Most Americans that have lived a middle-class life have no idea how people living in poverty negotiate their lives. There is a tendency to think of “the poor” in the abstract – a group of unwashed masses who seem to always live in inner cities or trailer parks. When poor people are thought of as poor people as people at all, they are often referred to using terms like “slackers,” “losers,” “drop-outs” “takers” – the people who “just don’t want to work.”
Even when they do work, they don’t work the “right” jobs. They work in what are thought to be “unskilled” traditional “teenager jobs” – retail sales clerks, gas station attendants, McDonald’s counter work, etc. And so the thinking goes, these are not the kind of jobs that serious people apply themselves to. People who have serious intentions to one day raise a family graduate from these jobs: they go to college, aspire to better jobs, and move up in the world. If poor people could simply grasp this common wisdom, they wouldn’t be doing what they’re doing AND they wouldn’t be poor. How many times have you thought this?
What you think about poor people and whether or not you believe we should help them probably boils down to your take on a single question: why don’t poor people work? As it turns out, there’s research on that!
But before we get into the research, let’s take a moment to consider how much one’s personal beliefs in this regard are in no small way influenced by their social ecology (family, friends, and neighborhoods where you grew up) and personal experiences. These traditional sources of knowledge are handed down and form a repository of what we call “common wisdom.” This kind of thinking is the opposite of critically reasoned, empirically informed, rational thinking. But it feels good because you get to share the views of everyone around you – confirmation bias – and so why change?
Research shows that the kinds of things your friends and family say about poor people are the primary sources of influence when it comes to what you believe about poor people – far more than any knowledge based on research and data. When “beliefs” and “facts” don’t line up very well, the result is “cognitive dissonance.” In the case of politicians and policy makers, rather than do the heavy lifting required to explain contradictions and misunderstanding, they often take the easy way out (they go with which way the political wind is blowing). By validating constituent beliefs (even when those beliefs are misinformed and/or wrong), people feel gratified and vote accordingly. Ultimately, the public is not well-served because legislators aren’t fixing social problems. Instead, they’re playing a game of crass politics calibrated to “what will get me re-elected?”
In addition to the influence of friends and family, what you think about “the poors” is probably also shaped by your political ideology. Thus it has been documented that people who identify as liberal will more often attribute poverty to social factors, like discrimination, whereas those who identify with social conservativism will more often point to individual choices (bad ones) that people make and subsequent failure to assume personal responsibility for their fate.
Political party ID also has a major impact on how people understand unemployment, welfare benefits, food stamps, etc. People tend to argue that short term unemployment, particularly as it impacts middle-class families, naturally fluctuates with the job market. Long-term unemployment, however, is thought to be more influenced by cultural forces and not the market – a “culture of poverty” associated with bad behavior. This sentiment reflects a simmering resentment that the poor could work if they wanted to, but a culture of sloth combined with a generous social safety net coddles them and acts as a disincentive to work. Put another way, political conservatives argue that government programs designed to alleviate poverty are doing the opposite: they encourage poor people to not work.
A key data point cited to support this belief in individual sloth comes from the Census. Every year, the Census Bureau asks unemployed Americans why they’re not working. And traditionally, it is a small percentage of poor adults who say it’s because they can’t find employment. Census figures, however, can be interpreted in a number of different ways. Taking the Census figures at face value, there are a few lessons are in order.
First, it is helpful to think of poverty and unemployment as not only a function of individual behavior, but also as a function of history and social context
The recession in 2008 changed poverty in many respects. From that point forward, we find more of the non-working poor are claiming they cannot find a job than at any point in the past two decades. Of course, unemployment rates fluctuate. However, this shouldn’t be much of a surprise. What is interesting is that when researchers took a closer look, they found that a lot of poor who “choose” not to work aren’t necessarily doing so out of laziness (the stereotype). Rather, it is due to other personal obligations: they’re trying to take care of relatives, they’re ill, or they’re attempting to make their way through school.
Poor people also tend to work jobs that are physically taxing; jobs that require a lot of lifting and standing. This puts them at a higher risk for suffering from disabling injuries. Chronic pain and reliance on pain medication opens the door to addiction for many of them, which leaves them in progressively increasingly worse situation.
The research also notes there are big differences with regard to gender. Women are more likely than men to cite family reasons for not working; men are more likely to cite their inability to find a job (Weissman).
Setting aside those people who don’t work for a moment, let’s take a look at the people who are working. Most of the poor who can work are working. The problem is wages remain low. Fifty-seven percent of the families below the poverty line in the U.S. are working families, working at jobs that just don’t pay enough to support them and their families.
Ask yourself: is it okay to pay people poverty wages (wages that can’t feed or support their families) when they are doing work that is socially necessary? Is service work the new “plantation” of the 21st century?
So it’s not that the poor want to work like burger-flipping teenagers or that they’re lazy; they often do back-breaking and thankless work and work more than one job. Keep in mind, many of these low paid “unskilled” jobs fulfill important social needs. Caregiving and working in restaurants are are very much in demand from U.S. consumers. The real problem is that wages are too low.
Researchers have recently started to focus their efforts on understanding poor working people and what kind of work do they do. And this is what they have discovered. Occupationally, poor employed people tend to be childcare workers, home health care workers, janitors, house cleaners, lawn-service workers, bus drivers, hospital aides, waitresses, nursing home employees, security guards, cafeteria workers, and retail cashiers.
Sadly, not only do we expect them to do these incredibly important jobs, we expect them to also live in poverty while they do it. And we scream bloody murder if they don’t want to do the jobs that we all agree are thankless, difficult, and low-paid.
In should not need to be said (but it does) – these are not stupid lazy people performing unimportant jobs. They are, in fact, precisely the kinds of jobs that help make society work for everyone else; they enable other people to go to their jobs and earn a living. Nonetheless, people who perform this kind of work are summarily written off as socially unworthy, shiftless, lazy, and even stupid for making a “bad” career choice.
History
For more than 30 years, politicians in the United States have worked to systematically undermine the poorest Americans. How did they do it? They prioritized tax cuts for the wealthy and engaged in unchecked military spending, all the while convincing average Americans (who don’t benefit from the tax cuts and military spending) that their way of life was in danger if these things were not accomplished. Both of the major political parties in the U.S. have done this to different degrees, with some more than others engaging in fear-mongering and the provoking of racial antipathy to get it done.
Put another way, they discovered that they way to get Americans to support their agenda was to push the narrative that the economy was being hurt by welfare slackers, unrestrained criminality, teen pregnancy, affirmative action recipients, and “illegal alien” criminal immigrants.
This narrative script still holds sway over our current politics. Now more than ever, as even middle class Americans are feeling the pressure. The mindset of middle class people tends to be one that is aspirationally focused: that is, they look up the economic ladder and aim to find ways to share common cause with wealthy Americans, whose ranks they hope to join if the “work real hard.” They seek proximity to wealth through their jobs and their consumption habits. Part of doing so means they must also engage in efforts to socially distance themselves from the poor – this helps them to demonstrate by way of belief and personal practice that “I am not like them.”
In our recent history, attacks on the former President Barak Obama fit seamlessly into these developments. He was accused of not being American through a politics of fear that tries to generate suspicion of “enemy” others who are “not like us.” In the end, even Obama capitulated in many respects, advocating for social and monetary policies that benefitted banks more than they helped poor people.
Consequently, any attempts to fix social problems like poverty and social welfare programs through responsible governance (i.e. effective policy making) have been largely defeated by politicians who employ cynical politics to manipulate voters and by the voters themselves who have allowed their emotions to be captured by this process.
The Underclass
Academic poverty studies are prolific. In the current era, Columbia University sociologist Herb Gans argued in his 1995 book “The War Against the Poor” that the label “underclass,” a term that we can apply to a variety of people—working poor, welfare recipients, teenage mothers, drug addicts, and the homeless, reduced members of these groups into to a single condemned “untouchable” class. As a result, poor people became feared and despised by the rest of society.
This label has proved to be powerful and long-lasting. Perhaps the most pernicious effect is how it effectively transformed the individual’s experience of being in poverty into what academics have referred to as a spoiled identity – an identity marked by personal failing and, in particular, a failure to make good choices in life.
On the policy front, all social welfare policies, but especially those popularly referred to as “food stamps,” have been effectively stigmatized and rendered highly controversial in the United States.
The entrenchment of negative stereotypes about poor people has helped political contrarians among others to call into question FDR’s legacy “Great Society” programs along with other civil rights era policies formulated during the 1960’s and 1970’s. This has been greatly aided by the efforts of those in the political pundit class (big media mouthpieces paid to carry water for they wealthy who pay them) to criticize “welfare entitlements.” In recent years, the attacks have become vitriolic and relentless.
In what amounts to a piling-on effect, the efforts of politicians and the traditional media have been amplified a thousand times by the echo chamber of digital and social media. In social media, the ultimate currency is the “click.” In light of this, social media platforms have become notorious for click-bait images that provoke outrage. The promotion of negative cultural stereotypes has become valuable to efforts to drive clicks and thus revenue. Social media effectively monetizes anger and outrage.
Reagan’s Welfare Queen
There is no more significant political figure in this history than Ronald Reagan, who in the late 1970’s, during a period of significant economic adjustment, restructuring, and de-industrialization in the United States, managed to divert people’s attention away from larger macroeconomic issues by exploiting white working class fears about the expansion of social welfare benefits. For local reference, this is the same period in time during which many of the steel mills in Pittsburgh began to falter and good jobs started to become scarce.
The “Welfare Queen” of Reagan’s speeches was intended to provoke outrage; it was an affront to the political philosophy of personal responsibility and rugged individualism espoused by “hard working people” (racially coded white people), who were experiencing considerable economic pain as a direct result of his administration’s economic policies.
Reagan relied on what social psychologists refer to as “narrative scripts,” His 1976 campaign trail stump speech included the story of a woman from Chicago’s South Side arrested for welfare fraud. According to Reagan:
“She has 80 names, 30 addresses, 12 Social Security cards and is collecting veteran’s benefits on four non-existing deceased husbands. And she is collecting Social Security on her cards. She’s got Medicaid, getting food stamps, and she is collecting welfare under each of her names.”
The storyline proved to be extraordinarily effective for its ability to tap into entrenched race, class, and gender stereotypes dating back to the American Civil War about African American women (uncontrolled sexual appetites) and African-American work ethic (laziness).
Three falsehoods emerge from the “Welfare Queen” narrative:
1) most people living in poverty are women (they are children and the elderly)
2) most people on public assistance are urban (they are rural)
3) most people on public assistance are black (they are white).
None of these narratives hold up to research scrutiny, yet they prevail today and are perhaps as powerful as ever.
Who Is on Welfare?
Though many are shocked by this, whites are by far the biggest beneficiaries when it comes to government safety-net programs like the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), commonly referred to using the short term “welfare.” If we were to break this down further, the largest sub-group of people who are presently living in poverty are white children followed by the elderly. And while black women represent more than one-third of the total number of women on welfare, data shows they account for only ten percent of the total number of welfare recipients.
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program is the program that has most frequently been called welfare; it was created in the famous “welfare reform act” of 1996. As a result of that reform, the program that exists today is much smaller than its predecessor, Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), which only served 2.7 million people in 2016.
Of course, many of these facts run counter-intuitive to what many people have come to believe as social fact. As a new HuffPost/YouGov survey shows, the American public has wildly distorted views about which groups are the largest beneficiaries of government programs.
Fifty-nine percent of Americans say either that most welfare recipients are black, or that welfare recipiency is about the same among black and white people. Only 21 percent correctly said there are more white than black food stamp recipients.
Additionally, when survey respondents were asked to estimate who receives welfare, they provided answers that tracked closely to their estimation of who also gets food stamps. Elizabeth Lower-Basch, a senior analyst with the Center for Law and Social Policy, says that people significantly overestimate the number of black Americans benefiting from the largest programs. She says “It’s not surprising because we all know people’s images of public benefits is driven by stereotype” (Delaney and Edwards-Levy, 2018).
In a similar fashion, the urban vs. rural dichotomy is also not sustained. Rural people receive benefits in far greater numbers than urban people. And here again, most rural people receiving public assistance are white. These social dynamics are visually rendered in both the map and table below. The map below shows the geographic distribution of food stamp recipients in the United States (dark shaded states have more people collecting benefits); the table under the map illustrates the racial identification of food stamp (SNAP) recipients.
Let’s use a sociological intersectional analysis to look at how race, social class, region, and education all work together and tell us something about who is on welfare.
Black is Shorthand for Poor
What does poverty look like in America? Judging by how it’s portrayed in the media, it looks black.
That’s the conclusion of a new study by Bas W. van Doorn, a professor of political science at the College of Wooster, in Ohio, which examined 474 stories about poverty published in Time, Newsweek, and U.S. News and World Report between 1992 and 2010. In the images that ran alongside those stories in print, black people were overrepresented, appearing in a little more than half of the images, even though they made up only a quarter of people below the poverty line during that time span. Hispanic people, who account for 23 percent of America’s poor, were significantly under-represented in the images, appearing in 13.7 percent of them (Pinsker).
