cash assistance for the elderly
issues:
Financial issues do to increase in older population combined with lower birth rates
people are living longer = no money
what are the pro’s and con’s of requiring welfare recipients to work?
pro’s - encourages self sufficiency
con’s - not always easy to find a job
policy opens possibility for states to discriminate
poverty line doesn’t account for housing and child care
all recipients competing for the same entry level jobs
Using Conflict theory explain how they would view the current welfare legislation.
all the recipients are competing for the same entry level jobs
politicians and recipients = must follow set rules to receive benefits
States compete with each other = population based
explain welfare through symbolic interactionism
people who need it don’t want to use it due to the label or stigma associated
explain how a functionalist would explain welfare
we need a suppressed society to create a need for the betterment of society (struggle)