According to the USDA in their report for fiscal year 2013, 40% of aid recipients are white and 26% are black. While the food stamp program has one of the lowest rates of abuse than any other welfare program, many people find it easy to buy into the misconception that it’s the “lazy blacks” who account for the fraud woes of government assistance. Here again, the data above refute these narratives and common stereotypes.
How many people – be honest now – are surprised to learn that the biggest recipients of federal poverty-reduction programs are working-class white people? This is a widely documented fact, even if it is not commonly understood.
White people without a college degree ages 18 to 64 are the largest class of adults lifted out of poverty by such programs, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (progressive policy think tank). Their 2017 report. based on U.S. census data stated that 6.2 million working-age whites were lifted above the poverty line in 2014 compared to 2.8 million blacks and 2.4 million Hispanics.
So the question remains – why is this not more widely understood? Unfortunately, the answer relates back to the enduring power of stereotypes and prejudices, which people tend to inherit when they believe traditional sources or trust “common knowledge” (i.e. friends and family). That this occurs testifies to the power of traditional narratives to act as a cultural shortcut – this help us fill in the gaps where our actual knowledge may be lacking.
Consequently, even though blacks and Hispanics have substantially higher rates of poverty (both in numbers and as a proportion of their respective social groups), whites receive the most benefits and populate the welfare rolls in higher numbers (see a new study published by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities).
One of the significant study findings, in this particular case, was that the numbers do not simply reflect the fact that there are more white people in the country; they demonstrate a good deal more than this – that the percentage of poor whites lifted out of poverty by government safety-net programs is substantially higher compared to all other social groups – 44 percent of whites, compared to 35 percent of otherwise poor minorities ( CBPP study).
According to Isaac Shapiro, a senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (one of the report’s authors):
“There is a perception out there that the safety net is only for minorities. While it’s very important to minorities because they have higher poverty rates and face barriers that lead to lower earnings, it’s also quite important to whites, particularly the white working class.”
Research on Stereotypes of Poverty and Welfare
Researchers like Princeton Political Scientist Martin Gilens have documented how negative media portrayals of African Americans contribute to the perception that there are more blacks than whites who live in poverty and “take” benefits.
A Feb 2015 incident in Brushton New York illustrates that contrary to these stereotypes, the opposite case is often the reality. Police officers in Brushton arrested 30 people in connection with fraud. They were arrested for using their food stamp cards in a manner that was against the law. All were white.
Racial stereotypes not only harm the people they are intended to malign, such views also contribute to the under-estimating of the actual number of poor whites who live under these circumstances. Once entrenched, these narrative scripts can be particularly difficult to dislodge due to a phenomenon called “confirmation bias”(or confirmatory bias)–people incorporate the unsupported narratives into their belief systems and interpret ALL subsequent new information in ways that refer back to/confirm their pre-conceived beliefs.
Confirmation bias is demonstrated when decision makers actively seek out and assign greater emphasis to information/evidence that supports their pre-existing beliefs, while at the same time they conveniently ignore evidence that contradicts or undermines those beliefs. Some people (including your professor) refer to this biased selection process as “cherry picking.”
The Experiment
To prove the pernicious effect of Reagan’s stereotypical “Welfare Queen,” Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr., a professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of California, Los Angeles, conducted an experiment. Gilliam constructed a series of television news stories about the impact of welfare reform that featured a woman named Rhonda Germaine.
In his report, Gilliam had this to say:
“One of the more controversial issues on the American domestic agenda is social welfare policy. The near unanimity surrounding the “Great Society” programs and policies of the mid-to-late 1960’s has given way to discord and dissonance. Conservative thinkers and politicians first launched attacks on the “welfare state” in the aftermath of the civil rights disturbances of the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. While Barry Goldwater, George Wallace and Richard Nixon charted the course, Ronald Reagan encapsulated the white majority’s growing unease with the perceived expansion of the social welfare apparatus. In particular, Reagan was able to forge a successful top-down coalition between big business and disaffected white working-class voters. The intellectual core of the movement was a well-funded punditry class that offered a theoretical vision for the “New Right.”
While this perspective touched on the cornerstones of American political philosophy individualism and egalitarianism it also carried with it a heavy undercurrent of gender and racial politics. In the midst of this evolving political landscape on which new debates about welfare were taking place, the news media played and continues to play a critical role in the public’s understanding of what “welfare” is and what it ought to be. According to Gilliam:
Utilizing a novel experimental design, I wanted to examine the impact of media portrayals of the “welfare queen” (Reagan’s iconic representation of the African-American welfare experience) on white people’s attitudes about welfare policy, race and gender. My assumption going into this study was that the notion of the welfare queen had taken on the status of common knowledge, or what is known as a “narrative script.”
The welfare queen script has two key components: 1) welfare recipients are disproportionately women; and 2) women on welfare are disproportionately African-American.
What I discovered is that among white subjects, exposure to these script elements reduced support for various welfare programs, increased stereotyping of African-Americans, and heightened support for maintaining traditional gender roles. And these findings have implications both for the practice of journalism and the development of constructive relations across the lines of race and gender.”
How it Worked
Study participants, who differed on the basis of race and gender, were randomly assigned to one of four groups. Each group watched one of four different news stories. The first group watched the news story with Rhonda cast as a white woman. The second group saw a story that depicted Rhonda as an African-American woman. The third group watched the story without seeing a visual representation of Rhonda. The last group, a control group, did not watch any TV stories about welfare. At the end of the videotape, study participants were given a lengthy questionnaire that probed their political and social views.
Study Findings
The welfare queen script assumed the status of common knowledge. When white subjects were asked to recall what they had seen in the newscasts, nearly 80 percent of them accurately recalled the race of the African-American Rhonda; less than 50 percent recalled seeing the white Rhonda.
Subjects who recorded the most “liberal” views about gender roles turned out to express the most hostility to blacks after they were exposed to white Rhonda. In other words, gender-liberal white participants who were shown the image of the African American woman were more likely to respond that they opposed welfare spending; they attributed “individuals” making bad decisions as the main cause of social problems and endorsed negative characterizations of African-Americans. This tendency was most pronounced among women respondents.
Social Welfare and Social Media
So now that we’ve looked at some research and data, take a look at the following video and see if you can pick up on the cultural stereotypes and narrative scripts that distinguish not only this v-logger’s thinking, but maybe even the thinking of some people you know (or you?):
The next two images might be familiar to you, if only because they tend to constantly recycle themselves through Facebook and other social media. They are shared because they are assumed to be funny, but only if you are “in” on the joke, which in this case is that poor people are not so poor as you think. Rather, they are apparently living the high life, taking advantage of the system, while us poor dupes work hard to pay for their care-free and easily acquired lifestyle.
Both images imply that people who are not working/collecting benefits should not have smartphones. Odd thinking when we consider how helpful having a smartphone might be for someone waiting for an employer to call them for a job that would potentially get them OFF welfare. It’s as if the thought never occurs to people that welfare recipients might have previously been employed; that prior to their job loss, they might have had sufficient resources that would let them own things like smart phones, cars, and nice clothing. Is the expectation here that people should sell off all of their personal possessions in the event of sudden unemployment?
Social media, as demonstrated here, traffics in a cultural logic that, while not explicitly stated, nonetheless, assumes a set of “unwritten” rules for welfare benefit /”food stamp” recipients:
1) if you lose a job and apply for public assistance, you should sell any and all electronics and luxury goods you were fortunate enough to have possessed prior to your job loss;
2) don’t dress/present yourself too well in public, since this demonstrates you don’t really need financial assistance;
3) don’t dress/present too poorly, because this demonstrates your general unworthiness and constitutes even more proof that you shouldn’t be receiving welfare benefits
By now the contradictions should be obvious. In the end, it’s pretty hard for anyone who is poor to win here. The assumption is that in order to be seen as a “good” poor person” you must divest yourself of all personal possessions (even if you acquired them when times were good); you must also take care to look properly disheveled…but not too much. Striking the right balance is the key. Thus, it is only by walking this fine line that you can escape public judgment and ridicule.
Social media shaming works hand in hand with real-life shaming. In recent times, a number of high-profile videos have surfaced, which show what are almost always white identified people being verbally abusive and sometimes attacking poor minority people for doing things like demonstrating that they are bilingual (they can speak Spanish as well as English whenever they choose). Many low-wage people and families are subject to getting dirty looks from fellow shoppers for using food stamps in the checkout line (something that, as any cashier will tell you, a lot of working people, who are fully employed in low wage jobs, use the small food supplement to help make ends meet).
iPhone & Refrigerator Shaming Continued
Former Utah State Representative, Jason Chaffetz, once told a CNN television reporter that Americans might have to decide between owning a smartphone and having health insurance. In other words, Americans are going to have to cut back on modern “luxuries” like a phone if they want to be able to afford health insurance.
According to Chaffetz: “And so maybe rather than getting that new iPhone that they just love and they want to go spend hundreds of dollars on that, maybe they should invest that in their own healthcare.”
While Chaffetz was justifiably made fun of for his comparison (people pointed out that a year’s worth of health care would roughly equal 23 iPhone 7 Pluses in price), he was merely giving voice to what is again a commonly held belief – that poverty in the United States is the result of laziness, immorality, irresponsibility, and poor individual choices.
Another analogy was featured in a Fox News story. Anchor Stuart Varney talked about how “lucky” poor people are to have things like refrigerators.
Once more, we see evidence of a simplified logic: that if people engaged in better decision making — if they worked harder, stayed in school, got married, didn’t have children they couldn’t afford, spent what money they had more wisely and saved more — then they wouldn’t be poor. This deeply entrenched narrative continues to shape public thinking and beliefs about poor people in general. Further, it influences the thinking of government policy makers on BOTH sides of the two polarized sides of the political spectrum, who perhaps more than other people, should be incorporating findings published by research if they are truly committed to solving social problems.
Welfare Reform
While this flawed thinking owes a debt to Reagan, we find it similarly embedded deep within the logic of President Bill Clinton’s 1996 signature welfare restructuring law – the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA). This was the logic that drove efforts to impose work requirements on Medicaid recipients, to drug-test people collecting SNAP benefits and/or unemployment insurance, and to in some circumstances prevent aid recipients from buying steak and lobster.
Social media images, memes and the like, are not trivial. Because of their ubiquity and appeal to humor, they serve as powerful framing mechanisms for non-critical ways of thinking about who is poor and deserving of help – the worthy poor – as opposed to people deemed not “poor enough” and thus not deserving of help.
Although the images are not explicitly racialized, research like that conducted by both Gilens and Gilliam demonstrates that any expressed agreement or support for/against benefits are likely to be more reflective of “beliefs” that draw from gender/race/class stereotypes – not understanding that is based on data and evidence derived from research.
The images, in terms of their effect, do nothing to “inform” and promote understanding; rather, they entertain while they at the same time stoke the fires of conflict and misunderstanding, and thereby perpetuate resentment of disadvantaged groups.
Consequently, no matter what poor people do (or not do), the poor in the United States are treated like social outcasts and criminals. This is not to say that poor people don’t make bad choices sometimes. Of course they do in some cases. Research, however, demonstrates that it is more likely that the structural system of capitalism has a far greater impact on how earning opportunity is organized, who has access to it, and who will ultimately have to struggle more than others.
Because all of this is complicated, most people would rather argue that the system is working and that it’s individual people who are solely to blame for the cause of their own poverty.
The Politics of Visibility
Working class people – people who are only slightly more successful than the working poor people located just below them on the social class ladder – don’t come anywhere close to getting any of the government giveaways that corporate shareholders get at places like Amazon, Google, and Boeing, or for that matter that typically wealthy people get. Their social status/social location make it difficult for them to “see” how wealthy people benefit from the system – specifically, from infinitely more generous tax policy on things like capital gains (taxed lower than wages from labor), government subsidies, and arcane accounting maneuvers like carried interest on tax deductions.
Consequently, because they can’t see how tax dollars and wealth transfer occurs at those high corporate levels, there is a tendency to criticize the things that they CAN SEE – a poor person begging on the street corner, someone using an EBT card; a poor person getting free medication due to Medicaid and/or “Obamacare.” They see people getting FREE stuff when they are barely scraping by and it makes them crazy mad.
Put another way, the incredible wealth and income benefits, tax deductions, and incentive programs that the richest members of society have access to are largely INVISIBLE to most working people. People getting government assistance, however, are HIGHLY VISIBLE and are thus much easier to judge. This is why they become a target for social wrath.
Sources:
Information about Gilliam’s “Welfare Queen” experiment can be found in an article published by the author in Harvard University’s Nieman Report, which can be accessed here.
Read more about the Brushton New York arrests here.
The Washington Post article with data published by the CBPP study can be accessed here.
Article by Stephen Pimpare, “Laziness Isn’t Why Poor People Are Poor.” Pimpare is the author of “A People’s History of Poverty in America” and the forthcoming “Ghettos, Tramps, and Welfare Queens: Down and Out on the Silver Screen.” He teaches American politics and public policy at the University of New Hampshire.
“6 Things Paul Ryan Doesn’t Understand About Poverty (But I Didn’t Either),” by Karen Weese
Help Overcome Misinformation, Denial, and Cognitive Dissonance
Many of you who are reading this may be coming by a lot of this information for the first time. It is likely you have numerous years under your belt, where you believed to be true a lot of the things the data here clearly dispute. Given this, it is possible you may not be ready to give up those beliefs. In the scheme of things, you might even go so far as to weigh your personal opinions against the data, and then elect to simply dismiss the data. If you do this, just know there are some very deep and powerful psychological reasons operating that may be preventing you from doing so.
In this instance, the psychological defense mechanism of “denial” is operating in conjunction with “cognitive dissonance.” Cognitive dissonance, according to psychologists, is the resulting mental state of stress/discomfort that occurs when someone simultaneously holds two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values. Thus, the pre-existing beliefs, ideas, and values become contradicted by the new information; in order to resolve the mental stress, the individual simply dismisses/denies the new information.
According to Stephen Pimpare, denial serves a few functions.
“First, it’s founded on the assumption that the United States is a land of opportunity, where upward mobility is readily available and hard work gets you ahead. We’ve recently taken to calling it grit. While grit may have ushered you up the socioeconomic ladder in the late 19th century, it’s no longer up to the task today. Rates of intergenerational income mobility are, in fact, higher in France, Spain, Germany, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and other countries in the world than they are here in the United States. And that mobility is in further decline here, an indicator of the falling fortunes not just of poor and low-income Americans, but of middle-class ones, too (Pimpare). To accept this as reality is to confront the unpleasant fact that myths of American exceptionalism are just that — myths — and many of us would fare better economically (and live longer, healthier lives, too) had we been born elsewhere. That cognitive dissonance is too much for too many of us, so we believe instead that people can overcome any obstacle if they would simply work hard enough (Pimpare).
Second, to believe that poverty is a result of immorality or irresponsibility helps people believe it can’t happen to them. But it can happen to them (and to me and to you). Poverty in the United States is common, and according to the Census Bureau, over a three-year period, about one-third of all U.S. residents slip below the poverty line at least once for two months or more” (Pimpare).
Third — and conveniently, perhaps, for people like Chaffetz or House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) — this stubborn insistence that people could have more money or more health care if only they wanted them more absolves the government of having to intervene and use its power on their behalf. In this way of thinking, reducing access to subsidized health insurance isn’t cruel; it’s responsible, a form of tough love in which people are forced to make good choices instead of bad ones. This is both patronizing and, of course, a gross misreading of the actual outcome of laws like these” (Pimpare).
To conclude, Pimpare offers the following:
“There’s one final problem with these kinds of arguments, and that is the implication that we should be worried by the possibility of poor people buying the occasional steak, lottery ticket or, yes, even an iPhone. Set aside the fact that a better cut of meat may be more nutritious than a meal Chaffetz would approve of, or the fact that a smartphone may be your only access to email, job notices, benefit applications, school work and so on.
Why do we begrudge people struggling to get by the occasional indulgence? Why do we so little value pleasure and joy? Why do we insist that if you are poor, you should also be miserable? Why do we require penitence?
People like Chaffetz, Ryan, and their compatriots offer us tough love without the love, made possible through their willful ignorance of (or utter disregard for) what life is actually like for so many Americans who do their very best against great odds and still, nonetheless, have little to show for it. Sometimes not even an iPhone.”
At the end of the day, there are a lot of different ways we might tackle poverty. The problem is, we can’t make any progress until the vast majority of people in society are willing to take a hard look at how their thinking too often diverges from reality on the matter; they must be willing to give up many of the assumptions they have about who is poor, on welfare, etc.
In short, they will need to set aside these beliefs and prejudices that are emotionally satisfying, but not informed by data and research; they need to begin to try to envision what the world really feels like for families living in poverty every day.
How might your own thinking about social welfare benefits and poverty be shaped by family perspectives, media narratives and social media imagery? How might these sources of information potentially influence how people understand “who is poor” in the United States? How might those understandings influence ideas about how to fix the problem?
Were you surprised to learn that statistics document there are more white people that receive food stamps and other social welfare benefits than African Americans?
Do you trust poor people who ask you for money? Do you think that most poor people are trying to get over on the system?
Why do you think it is that programs that benefit poor people (Food stamps/SNAP benefits) are referred to as “welfare,” but other programs that are similarly classified as public assistance are not thought of as “welfare.” This includes benefits like the home mortgage interest deduction, unemployment compensation, and the GI Bill. And what about other benefits that tax dollars pay for like capital gains tax write-offs and incentives and subsidies paid to corporations? Which of these categories of benefits do you imagine costs taxpayers the most? Benefits for poor people or benefits paid to wealthy people? As for the latter, why don’t we think of these benefits as “welfare,” considering that taxpayers pay for them too, often at a far greater cost?
Consider the following: Are you more concerned with the fact that a very small number of “undeserving” folks might “cash in” and get a “free lunch” as a result of efforts to promote less restrictive school lunch programs or are you more concerned with guaranteeing that not one single “undeserving” child gets a free meal? What is most important to you?
Why do you think people get upset about poor people receiving aid and benefits that are far less costly in terms of total dollars than, let’s say, other government programs, i.e. military spending, agriculture subsidies, and tax incentives for people and/or corporations? (see the list below)
I didn’t find it too surprising about how whites are in welfare because I’ve seen plenty of whit people come into my retail jobs and use ebt cards. I’ve seen some white people who live in section 8 housing so I’ve always known they are definitely using welfare, but it was surprising to know that there was more than I’ve thought and pretty much more whites using it than blacks. When you think if welfare everyone thinks straight to African Americans but in reality there are other races in it as well. It’s always people thinking straight to women with children being the only ones on welfare when there are plenty of people who live by themselves on it . In order to really understand who all uses it l, people need to research or open their eyes and stop only portraying or accommodating it to African Americans. When it comes to poor people not working and asking for money in the street, it makes me look at two different approaches. One is why aren’t they trying to look for jobs or reach out to people who can potential help them look the part and start applying for jobs even if it’s the gas station or McDonald’s. The other thing I think about is how we never really know there situation and how they became poor or who they may or may not know that can or can’t help them. Unfortunately some people lose family once they become poor or homeless and for them they basically have nobody to help them help themselves because obviously it’s hard enough for them to try to get cleaned up and get jobs themselves.
While reading this article I was very surprised to see that it was white people who use welfare more than any other race. From social media and they way people talk about whites I would think they would be the last people to use food stamps and welfare. This just prove that the media only shows you half of what’s going on in todays society.The lack of education is why many believe welfare is just utilized by Blacks. Being poor goes way beyond the color of someone’s skin. Another social media makes us believe is that women are the majority of the poor when it is children and the elderly. This shows that you should not believe everything you see or hear from others unless there are facts and evidence behind it!
I wasn’t surprised to learn that white Americans obtain food stamps in greater numbers than African Americans after reading the facts. Prior to reading this internet post, I had the impression that white Americans make up the majority of those who obtain food stamps. Do I have confidence in poor individuals who ask for money? I’d say to a certain extent. When I’m driving and see people holding up signs asking for money, it makes me question why they aren’t applying for jobs instead. Although everyone’s situation is unique, If people have the time to ask other people for money, I believe they should make a greater effort to have a steady stream of money coming in, such as an income. I don’t believe that all impoverished people are trying to take advantage of the system, but I do believe that some do. However, they should not all be lumped together because that is an unjust mentality. I believe that some individuals are offended by “poor” people receiving aid and benefits because they believe that all impoverished people might be doing more to better themselves. Perhaps some people think that they don’t deserve the aid because they have the methodology that poor people are lazy and its their own fault that they are poor. I do think that some poor people absolutely deserve aid and benefits but there are also some people who may not deserve it as much.
How might your own thinking about social welfare benefits and poverty be shaped by family perspectives, media narratives and social media imagery? How might these sources of information potentially influence how people understand “who is poor” in the United States? How might those understandings influence ideas about how to fix the problem?
I was very surprised to be educated a lot of the information that I read on this website post. For starters and a little bit of context, I am from a Republican household. I grew up believing that those who are taking government benefits were lazy drug addicts. My family is lower, middle class. My father’s work is seasonal so for a decent portion of the year, we lived off of my mom’s income and a percentage of my dad’s income through unemployment checks. We were not the most well off family in my neighborhood. For 2 years straight, during the 2008 recession, my dad was unemployed. My father is a labor worker, he installs sprinklers for a living. When my dad is working, we make decent money as a family, but when he is not, we struggle. There are government housing buildings that are right across the street from the softball field I used to practice at daily. I remember hearing remarks from my parents about the individuals who live in those houses. My parents, more specifically, my mom, as well as my grandparents rather had many good things to say about government housing and government benefits. This is ironic considering my family lived off of those benefits for nearly 6 months out of the year due to my dad’s seasonal job. My mom would always say that those individuals are lazy. They just don’t want to work. They were drug addicts that used the money to feed their addictions. They kept having kids to collect more money. This class has touched on these things that I was very uneducated on prior to this. Because my parents were very republican, many news sources, and media sources that I grew up on, also agreed with my parent’s viewpoints. This type of mindset can be very detrimental when it comes to understanding the poor. If you blame these individuals, rather than understanding them, it can cause a lot of friction when it comes to increasing these benefits. If you don’t understand these things, it is easy to say no more money for these poor individuals. This can make it very hard to get people on board with policies and acts that will benefit poor homes. It is very easy to make false claims when you have never been that person who relies on food stamps to pay for your children’s meals and make sure they’re fed. It’s easy to ignore the needs of others when you think they are just mooching off of the kindness of the government who “already does too much for poor people”.
Embarrassingly, I remember when I was growing up, my grand parents and parents saying things like “lazy” and “looking for hand outs” when describing black people in the Beaver Falls area. Driving by one of the numerous housing projects around town, I remember hearing adults say that people lived there because they don’t work hard, make bad choices and that same thing would happen to me if I don’t put in the effort. Watching that Wild Bill for America video reminded me of former family gatherings of the past, when I could hear things like: “How can you take money from people who work?” and “then lavishing it on those who can, but don’t work?”. I have seen poor areas around the country, but none of them live lavishly. My grandmother was the president of Republican women in Beaver County when I was a child, I recall her having Ronald Reagan statues in the house and her speaking so fondly of him. Reading about his “Welfare Queen” speeches for the first time that he gave during his Presidential run, are ruining the positive memories I have of him. I was too young to understand what he was doing, but it seams very close to how Trump has misused statistics on murders in Mexico and South America to push his border wall. Hard work and work ethic is entrenched in our society as the way to move up the corporate ladder. I believe people get angry due to false narratives pushed politically by people seeking power. Instead of searching for the truth, finding research and reading, it is easier to hear what other say and repeat, not fully understanding what they say. Government spending on military makes people feel safe when they are in a time of fear. The cold war was definitely a time of fear and it seems like Reagan used it to his political advantage. I read online that it cost 6.5 million per day to run an aircraft carrier, and currently we have 11 of the 22 ‘in service’ carriers operated in the world. No other country in the world has more than 2 active carriers! These are multi billion dollar ships that if we just just cut our fleet in half, we could use the money saved to solve poverty and many other social issues.
I was not surprised to read that there are more whites collecting food stamps than African Americans. I grew up poor, in a poor area and in a broken home along with many others who lived around me and the one main thing we all had in common was that we were white. Even the high school I attended was predominately white. As a child, I never put a race on the poor or those who collected food stamps because as far as I knew, white people were poor, not African Americans.
I do trust poor people or even people who appear to be poor who ask for money. I don’t like to judge and I certainly don’t like to assume people are just lying. I personally get angry when I am in the company of someone who says, oh, they just want money for drugs or alcohol when we pass someone on the side of the road asking for money. Assumptions are just inconsiderate and ignorant claims. No one really knows why the man and woman stand on the parkway ramp off Bates St. every afternoon, no one really knows why the couple stand on the side of the road off Grant St. in Pittsburgh, no one really knows anything about them or their intentions. What I do know is when I see the same couple from Grant St or the same couple from the ramp off Bates St. sleeping under the only part of the bridge in PGH that the city did not fence off, I know they didn’t make that choice easily. I know that they are truly in need of something, even if it is just advice. Maybe they are asking for money but maybe throw them a few bucks and then offer some advice, don’t just write them off and keep driving in your nice, warm car. Surely everyone has a choice in life but sometimes choices aren’t as easy for one person as they are for the next and sometimes getting back on your feet proves impossible after a trip to rock bottom. People need people and instead of judging, maybe people should just be there for people.
I feel like no matter who benefits in the world, someone else, even if someone doesn’t think they deserve it will also benefit. I don’t think it is our place to group people together and decide because maybe some “undeserving” people benefit that we should just rid the world of that benefit. I believe that most people are willing to assist veterans, older people and people with disabilities but what people don’t understand that is to help them, you also have to help everyone. In addition, some of those homeless people you pass on the streets are veterans and no one seems to care about them then. Some veterans suffer so greatly from PTSD that their lives have turned into sitting on the streets and asking for money and why should’t we help them? They have helped us immensely, haven’t they? Tossing them any amount of money would NEVER repay them for the sacrifice they made for us. Our government in some instances failed them so, why should we, as Americans fail them also?
I was very surprised to see that more white people receive food stamps then African Americans. The one major reason is because the media always makes it seem like the black communities are struggling so therefore it would make more sense for them to be getting more assistance from the government. Truly coming from McKeesport having a mixtures between races and cultures in the schools and communities, I’ve never made it out be a color issue with food stamps as it is more of just the government helping the ones in need. When someone asks myself for money, I truly have a hard time believing them. Especially the “I’m a veteran” sign because I feel that is just a way to hook people in and try and make them feel bad so the homeless person can get more money. I would rather help someone out that has a sign “looking for a job” because it is better then just crying for help. At least they are looking to make themselves a better person.
Poverty is the state of not having enough material possessions or income for one’s basic needs. Those needs include:food,water,clothing and shelter. I found out that being poor can go as far as who has access to education and healthcare. Some causes of being poor are poor education, climate change, inequality and little to no access to jobs.
Having a poor education or none at all can hinder anyone from getting a job because society does not view you as “intelligent” “responsible” etc. Anytime you fill out a job application you have to check off what was the highest level of education you have completed. If someone did not complete high school and has no G.E.D a company would not think twice about hiring them. Which is conflicting because on one hand school isn’t for everyone, certain situations present itself that changes our paths in some way. There are many different reasons why someone doesn’t have adequate education to society’s standards. Climate change is also a factor in people becoming poor because some communities/towns rely on farming and growing their own foods or hunting. When natural disasters occur that ruins everything for them. I believe inequality is a huge factor that no one discusses. The reality of it is some people simply do not have the resources, it is either unequal or none available. That can be because of their gender, race,economic status, etc. Most low class communities do not have the same resources as other suburban communities. Most communities that are rural or lack resources are the areas that have the most poor people.
From reading this webpost it made me realize why there are some people that want to get rid of government assistance. This is because there are people that are cheating the system and getting extra money from the government. Those people are the same ones that choose to talk down others about receiving government help because they are minority race groups. There are actually people that do not have the same advantages as others such as schooling and well paid jobs. Also, there are a lot of elderly people that receive government assistance because they either can not work or they just need extra help. If government assistance was taken away then the hourly pay of minimum wage needs to increase also. How do some expect people with minimum wage jobs to pay rent, utilities, buy groceries, and if they have kids tend to their needs and not need some sort assistance. The people I know that receive government assistance actually need the help such as college students that live off campus. College is already expensive and to add on paying for utilities, groceries and etc can take a toll on anyone’s pockets. Also, not everyone chooses to receive government assistance all their lives. Many people strive to have better because government assistance only takes a person so far(Ex.Housing) .I do believe that the requirements and the process needs to be more thorough in order to receive assistance due to people “tricking the system” but it should not be taken away from everyone because there are a lot of people that depend on that extra help.
While reading the part about social ecology and how family and your surroundings growing up influence your own beliefs I thought about how this mostly was true for me personally. Where I am from most of my family has the view of no matter what it is always the poor persons fault for not having money and for being poor, along with other negative views. And I disagree with almost all of their views because I think they are wrong and I have learned more about it since being in college. I guess the way my family did influence me is by showing me what I did not want to believe. This also makes sense because I also have different political views than my family. I don’t think many people realize that sometimes a poor person does have other obligations other than just themselves. Such as taking care of a relative which also prevents them from getting a job that pays enough to make them not be considered poor. Another issue is that people call poor people lazy but in reality, the poor people to the hardest jobs it’s just that those jobs don’t pay much. Something else that I thought was interesting in the article is that even though people think that black people get most of the government assistance but actually white people actually make up a higher percent. I thought the article was really informational and I enjoyed reading it.
Within society today, I believe many people are suffering from poverty for several reasons. The economy we live in today, makes it extremely difficult to sustain a decent lifestyle without working a job that pays more than minimum wage. However, many Americans are working jobs that pay less than that. I believe people are often born into poverty, which makes it harder to escape it. The mindsets of low-income families are often narrowminded, so they don’t usually encourage their children to go college or get a better education. It is also based on the kind of environment they’re raised in, if they’re not surrounded by those who are bettering themselves, they most likely will end up working a 9-5 job that barely pays rent. I believe it is up to the parents to encourage their children to want to do better than they did. However, if they’re not openminded to the idea of higher education, generations of poverty will continue to exist. While you don’t have to go college to be successful, college makes it so you have a chance of getting a higher paying job within the system we live in. Poverty is often due to a sudden loss of a job, economic issues, etc. Although there are benefits to helping these people get by, it is not enough to sustain a decent lifestyle for a long period of time. This causes a lot of stress and tension among family households. Education is essential because it allows you to have the skills and knowledge to obtain decent jobs. Many people living in poverty lack the education they need, so they are ignorant of how the system truly works. I believe its always the people who know the least, who are always saying the most and criticizing others. The same people who take advantage of the system, will be the same ones to spew hateful comments towards those who truly need those same benefits.
By reading this web post, I realize why some people want to get rid of government assistance. Most people in this world have to wake up every day and go to work to feed their families. These people see that there are people that enjoy the same luxuries as them without working. To the average middle class worker, this could be frustrating because of the fact that one is working and one is not. Most of the people that do not work have a legitimate reason for it and some people do not. The people that are poor that do not work are usually injured or ill or have a condition where they can not work. As fellow American people, I believe that we should be able to help the ones on welfare to get off of it instead of criticizing them for being on it. In conclusion, I feel like if people have a reason to be on welfare or receive government assistance, they should, but we should try to get people off of it.
From reading this webpost it made me realize why there are some people that want to get rid of government assistance. This is because there are people that are cheating the system and getting extra money from the government. Those people are the same ones that choose to talk down others about receiving government help because they are minority race groups. There are actually people that do not have the same advantages as others for schooling and well paid jobs receive government help for extra money. Also, there are a lot of elderly people that receive government assistance because they either can not work or they just need extra help. If government assistance was taken away then the hourly pay of minimum wage needs to increase also. How do some expect people with minimum wage jobs to pay rent, utilities, buy groceries, and if they have kids tend to their needs not need assistance. Maybe the requirements and process needs to be more thorough in order to receive assistance but it should not be taken away from everyone because there are a lot of people that depend on that extra help.
From this web post I was not surprise about how people cheat the system . I really do think its wrong to do , But on the other hand I feel like people really need the money . Its like you never really know someones struggle . If there was a better system that the government could come up with \something to help people in need that doesn’t need welfare but just extra money . Than I feel like a lot of people wouldn’t feel the need to cheat the system . It seems like they feel like they have no other choice . I mean if that’s how it is than do what you got to do . I feel like its basically stereotype you can have the newest IPhone and still be out here struggle . It’s like basically what they see they base you off . I don’t think that is fair or right. Behind curtains you never really know anyone’s story . You only see what they show . I feel like there’s just so many perceptive that need to be seen from . I honestly if your’re not in that person shoes than you have no right to say if they need be on welfare or not .
Reading this web post I am not shocked by the results that were found. Even though there are many people who cheat the system for money, there are also tons of people who actually need this money to support not only themselves but their families. The main point that I found convincing was that researchers found that a lot of poor people who choose not to work aren’t necessarily doing it out of laziness but rather due to their obligations. However I believe their needs to be stricter laws when considering someone for welfare. The quote on the post that I found to be an interesting point was “Shouldn’t you have to pass a urine test to get a welfare check since I have to pass one to earn it for you?” This could prevent certain circumstances and serve as a way of who is deserving of help. Overall I do agree with the statement that the structural system of capitalism does have far bigger impact on the earning opportunity that is organized and for the people who have access to it.
I am going to share a FB post from an acquaintance. He’s Trump supporter and stereotypical of the whiteness we are discussing. After ranting about the Trump impeachment, with Trump, “trying to get rid of all your free sh!$,” he commented “get a fu@!ing job nothing is government funded it its tax payer funded and we are tired of carrying your dead lazy a$$.” Meanwhile, this white person worked under the table for 15 years, not paying any taxes. He inherited house and rents part of it out, which affords him the ability to write off some housing expenses. He lives with his girlfriend, but she uses a different mailing address, and they have four kids. His girlfriend does house cleaning work, under the table, and collects welfare benefits for herself and the kids. They are living good by working the system. Not only is he and his girlfriend completely taking advantage of the safety net system and not contributing to these “tax payer funded benefits,” they are so afraid that minorities or immigrants with real needs may receive these benefits as well as being so blinded by their own hate that they steal and cheat from the poor and complain about, “carrying your dead lazy a$$.” This is the worst kind of person. He feels such a sense of entitlement, so much so that he can cheat the system, but yet make a comment and stir up hate and discontent about those who really need benefits.
While reading this web post, I was not surprised about a lot of the information given. Although there are many people across the nation that do cheat the system for money, there are also many people who need the extra money and benefits to not only take care of themselves but their families as well. Many people who are in poverty or on welfare struggle very hard to escape being poor because they are working low paying jobs or even seasonal jobs. Some may also not be able to work full time jobs because they have families to care for with no outside help. I believe there needs to be more awareness brought to the general idea of welfare. Many people are not educated on the real facts and statistics of the system; and this can be a key reason on why there is such a large misconception when people correlate poverty with race.
I personally do not trust people who ask me for me. I don’t trust them not because they aren’t working but because you never know who is really in need of money versus someone who is a panhandler. I used to trust people and would give people the benefit of the doubt and try to help them the best way that I can. However, one day a man who had his family out on the corner had a sign up that said “ recently evicted with my three children, anything will help”. I pulled over to where they were sitting and dug out some money I had put away Incase of an emergency. It was only $20 but I still thought it was a lot more than what most people usually give people in those types of predicaments. When I gave the man money he went right into my job (which he did not know I worked at) and bought himself a case of beer and cigarettes. His children patiently just waited outside. I did not say anything and continued to observe the man and his family. Once he received his merchandise I watched him get into a car that was newer than mine ! My coworkers saw me watching the man and told me that those aren’t his children and he actually lived up the street in a nice home. I do not believe that people who ask for money are trying to get over on the system unless they are people who actually do not need help. People who do not have money often struggle to find work. Not only do you need money to get to and from work but you also need money to maintain yourself for that job. To make matters worse people who are homeless have no way of getting over on the government, if anything they need more support from the government. There are laws that prohibit people from sleeping in certain areas , laundering around businesses for food, and to even have a job you have to have an address. These policies make it difficult for people which often leads them to having to ask others for the money because they do not have the support to get themselves back on their feet.
Reading the Web post I am not shocked about the results. I feel like a lot of people do cheat the system and a lot of people work teen jobs which do not support them. Adults working at either Kennywood Or Mcdonalds can not really support them or their families which can put them in the poor position. Its not that poor people do not want to work or that their lazy its that they are working for thankless and careless jobs. People also reject their own healthcare because they just do not really care for it but in reality health care is very important for lots of people who work like if they get injured or hurt they wont have health care to help them and they can fall out of their jobs and then not be able to work again because they could get disabled depending on how injured they get.
Before learning the truth about welfare and governmental benefits, I truly thought people were lazy and I grew up truly believing this. Of course there were exceptions if you were deemed to ACTUALLY need it, but for the most part I felt no remorse for people struggling because all they needed to do was to get a job/get their shit together. My embarrassing thoughts were that people on government benefits do drugs, have multiple children to get more money, and spend the money on material things rather than pay bills. After reading this, my thoughts drastically changed to a more positive outlook because the majority of this isn’t true. I think my outlook came from the thoughts of my parents, and seeing people in Walmart that were black. I came from a middle class area, but was very aware of the poor white areas, but always associated poorness with black people. I truly think without being aware of statistics, data, and news articles people just aren’t aware of the truth. I don’t think anyone wants to live in poverty purposely and most of the time it just happens. I think we all can agree that free lunches in school are good for children who need it, but I don’t agree with the people that abuse it. In all systems there are people who abuse it, and this is made as an example on the entire system. I think if people actually knew the truth about govenrment benefits, that they would reconsider their outlook just like I did.
Indeed, I think more and better information would help…but not always. Once some people get a narrative lodged in their head, research shows it can be very difficult to change minds.
Yes, I can see where these facts come into play. I have speculated for a while that people “Above” the poor talk negatively about them because they are afraid of becoming them. They see being poor as being lazy and that is not true. I was really glad to see the graph on food stamps by race, it confirmed what I knew to be true for a while. I always hear about “the blacks being abusive towards welfare “and always being turned to for being the main users of the welfare system. However, I knew that to be untrue. The experiment that the article references proves that people have a biased view on who they believe in on welfare and associate black individuals as “welfare queens”. Another point of interest for me was to see the amount of people aided out of poverty by the welfare system. Welfare is a system that is a crutch for those in economic hardship; I do have one story of a negative nature regarding welfare. I was at giant eagle in West Mifflin around 4:00pm, I heard yelling. It was a rather large middle aged white woman yelling at the teenage cashier because her WIC checks could not be used for cigarettes. This is due to the fact that those checks are intended to feed/clothe small children, not support a nasty habit.
Reading this article really help me see the main struggles of African Americans and why we tend to feel the way we do. Hearing a white person talk about a struggle really doesn’t mean anything to me because I know they struggled nowhere near as hard as blacks. I believe and trust some pours but on the other hand I don’t. Reasons I say this is because growing up there was always a blind man who sat in front of the McDonald’s in Oakland and would have a cup asking for money. For many years I would put money in his cup and bless him till about a year ago I found out this man has a house has a family and is choosing to sit outside. This man never needed the money others was giving but being as though everybody felt as if he was poor they would bless him. People like this makes me look at others around the city holding signs. Makes me feel as if are they really poor or are they doing this by choice. Whites and blacks will stand outside some may really be poor but some aren’t. Within the article I notice that whites are being lifted out of property as blacks remain to struggle. Although it wasn’t a shock to me it just broaden my knowledge . Welfare in today’s society is still not helping blacks. Blacks are still struggling till this very day no matter how many years ago people may of thought the struggle was over. I feel as though most blacks that are on welfare really don’t need it they are just trying to get over on the system. But, there are lots of blacks who actually need it and still remain to get shorted.
Yes I trust the “poor” people that ask me for money. At times I am a little skeptical if they are really poor or not, but life is about giving no matter the circumstances. I have reasons for skepticism: I have seen so called “poor” folk take advantage of good hearted people. For example, I was standing at the bus stop with another lady and what seemed like a “poor” individual was crossing the street towards us. Once she approached the lady she simply asked “Can I have some change for the bus?” The lady was kind enough to take her coin purse out of her bag and proceed to give the lady change for the bus. As the lady was giving the “poor” individual coins for the bus she also was holding a couple dollars in her other hand while picking quarters out for the lady. While the lady was finishing giving the “poor” woman change she noticed the lady had a couple of ones in her other hand and she snatched the money out the lady’s hand and began to run across the street for the first bus that she saw. Moments like that really question whether or not you should help someone else who appears to need money assistance. Poor folk that are greedy for more than what someone is offering them makes it worse for other poor folk. It did not surprise me that statistics showed that white Americans receive help from the government similar to African Americans. When the word welfare is brought up the most disparaging stereotypes are so strongly linked to black people, because they are “lazy” and “dependent on government aid”. I understand that social welfare benefits are to help people and there is no issue with that. The problem is that social media and the media separately are portraying that African Americans need assistance the most because white Americans have “white privilege”, but that is false. I grew up knowing the government will help anybody in need regardless the color of their skin. I look at welfare and public assistance as the same thing for the same type of people, but welfare has a deeper meaning. Welfare is not only creating financial support for the needy it is also ensures the health, happiness, and fortunes of a specific person or group. Where as to public assistance only focuses on the financial support of a person nothing more. Also, public assistance is usually in the form of cash or vouchers, and you don’t have to use the cash or voucher for strictly food. In contrast to welfare (food stamps/SNAP benefits) where they give you a debit card strictly for one thing. I believe they separate the two just so they can still have their racial stereotypes.
After reading, I see why colored people do feel the way they do. Being white in America is such a privilege. Even for me, I have been in situations with the law and I personally feel like I MAY have not been charged because I am a white college student, who has nothing on his record, and maybe I was let off because of the color of my skin? There have been many times where I have seen a black man charged for fighting or something stupid that they maybe should’ve not went gotten charged or even taken to jail. That is why people of color want to be treated better because they see these statistics such as poverty rate between races, incarceration rate of colored people (especially black people) or the social geography of where they put colored people. Things in our country are always going to be political and crooked within our justice system but there are things that we can fix and that, to me is allowing people of color to have the same opportunities that white people have. Growing up in McKeesport, I have been around a lot of people of color and they do not trust the government because they know how they are looked at. Just as another statistic.
After reading this article, i learned how much peoples lives are impacted by welfare. The one picture towards the end of the of the article shows how when the food stamp cuts negatively affect those who need them but positively affects those in power who already have money. I really find it disgraceful on how all those in power have to continuously degrade and take away necessities that are very important to those who actually need them. I know people have the ability to get a job and make money. However, i do believe there are people who seriously need help and it should be given to them. A lot of people in power can’t understand that because most of them grew up in a nice neighborhood and had money growing up and never took the time to think what would happen if it all was taken away and what they would do if they were the ones who needed welfare and barely living paycheck to paycheck. I honestly feel there is a need in this country and it is being taken away by those who have no idea the power they have and how much it affects those around them and those in this country that are much less fortunate then they are.
After reading the article and seeing the different statistics. It doesn’t shock me that the white community is the main community that is getting lifted out of poverty what did shock me was the welfare rate and that whites make up the majority of the percentage of welfare. I Grow up in Allentown PA were in my neighborhood only people I’ve seen on government assistance were African Americans and Hispanics.. Seeing someone who was white on welfare was practically unheard of. My personal experience with poverty started at a young age when my father made a decision to leave his wife and 6. Children. With my mom having no work experience because she was a house wife for the last 17 years, finding work did not come as easy or as fast as it would of for someone with a work ethic. Depending on welfare, food stamps, etc was the only way of survival at the time for my mother. Now don’t get me wrong; Government assistance kept us from living on the streets. However it’s not like the government gave those on government assistance thousands of dollars. It was few hundred that can pay about 2 bills a month. Our rent and then either are water bill, gas bill, or sewage bill. Paying on a bill every month wasn’t an option for some people on government assistance because we still need personal House products and hygiene products to get . One of the modules I want to focus on is the module that shows why poor people don’t work. Four out of five categories my mother had to deal with since she been a single parent. She was disabled for a couple years, couldn’t find a job because of no experience, my mother had 6 children every time we decided to mis behave in school. She had to be called from work to handle family issues which ultimately gotten her fired. So yes everyday growing up felt like we was at war and that the odds was always against us.
After reading this article I found that how messed up it is with how people treat other people on welfare. I understand that some people cannot physically find jobs which makes it hard for them to make money. Some people make more money than others but that does not mean that they work harder. Some people are born into rich families which is not fair to the people who are not. I think that welfare is important because some people who cannot physically work need some type of income. I also believe that some people do not deserve to be on wlelfare because they are simply lazy. If you can physically move then you can get a job and make money. Their are always jobs out there for people to get because our government is constantly changing and adapting. I understand that some jobs pay more than others and that is because some businesses are more successful than others. The times are always changing and people need to adapt to the changes. The government needs to help the people more so they can better their lives. We pay tax money to help pay for welfare which is fine, but at least use our tax money to give people welfare the corect way. Overall, I understand that welfare is given to people who need it but I do not believe that all people who do not work do not need welfare and should not cheat the system.
This article really hits home for me because I grew up in McKeesport. I come from a very moderate middle class income home. Not rich, but definitely way above the poverty line. However I have gone to school and been good friends with people who are stuck in the poverty “system”. The article touches on how wealthier people look down on the poor for being lazy, and degenerates. This is so true and I have witnessed it many times. As I look back on the kids I went to high school with, now many of them are stuck in low income jobs, some sell drugs, many have kids, and most of them are simply stuck. I’m talking about the poor kids I went to school with. Most of the financially stable kids I went to school with are now working for good paying companies or in further education. It makes me feel very fortunate to have the parents I had even though they couldn’t provide everything for us. The neighborhoods of McKeesport are a very good determinate of how successful someone coming out of them will be. The income disparity is insane between white oak and McKeesport. A lot of kids coming out of high school have to help their families and can’t afford cars. This keeps them on the bottom end of society even though they want better for themselves and their love ones.
As I was reading this article, I had a lot of mixed feelings regarding unemployment and welfare. Firstly, I don’t believe that everyone in poverty is there because they are lazy and don’t want to work hard because that’s not true. Those who are in poverty are there because they were dealt a bad hand from the start. They grew up in a bad neighborhood where there is so much negative influence that leads them into a life of drugs and crime which keeps them from being able to make advancements in their life to get a better education and job. For the most part, this is not their fault because they see this kind of behavior everyday either from their family, friends or neighbors so it has become a norm for them. Secondly its frustrating to see those or are unemployment trying to find a job and can’t because it’s not like they are not trying to find work. Thirdly, I know there is people who are using welfare that actually need it to try and make ends meet. What the problem about this is, that there is a lot if people on welfare that abuse it in order to buy drugs and have no intentions on trying to better themselves and make a life for themselves or their family. When it comes to minimum wage, I believe should be slightly increased. I agree that people are doing jobs that a need to be done but I don’t feel like that should be rewarded as much as those who had to go to college and further their education for their jobs.
I personally believe that most poor people didn’t choose to be poor. In reality, society chooses who’s poor based off of their social background and predetermined prejudices. For example African Americans have been challenged mentally, physically, and emotionally every day since slavery as we are constantly being oppressed by the white supremacy. There were laws set in place that restricted African Americans such as the “Jim Crow laws”. These laws stripped African Americans of all kinds of freedoms to express themselves as free individuals. As time shifted into the progressive era, there were new laws that were set in place that targeted blacks such as the “war on drugs”. The laws targeted African Americans who were already struggling for resources in highly populated locations such as the ghettos. I myself was able to witness the system take place within my late uncle who recently just passed. He was a repeat offender who never learned his lesson with the law. When released from jail, finding jobs were always complicated for him because no one wanted to higher a repeated felon. Housing options were also complicated for him even as a veteran who served in the US Army.
My own thinking on social welfare benefits from the family perspective is that they are indeed useful. They help those who are struggling and need a support system. This data could show that these people are, in fact, struggling and should be put in the category of “poor” or “impoverished”. This data could help the lawmakers create and maintain programs based on the data of people who use welfare. However, I was not surprised to learn that white people use more food stamps than African Americans. I was not surprised simply because there are more white people in America than any other minority group (obviously). Also, I knew some college students that qualified for food stamps, didn’t necessarily need them, and used them. So the data could be skewed in that sense. As far poor people asking me for money goes, no I do not give money to poor people begging on the street. I feel they will use the money for drugs or alcohol and while I sympathize for them, I do not want to fuel their addiction. I feel tax payers should pay for programs like welfare because they do help people despite the fact that some may abuse it and again, I do believe some individuals “cash in for a free lunch” becaus I, in fact know those who do that. But I still believe it is benifical. People get upset about paying for welfare more than anything because they feel, I believe, that their money is going into someone else’s pocket. Taxes that go to community living are different because it’s something everyone in the community needs.
My feelings toward the current welfare system are somewhat bias because I witness the effects of the policy every day. I believe policy not people are mainly the reason for welfare abuses. With that, attitudes and lifestyles have become lax because of the lack of initiative to change and improve the entire welfare system. Because this current system has not been a focus of the government, the system has become corrupt and abused. It has manipulated the citizens of the welfare system to make them feel like a victim rather than motivate them to seek employment and away from government assistance. Its mainly about choices, of both the citizens on the system and the government. The confusing aspect that confuses me about the inner cities, which are highly populated with citizens on warfare, the housing is in ruins, there is poor maintenance by the residents and children run free with no parental supervision, yet I witness expensive Cadillacs, Mustang’s, BMWs, and Mercedes all lined up along the sidewalk. It confuses me that if these people were in such economic struggle how can they afford such luxurious and expensive vehicles, but at the same time neglect their housing.
I feel that people make their lives what they feel they can accomplish. I know people who play the system but I also know people that set certain goals in their lives and are now trying to accomplish those goals. I look at the people who at setting these goals and look at the family life. The mother has to work all the time and the oldest daughter had to take care of the younger siblings. Now the oldest daughter of this family is going to college and putting forth her best effort to not have to make her children live the same life her family had to. I also know someone in my family who is just playing the system. This person is my uncle and I have had a conversation with him where he has been on workers comp for years now but is ok to do work around the house and go up to my grandparents camp and do heavy work. He complains about how he does not get sleep but he can do all these things throughout the day. He also in the past couple of months got a medical marijuana card. He also has a felony on his record. My question is why if he has a felony on his record should he be allowed to receive a medical marijuana card. I feel that a lot of the things he says shows that he is just playing the welfare system. I grew up in a house where when I was little we did not have much. Over the years my dad has worked his butt off to give his children what he did not have as a child and that’s exactly what has happened. My dad grew up and did not have a steady home. He moved 13 different times before he graduated high school. His parents got a divorce. And after a few years of graduating high school his mother died of cancer. Now I look at my dad and would never think that any of this has happened. I feel that you make your life what you want to. Some people may need welfare but there are others that if you make your best effort, you could get out of needing welfare.
My father immigrated to the United States in the early 1990s and my mother’s father immigrated too. They came to the US with nothing, and with a lot of hard work and dedication have realized their dream to make a better life for themselves and their families. I have been raised with an immigrant’s perspective that with hard work and dedication you can become successful, that nothing in life is free, and that no one is going to carry you through life. These family perspectives have shaped me, but I also have great compassion for the poor and understand that people fall on hard times, because of health, unfortunate situations, age, as well as the state of the nation and they need assistance. I believe the government does little to help the poor in America, especially with programs to help them advance in life and become successful. Instead, the government makes it more difficult for the poor and low income to achieve success by giving large corporations and the rich tax breaks instead of program for the poor. The government’s unregulated tax breaks are incentives for corporations to raise wages, offer benefits, and increase job growth; however, most of the tax breaks never reach the poor and end up only making corporations larger, wealthier, and increase poverty.
I grew up in a house where my needs were met. I was fed, clothed, always had running water, etc. Eventually I hit my teenage years and I took everything for granted. I had no idea how expensive it was to live, or to support a family. I am so fortunate to have had all of these things provided for me and now as a young adult and a mom I see what it takes. With that being said while growing up I worked at a shop and save the last two years of high school. I have seen who uses welfare and who does not. There are people who abuse the system, I’ve seen them sell their food stamps for “other purposes”. I’ve watched them steal other items because they couldn’t afford them. It is very sad when people don’t have the means to live off of but it’s also very frustrating watching others abuse the system. Most of the time they come in with designer purses and their nails done. I don’t understand how they have money for those things but not food, soap, etc. But their are also many people who truly need the help and I hate when they are put down for it. I see single moms come in and buy their children food and try to cut back on things they might need. Welfare does help a lot of people in need so we definitely do need it in this country. I always try to give people the benefit of the doubt but sometimes people do take advantage of the system and what it offers.
My own thoughts about social welfare benefits and poverty may be shaped in a good or bad way depending on my family’s perspective. If you were raised a specific way then you thought about “poor people” being lazy. It is possible to also think that you were raised the other way, where your thoughts were “it’s not their fault they are poor” mentality. When it comes to this specific topic politics almost always play a role. Those sources are effected through political views. If your political side thinks one way you most likely are going to think that way. If thoughts are primarily based on political views then I do not see a resolution on how to fix the “poor people” mentality. To be honest, I was not surprised to learn that statistically white people are likely to receive food stamps and other social welfare benefits than African Americans. Race or gender never crossed my mind when thinking about welfare, nor should it. I was solely thinking about if they were previously working, searching for work, or have never worked. I believe that so many people are always assuming and judging someone just because of their gender, religion, or skin color. It’s very hard to think that someone could hate another person for just the color of their skin. I still believe there is a racial-biased problem within not only the United States, but the entire world. I usually do not trust an individual who is asking for money. I do not know that person, what he/she does, or how that person is going to spend that money. If I work hard to earn my money why should I just give it away to a random stranger? I do not believe that most “poor people” are trying to get over on the system. I believe that there are some individuals who do not understand the meaning of a dollar and how it is earned within the United States. I agree with a verse from the Bible that simply states that if you do not work, then you should not be fed. I have to agree that is you do not work hard then you do not deserve to get paid. I understand that there are plenty of jobs that are back breaking and that also do not pay a lot. In my opinion, helping people that work hard is completely different from those who just want a “hand out”. I do not have a specific comment on why a specific program is named one way and another program is named another way. That is something I simply do not think or worry about. I believe that category I am thinking about was not listed above. I believe the incarceration cost is something to worry about cost wise. That is what I believe costs taxpayers the most. Benefits for poor people and benefits for wealthy people. Different systems and programs offer benefits for both the low income and high income families. I believe most people do not know where their tax dollars go. The most important thing for me is that a child should not be put in a specific place just because of their parents mistake. A child that is going to school and wants to learn should be given a free lunch. It may not be a steak dinner, but if it feeds an individual then it is equivalent to an adult working. I believe people get upset about poor people receiving aid and benefits that are far less costly in terms of total dollars than other government programs because most believe it is a “hand out”. People who use the GI Bill have served their country. People who are on welfare are people who have potentially done nothing to improve their lives. Welfare used to be something that helped families in a financial crisis. You did not want to be in the program because it was embarrassing. Today people could care less.
I feel as if the only way to fix the problem of those taking advantage of the welfare system is by taking it away from those who do not really need it. Those who do not have an actual reason to have welfare should have to take a monthly test, but those who do in fact need it due to their disabilities or injuries and such should have to prove they indeed have an injury, but only once a year or so. I was very surprised that white people receive food stamps more than African Americans because where I live and shop, the grocery stores are used more by African Americans who I have always witnessed using food stamps. I do not trust many people in this world considering my career, so someone who is asking for money, is not getting any from me unless it is for charity or something like that. When it comes to the tax payers money, the most costly “benefit” I think is unemployment compensation. Though this is not considered welfare, it still is welfare. I wish I could answer why this is not welfare, but to me there is no answer. My main concern is giving people food stamps and money who do not do anything with their lives and still receive money. If less people did that, more children would get the money they need.
This Post on “The war on the poor” is interesting. Although, I already knew that white lower working class people represent the majority out all the other races because we talked about this in previous classes, still the facts given in the post is very compelling and honestly anyone can find the real facts about whose really receiving benefits, it out there for common knowledge of the public because they have to report it. However, your traditional sources of knowledge are handed down to you common wisdom and these kinds of things that your friends and family say about poor people are likely to have a greater influence over you than knowledge based on research and data. But, there is this stigma media shows a story about the minorities like African Americans and Latinos who are reviving the most benefits from the government and are misusing it or lazy hand not hard working. The notion the media puts out there about the minorities are very stigmatizing and can be used to discriminate against many people who actually need theses resources especially in today’s society where everything is expensive.
When it comes to people asking me for money, if I have a dollar or a few change I usually give it to the poor who ask me. For one thing, in the city of Reading there is one particular store that I go to where there is someone poor asking for money. This person usually holds the door for customers that walk in, and then expects maybe a dollar or some change for that particular service. There are times that I do not give money to this person, but for majority of the time I give my change away. As for if I trust poor people who ask me for money, usually if they are young looking like my age I tend to question why that person is asking for money, especially when that person is with their girlfriend or something. Giving money to a person like that makes me feel like they want it for drugs, but I could most certainly be wrong. I tend to have a more bias towards older people that are poor, than young adults in their twenties.
Poor people don’t choose to be poor, there are several factors that cause them to become dependent on welfare. In addition, people are so quick to shoot negative comments at those who rely on government money but fail to look at the research. Minority groups are thought to be the ones who are on the poverty line receiving benefits but in fact, it is the white people who heavily rely on government money. Furthermore, I believe that smartphones are a necessity to those who can barely get by financially. How else will those people look for jobs or even apply for a job if they do not have other means? But again, social media is quick to make comments. It is almost as if they do not want poor people to prosper. Overall, only 2 percent of individuals abuse welfare. That demonstrates that families and individuals cannot get by without the help of the government. At last, when it comes to people begging for money, I do hesitate when the person appears to be young. I question why a person so young is out on the streets, but Berks County lately is experiencing a drug problem.
It is really hard for me to give anyone money. I am not comfortable with allowing my money that I’ve worked hard to earn to be used on something that either I don’t support, or brings harm to someone. In a way your dollar and what you spend it on is a support for that company or system. I have witnessed my highschool friend trick their parents into giving them money for food, and have them not use the money for food. They would use the money on the drugs which later turned into heavy amounts of drugs. With this certain friend it got to a point where she would express that she is so hungry and would rather use the 10 dollars her mom gave her towards her next “fix” than to not be hungry. Having witnesses the downhill of behavior that resulted in a disconnection of many relationships within her life I could never just give someone money. This experience alone has tainted that idea. So no, I couldn’t trust a poor person who is asking me for money. Now I’d be more than happy to offer to buy them their next meal or perhaps clothing, but not just hand them money. This is where I know get uncomfortable especially when they come up to my car. Just this following Thursday on my way to school there was someone standing in 20 degree weather right at the corner near our school sign. I do not know their story but I know there’s a huge issue that everyone driving by and witnessing this man standing outside something has to click that there’s a problem here. Another personal issue is that I don’t really carry cash on me these days. A lot of my transactions are made through my debit card. When my debit card isn’t on me, I can simply pay with my phone or watch with all the new technology popping up nowadays like Apple Pay. If I can’t even trust my own friend with money how could I trust a complete stranger with it. Unfortunately when I look back at those people standing at the corners it does line up with the statistics posted above. And quite honestly I am shocked. I don’t know why or where I would have the image of a stereotype poor person asking for money looking back at it. I keep asking myself the question of how do we fix an issue relating to the matter of people living in poverty? And I cannot even begin to know where to start on this matter. There are so many issues and relating factors thats its honestly such a mess. However if we could just somehow stop the cycle of it occurring it would help. If we could raise a generation of actually teaching them at a young age maybe it would help. Teaching life skills and everything relating to surviving on your own in highschool needs to be addressed. According to the statistics above there’s roughly 12 million people without a college degree that have been lifted out of poverty by the government safety net. Now I’m only being exposed to all this knowledge in college, if I were, or even the 12 million people who didn’t go to college but went to highschool, have been exposed to this maybe they wouldn’t of been part of a statistic such as this one. I’m not saying it would bring everyone out of poverty 100% but it would help in decreasing the numbers.
Do you think a smart phone is a luxury item or a necessity? Do you think it is conceivable that a poor person might own a smart phone because they cannot afford a computer & internet service?
A smart phone could be a luxury item or a necessity depending on the situation and the type of smartphone you buy. It is understandable that someone might own a smartphone because they cannot afford a computer and home internet/WIFI. Computers are expensive and could require additional costs. A smartphone is like a mini computer. You can use it to pay bills and apply for jobs. I do believe that if someone is struggling with money or is poor, does not need to buy the new iPhone that is coming out. There are many types of smartphones that are much cheaper and can still have all the basic functions.
Do you trust poor people who ask you for money?
I do not really trust people who ask for money. I do not exactly know what they are going to use the money for. I would feel more comfortable with giving someone an item that could be useful. This could be something like clothing of food. I always donate clothing that does not fit me anymore.
I certainly feel that social media and traditional narratives greatly influence the majority of the population on a wide variety of issues, welfare included. Personally, I have never researched the statistics behind those on welfare and the system as a whole. Therefore, I was guilty of simply following what I heard from those around me. However, I was not really surprised to learn that more white people are on welfare than African Americans. Last I heard, African Americans make up about 13% of the US population so it makes sense. If African Americans eventually end up having higher numbers on welfare than white people despite having a smaller population in the US, the problem of racial inequality would certainly be something to analyze. Personally, I usually give some spare change to poor people when asked. Growing up in Wyomissing, I never really saw many poor people on the street. Although, when going to big cities, such as DC or Philly, it was pretty surprising to see large numbers of homeless people. The majority of those asking for money on the street are certainly not pretending to be poor, so yes I do trust them.
At this point, smartphones are more of a necessity than a luxury, particularly for young people. It makes a lot of sense for poor people to own smartphones if they can’t afford a computer or internet service because the phone basically provides both of those things.
Programs not referred to as welfare but that still help others may not be thought of as “welfare” because who they are for. As previously discussed, the groups that people think are on welfare are typically not white (despite evidence proving otherwise). Quite honestly, racism definitely plays a role in this ideology.
I feel like there are so many different stereotypes that the media continues to use and it has a big impact on what people think about the less unfortunate people who need the help from welfare. Not all the people who are on welfare abuse this program there are a certain few who do and that’s why people get all these stereotypes from previous abusers from this program. I think it makes it hard for people to understand who the poor people really are because of the abusers of welfare.
Not really because the White population is greater than the others and it would make sense that they are getting food stamps more.
It’s really hard to trust people because you don’t know what they’ll do with the money either if it’s good or bad. I rather buy them food instead so I know they wouldn’t use the money for something else
I think its a necessity because nowadays we always have our phones with us for emergencies reasons and important things. I could see why they have a smartphone because laptops and other tech is expensive. They could use the phone to find jobs and keep in contact with the family.
Yes, they do have my sympathy because they struggle so much trying to. find their next meal and also a place to sleep it’s just sad to see people like this struggle.
Unemployment cost taxpayers more because the rate of unemployment is high and there is a lot of people who are unemployed and it cost money for people to file for unemployment and that money comes from the taxpayers.
I think every child should get a meal if they go to school because that meal could be the only meal they get. I think its the right thing to do and not neglect a child because that meal could be the one they look for every day.
They don’t get upset when the money goes to the military or agriculture subsidies because they know the money is getting put to use for something the country could benefit from.
How might your own thinking about social welfare benefits and poverty be shaped by traditional narratives and social media imagery? Do you think these sources of information exert a powerful influence in our society and impact our collective understanding of “who is poor” in the United States? I think that we see many pictures and videos of people who help the poor, but I don’t understand why we have to video/capture it. I think that if you’re going to help someone the last thing you should be thinking is making yourself look good. I think that they over power our social media because people seem to have a need to document themselves helping someone who might or might not be poor.
Were you surprised to learn that statistics document there are more white people that receive food stamps and other social welfare benefits than African Americans? No I wasn’t. The population size of white Americans is greater than the population of African Americans so it would make sense that there are more white Americans on food stamps.
Do you trust poor people who ask you for money? I don’t trust people who beg for money. I had an encounter one time where a younger man claimed he was a Vietnam vet, yet couldn’t answer where he was stationed and with which unit. Also he had a blackberry attached at his hip (this was years back when blackberry’s where still a thing). Id rather give them food or something that I know they cant cash in for drugs or other things.
Do you think a smart phone is a luxury item or a necessity? Do you think it is conceivable that a poor person might own a smart phone because they cannot afford a computer & internet service? I don’t think that its either. I just see it as a tool that makes life easier. I personally think they are way over priced. I can understand why someone who is poor having a smart phone to replace a laptop or tablet that they cannot afford.
Do poor people have to live completely destitute for you to have sympathy for their plights? I think that anyone who struggles to find their next meal/ clothing in the proper weather can have sympathy from me. I especially find it hard when they are caring for children and have to find something for themselves and their children.
Why do you think it is that programs that benefit poor people (Food stamps/SNAP benefits) are referred to as “welfare,” but other programs that are similarly classified as public assistance are not thought of as “welfare.” This includes benefits like the home mortgage interest deduction, unemployment compensation, and the GI Bill. And what about other benefits that tax dollars pay for like capital gains tax write-offs and incentives and subsidies paid to corporations? Which of these categories of benefits do you imagine costs tax payers the most? Benefits for poor people or benefits paid to wealthy people? As for the latter, are these benefits not also a form of “welfare?” I think that different people in politics find a way to label it differently in order to gain and grow supporters. I think that unemployment compensation costs tax payers the most because if the unemployment rate raises, then the compensation would rise also.
Consider the following: Is it okay if a small number of “undeserving” folks cash in on, for example, a free lunch program, as long as not one child goes out to recess hungry? Or, do you not concern yourself with how many children lose access to food, as long as you can guarantee that not one single “undeserving” child gets a free meal? What is most important to you? I think every child should be provided a meal if they are not sent with one to school. There should be no reason to neglect children the opportunity to eat during a school day.
Why do you think people get upset about poor people receiving aid and benefits that are far less costly in terms of total dollars than, let’s say, other government programs, i.e. military spending, agriculture subsidies, and tax incentives for people and/or corporations? (see the list below). I think people get upset because they see their money going to someone else who (in their eyes) should’ve tried harder in school or something. I think that when they see their money going to military spending or agriculture subsidies, they know that it is going to a place that they could support.
Is it okay if a small number of “undeserving” folks cash in on, for example, a free lunch program, as long as not one child goes out to recess hungry? Or, do you not concern yourself with how many children lose access to food, as long as you can guarantee that not one single “undeserving” child gets a free meal? What is most important to you?
On this topic I have a personal connection from which to draw from that proves the importance of such programs for children and how much they provide for students. I was a recipient of a free lunch program in high school, as I am vegetarian twice a week and do not eat red meat I often did not use the program for myself and could have been considered “undeserving”. Instead I would get the free lunch and give it to a friend who did not have enough money for food but her family made too much money for her to receive the benefits of such a program. Before I began getting lunch for her she would often go with only eating a bag of chips or little bits of food from those of us at the table, in some cases that being her only meal for the day. Had the program not existed for myself who could be seen as “undeserving” the someone deserving would have gone hungry (both from the loss of the program and my inability to help), but even those who are “undeserving” do try to use those programs to help those who are, even if it is rare. Watching that kind of thing happen is something you can not really describe. One of the major issues of those who disapprove of such programs and perpetuate the stereotypes of poor people in connection with race and other such identifiers have little to no experience with the poor in any aspect and there for talk only from what they hear from the past ( meaning their parents) about those of color being the problem and thus passing down the ideology for generations to come. The main issue comes back to education on the matter, if one is unable to understand the plight of others they simply talk from what they know. If education of such topics was more focused on then the choice of spending the money so that the “undeserving” along with those who actually need the programs get what they need as opposed to getting rid of it for everyone would be the general response as well as my own.
Do you trust poor people who ask you for money?
Sometimes when I drive through the city with friends and we pass homeless people, they have made remarks such as, “Look at them begging for money to get their next fix.” I am always the person that explains to them that we are not to judge thier situation even though it may be easy to judge them. I always try to remind them what people might be saying about my friends and the judgements made upon them, to give them a form of perspective on judging others. I personally do not tend to carry cash on me, but when I do I am more than happy to give some of my money to others that ask, especially those that are homeless or those who are begging, and even those young boys who walk the intersections washing windshields. To me it is not a matter of trust, it is a matter of sharing and caring. When I hand out money, I just hand it out to them, it is up to them to decide what they do with it. Who am I to tell them what to spend it on or even care what they spend it on. I was raised to share what I have with others, and if I choose to give someone some of my money to me its no different then making the decision to spend it on an ice cream. At the end of the day I just like to know I helped someone out, but I can’t worry about how they choose to spend their money, its not my business. To me trust is earned, and usually found through trial and error with someone in particular, especially someone you might be around or deal with regularly. Therefore I cannot trust or not trust someone I am only giving a few dollars to, or someone that is asking for money. Even if a person looks to be well dressed and have some sort of money, if I have the cash I’ll probably still give it to them if they are asking. It’s not my business to judge and it is my decision to give anything of mine away.
I was surprised at the fact that the largest group on welfare in the U.S was white women as I assumed there were more African-Americans and Hispanics on welfare. Many people in the United States heavily rely on welfare to keep them afloat in their lives but there are the lazy ones that do very little and try to take advantage of the system. Homeless people out on the intersections of roads begging for money have tainted the way people look at the poor. This is because these individuals begging for money are at a complete rock bottom and have no other solutions other than to hope people will be generous to them. The others however that are trying to get a job and find a means to live have it very difficult because they usually have little qualifications and not much work experience. This can be difficult and limits what people in bad financial situations can do because of the way the system is set up and how banks give loans. I don’t feel people are as sympathetic to the poor in America as they should be because of the large money in America and the medias impact on the way people think about the poor.
I think that the war on the poor is a very controversial subject. I agree with the statement in the article that says that a lot of what people think about the poor depends on their political views and on either they are liberal or conservative. However, the data provided in this article shows that a lot more goes into the cycle of poverty than the poor not having a job because a lot of the poor do have jobs, they are just jobs where they are not able to make enough money to support their family or even just themselves. These are often jobs that involve a ton of hard work and long hours but the poor are often called “lazy”. It’s sad to think that the people of power in our government can push a narrative that convinces people to believe something that is completely untrue. People hear an example of one bad case of someone exploiting the welfare system and they believe that is true for all people who are in need of government help. I honestly was surprised that the biggest recipients of federal poverty-reduction programs are working-class white people. I thought back to the knapsack article that we read and thought through all of the reasons why white privilege is a real thing and thought of all the reasons why it is more likely for someone who is black to be living in poverty but even through all the privileges white people are the ones who are more likely to be living on welfare. I honestly try to offer a dollar or whatever I have on me to the poor but I do sometimes find it hard to trust that they are using the money that I give them to buy food or clothing. I don’t think that poor people have to live completely destitute for me to have sympathy for their plights. People have homes and clothes but they are still at a constant struggle of where their next meal will come from and I have sympathy for these people. People who have to worry about going hungry deserve sympathy because no one should have this worry in their life. Life is full of stress even for the rich who don’t have to worry about money but life without money ads so much more stress on to the lives of these people. I think it is hard for people to deal with the fact that they have to pay a lot of money in taxes for government welfare programs when a lot of the times they are also struggling finically in their own life which is understandable.
This article emphasizes how closed minded and ignorant Americans are to people in different economic classes than themselves. There are so many stereotypes about upper classes and also the economically challenged that are very hard to break. When a homeless person asks me for money, I am always very skeptical and tend to lack trust. I always assume the worst that my money will only fuel a drug or alcohol addiction, which isn’t necessarily fair. I would always offer to buy food over just giving cash, and when that offer is denied it makes me question the intentions behind asking for money. People think it is so easy for “poor people” to work to get themselves out of their situation, but it isn’t as easy as it seems. Usually, people in these economic situations lack the education or skills to push themselves into the lower middle class. Along with this even if they are working, minimum wage is so low and the cost if living is so high, they do not make enough money to jump classes. I was slightly shocked to learn that there are more white people on food stamps and social welfare benefits than African Americans. However, I was only SLIGHTLY shocked because I know that stereotypes fuel a lot of my own and the world’s thoughts that are not necessarily true. I do not have any negative emotions towards people who receive food stamps or social welfare benefits as long as they are actually needed and being used for their intended purpose, while actively trying to get off of them.
Within the United States, there is a poor relationship and understanding when the word “poor people” is articulated. People don’t want to speak on the issue because they don’t want to offense a specific group of people. Personally, I never knew that the majority of people on welfare were mainly white women. I have always thought of welfare being distributed in the urban cities, which are many people of color. However, I never realized that people within rural areas are the ones that seek welfare the most. Throughout my academic career, I have always illustrated that poor people live in the cities because we see poor individuals pledging for money, rather in rural areas you are not as likely to see people pledging for money.
After reading through I thought it was interesting to see how one way “poor” people are generalized is by their geographic locations. These assumptions are made about people who live in trailer parks and inner cities. Also how it is a common assumption that African Americans obtain more food stamps and other social welfare benefits than white people when in fact it is the other way around. I knew of this before reading, however when looking deeper into it, it is not shocking at all considering that there are more white people than African American people in the U.S. I think that the media definitely contributes to this mind set people seem to have because of how white people and African American people are portrayed. For example, it is more likely to see an African American person on the news for committing some sort of crime and crime is more likely to happen in poor neighborhoods. This is the image that it received by consumers of the media.
When thinking about if I trust poor people who ask me for money, this question is always tricky for me because many times when I see a homeless person I am guilty of letting conspiracies like “they’re just going to use the money for drugs” or “they could be a con artist” consume me, but at the end of the day statistically this is not the case and it is unfair to make these assumptions so I choose to never make up my mind about someone unless they give me a reason not to trust them.
I believe that in todays day and age it is definitely more of a necessity than a luxury to have a smart phone because it is a very useful way to efficiently communicate and network with friends, family, and the rest of the world. In today’s society without a smart phone you are in a way disconnected from the way the world works and are in the digital divide. I believe that it is conceivable that a poor person might own a smart phone because they cannot afford a computer and internet service. With todays smart phones you can do almost everything that you can do on a computer. Technically no one actually needs technology, but to sufficiently function in society it is a much.
I think it’s really sad how we view the poor in such a negative way. The reason why America runs is because of the low paying jobs that the poor take on. Often times people believe that people are poor because they are lazy and just depend on the government when in reality, America makes it nearly impossible for people to get out of poverty. For example, poor poeple cannot afford a good education, therefore they cannot afford to go to college. If they do not go to college, they end up working at local jobs that pay really badly. Since they cannot make a lot of money they end up dependent on the government. Depending on socioeconomic status, a person can have false thoughts towards people dependent on the government and see it as a person being lazy and not wanting to work when in reality it’s because the person cannot get out of poverty because the government makes it nearly impossible for them to.
Since I was raised my family and peers have tired to broaden my vision for what constitutes who is or is not poor. For someone to be considered poor they do not have to were a sign or uniform that specifically designates them as lower-class members. In our current society, people oftentimes automatically associate poor people with people who live in impoverished areas such as the city or slums. The idea the poor people have to appear a certain way to identify themselves as a poor people is degrading and rude. My aunt who taught high school in D.C., had students that were under the poverty level and were considered poor. When i reached high school she showed me pictures of her class to me and explained that they looked and acted just like me. Just because someone is poor does not mean that they are automatically menaces to our society. Most of the times the poor people that do work are still poor because that simply do not make enough money to even support themselves. The majority of poor people in the media are portrayed as destitute black or other minority groups that are completely hopeless. But in reality there are 40% of white Americans that rely on food stamps and other government funds. The subconscious prejudice is the ultimate demon that prevents our society from ever progressing to a compassionate and welcoming society that is capable of understanding.
I think in our society today, people are so quick to judge. Just because a person has an iPhone handy does not mean they are from the upper class or is not worthy enough to have an iPhone. Throughout our generation, technology and social media is drastically increasing each and every day. The majority of society are interconnected throughout social media, texting, and calling. Although, there are cheaper versions of communication, an iPhone provides applications for people to connect through various social medias. This allows people to voice their opinions and values within their hand held device. It is important for everyone to be able to voice their opinions, and several opinions are made throughout social media. Several apps are beneficial for people who are seeking jobs. An iPhone may be more expensive than a computer, but it is hand held, and provides everything and more. I was shocked to read that the majority of people who are poor are children and the elderly. It is tragic to acknowledge that these two age groups make up the majority of poverty. It is not right to assume that people of poverty are not putting in the effort to gain a high well paying job. Several people can not afford the schooling in order to gain a degree in that specific major. Society should not make judgements based off someone’s income, instead we should help as a community and create acceptance.
In the article, Fox News mentioned that majority of poor Americans have microwaves and refrigerators in their homes. This statistic to me is unnecessary and pointless and doesn’t back up the argument that these poor people shouldn’t receive welfare because they have necessities such as basic kitchen appliances. I think when people think “poor people” they think the slums and homeless, really low life groups of people who can’t support themselves. So, when they see people who have homes and basic appliances and possessions, others think they’re doing okay. They’re being judged “not poor enough” to receive welfare from the government. An iPhone or any type of phone is in my opinion a necessity in this society we live in today. Yes, there are ways of communication without it, but the iPhone makes it a lot more efficient. Also, for those who can’t afford computers and other electronic devices, the iPhone is a great source for all of those in one. And even if someone is looking for welfare and has an iPhone it doesn’t mean they can afford other expenses that equal the iPhone. The iPhone may be their highest priced possession they own. People just need to stop judging people by their possessions and their appearances. It’s hard to correct this because everyone does it.
Growing up in a middle class home with a hard working father has made me appreciate all that I have been given. I feel extremely blessed to be where I am today and I feel that the only true way to show appreciation is to give back. Walking the streets of any city, one may come across multiple homeless people at anytime. Many people make the argument that homeless people will use the money they receive for alcohol, cigarettes or drugs. Although the money may be spent in this way on occasion, it is not the business of the donor to make decisions in regard to how the money is spent. If people wish to help but cannot justify giving money because of some preconceived notion that it will be spent poorly, there are other ways to help those in need. Purchase warm meals for people. Go out and buy food to feed the hungry, purchase clothing and other things that many people may need. Hand sanitizer, chapstick, winter hat or gloves etc. All of the essential things that a person may need to make it through all conditions. There are other ways to help people rather than giving money and it is clear that in order to truly appreciate your good fortune and your successes, you must give back to those in need.
I was very interested in thee different statistics in this article. I was surprised that the largest amount of people on welfare were children and senior citizens. I expected there to be a variety of different people who were on welfare. I did not think the majority of the people receiving welfare would be these two groups.
I think that social media and a lack of education on this topic create a new level of stereotyping and misinformed judgements. If people were informed on what is really happening with the poor and why our society is like this, I think there would be a change in many views and opinions.
Being open to researching and understanding a different way of thinking is something important that people need to be exposed to for a major change to occur.
In the household that I grew up in, a identifiably “traditional” family and blue collar home, I was often exposed to disapproving imagery and opinions of social welfare programs. With a father that worked extremely hard for all that he earned and achieved for us, his personal narrative became my means of understanding our family’s relationship with social welfare- which was next to none. My only knowledge was that his “hard earned money” was being given away to someone he painted as undeserving of it. Seeing for some time now that this is very much so NOT the case, I find it interesting to study the reasons why these personal narrative take such a strong hold and influence on our society.
I believe the distinction between “welfare” and “public assistance” is extremely important in studying the perception of poor people and the benefits they receive. The political world, Reagan Era or not, has built up negative images around the WORD welfare relating to poor people, but not phrases such as tax write-offs for middle class and corporate America that are also forms of welfare. The association with the word, whether visual or informative allows for no analysis or acceptance of alternative descriptions beyond the negative. This separation and alternative wording allows for the integration of race and gender into the meaning of “welfare”, where corporate benefits are not directly affected.
Returning to the strength of the personal narrative, I believe that people get upset about poor people receiving aid and benefits and not government spending on tax breaks and military spending because they view those government programs as beneficial to their “Great America”. Even if the benefits for the poor are cheaper than government programs many may view these benefits as noncontributing to the improvement of the nation or money being returned to their own country and livelihoods. Some personal narrative I’ve experienced states that there will always be poverty, and if theres no poverty “then we’re all socialists”. This of course is an extreme example, not supported by data, but interesting to consider in the study of personal narrative.
The most interesting part of this article that caught my eye was the analysis of Ronald Reagan’s strategies to divert attention from the economic issues that steamed from his presidency. The concept of the “welfare queen” being used to emphasize personal responsibility and individuality in the working class even though damage was a result of the Reagan administration. They created an image of a lazy woman who took advantage of the welfare system. This story was highly successful in strengthening stereotypes especially for communities of POC, where African American work ethic was seen to be lazy. I think it’s fascinating how this narrative carried over into modern day society. Something implicated years ago, still has an impact on how certain groups are view in regards to poverty. Even though data shows these assumptions to be false they are still perceived to resemble the truth. Small things like where you live (urban vs. rural) can influence someone’s assumption of whether you are on welfare or not. Things that happened in the past have a great influence on how things pan out in the future and it is very interesting to see how a single political strategy influenced the perceptions of certain people to this day.
This article opened my eyes to just how powerful the media has become. I was surprised to learn that whites receive the most welfare benefits because that is not what’s depicted in the media. The media and the people at the top of our country want to pit everyone below them against each other in order to distract from the gross abuse of power and financial pardoning that many of them enjoy.
When I read the section about poor people having iPhones and how many tax cuts corporations receive, it really reshaped my thinking. I was forced to examine the situation from an aerial perspective in order to understand that businesses and wealthy people receive government handouts without anyone blinking an eye but when poor people do it’s viewed as abusive spending or calls for a reallocation of funds to the entire system.
This article opened my eyes to the power of the media in regards to inaccurate representations. It is remarkable that Reagan’s construction of the “Welfare Queen” has created an image of the typical person living in poverty that has persisted throughout the years. When this image is already ingrained in the minds of the general population, and is consistently enforced through media portrayals, it becomes a difficult issue to deconstruct. As the article cites, out of 474 stories about poverty published 1992 to 2010, a little more than half of the image were of black people, although they only made up a quarter of the people below the poverty line at that time span. This is concrete evidence that demonstrates how the media is painting an incorrect image of poverty for the general population to read and ultimately believe. To correct our idea and concept of poverty, it is essential that the media properly portray who is benefiting from these social programs. When the image of poverty is no longer the “welfare Queen” but rather your neighbor, friend, or family member, it will become easier to understand the reality of poverty in the United States.
Traditional narratives and social media tend to have a significant effect on many different issues. For the social problem of welfare benefits and poverty, their effects are very prevalent. People can be routed in their beliefs and be unwilling to change them as stated in this article. It mentions confirmation bias and how people keep hold of falsehoods by ignoring statistics and data that disprove their views. This can be damaging to society because if people don’t acknowledge problems people have a harder time trying to solve them. Additionally, people using “common knowledge” is also damaging to progress with these issues. When people have a generic concept about those who are on welfare and do not look into the topic before talking down on it make the problem worse. Misconceptions about what race, gender, and class are involved in welfare are not correct. People tend to think of minorities, such as blacks and Hispanics, abusing social welfare programs such as food stamps. When looking into statistical data, people will find that whites are the majority of those using these programs to get out of poverty and that food stamps is one of the welfare programs with the lowest rates of abuse. Paying attention to data and statistics can show that personal responsibility is not the only factor in this issue of welfare.
People get upset over aid for the poor while other programs are more expensive and they are okay with it such as military spending. I think people think this way because they see these more expensive programs as benefiting themselves. People are inherently self-interested and when it comes down to it people would rather help themselves than others. They can see increased military spending as helping themselves be safe in their country whereas helping those who are impoverished will not affect them on a daily basis. People who think this way may also not be exposed to poverty stricken areas; typically people who have interacted with these areas tend to show compassion for people living there, but those who have distance from the problem can simply brush it off their shoulders and live a life pretending it does not exist and this is how some people live their lives.
I believe that people who get upset at poor people receiving aid and benefits don’t get upset at the more costly government programs for a couple of reasons. First, people may not understand what government programs actually do. Some people may believe that certain programs affect the poor, but in reality they benefit the rich. Programs that are widely believed to help the public only benefit major corporations or the 1%.
Second, and somewhat related to the first point, people believe other government programs will benefit them in some way. Military spending provides Americans with safety. Tax cuts for the rich will lead to trickle-down economics, eventually leading to the rest of the US population having more money. They may believe that by giving the poor handouts, people in social classes above them will never see any benefit. This leads to a venomous hatred for programs which do not benefit everyone.
Third, and possibly most important, people believe what the government tells them (or doesn’t tell them) about programs. So many people today seem to just believe whatever they are told without fact-checking or even a simple google search. If the government says that the welfare system works, but the people in it are lazy, too many people will simply believe it. If the government says that military funding needs to be increased and thus funding to education needs to be cut, people will believe them.
I gained a new perspective on poor people from reading this article. One thing that caught my eye the most was when I looked at the food stamp chart by race. I saw that majority of people who were on food stamps were white which is not typically what the media portrays into our society. I do feel a lot of where you get your views from is gathered from family and friends growing up however I know the media serves as an absurdly high influence in the way people form their opinions they see to be facts. Even just looking at the example with the meme’s, a 13 year old with an phone scrolling through instagram or facebook and believe these blurbs of ridiculousness. I just feel it is wrong to stigmatize or generalize the poor as one for each person is different and in a different situation so to say that they are all too lazy to work or cant find jobs is ignorant.
I personally do not think it is my job to determine how much I trust a homeless person who asks me for money. I can only assess the fact that they need money and are humble enough to beg for it. Begging is one of the most humbling things you can do ever. People love to make the argument that they are probably going to use the money for drugs or alcohol, but how many people that aren’t necessarily poor spend money on drugs and alcohol? If they asked me for a dollar and I gave it to them and they chose to do that with it then it is their choice. If people rather chase a high or drunk more than food or something else that they need then its a personal choice. I think that if you have the means to give you should. I also don’t think that some one has to be completely destitute for me to express sympathy for their plight. If they live less comfortably and express that they need help, and I am in position to help them, then I should. People are not in position to judge others no matter who they are. If more people agreed to help others instead of considering themselves better than those who are impoverished maybe we would see a bit of a change in problem of poverty.
The common ideology surrounding welfare reflects how our society is foremost concerned with the idea of punishment. Similar to issues like mass incarceration, the primary focus is forcing the poor to essentially repent for their “poor choices” rather than implementing solutions to the issue at large. Stripping individuals of welfare and constantly criticizing their state of existence does nothing to elevate them out of their situation and only serves to punish. This way of thinking has been perpetuated by framing those who benefit from welfare as those who society tends to punish most: minorities and groups of lesser power. Reagan and others directed attention away from larger issues by coining the term “welfare queens” to serve as a very unrealistic scapegoat. This leaves people lacking the perspective to contextual poverty with a very specific target to focus their resentment on, unaware of what the result of withholding welfare would actually look like.
In response to the question about how can I trust poor people who ask for money, after reading the article, the first thought that came across my mind was imagining if I was in those people’s shoes. Personally, I have this weak spot filled with guilt when I see a homeless person whether if it was on the side of the road or on the streets in the city. It doesn’t hurt to give some loose change to poor people. When trusting another individual for money, a poor individual could use the money they were able to receive on drugs, alcohol, food, or anything! One can never make a judgement on their story.
I grew up in a household where things were explained in a certain concept. When my Dad was around my age, he was taught to learn things from white to black, or how certain things were told from my grandparents perspectives. My dad would always tell my sister and I to never toss around money to poor people because so many people would not be poor, if they built their life the way many people in society does today: to go to college, get a job, get married, and have kids. People would not be poor if they had a better work ethic or did not spend all their money on stupid things. However, I see things quite differently from my family. I believe that people are allowed to build their life in a broader sense. Some people do not need to follow the way how other people live the ‘American Dream’; the standard: go to college, get a job, get married, have kids style.
To answer this question, I do trust poor people who would ask for money. Everyone should have an idea that when receiving money as a donation, every penny does count. As an outside perspective, we don’t know what goes on in a poor person’s life or in fact anyone’s life who is struggling with a financial crisis. Whenever I see a homeless person, before I pass them on the streets of New York City, the one thing that would come across my mind is that I would imagine if I was in their shoes. Wouldn’t you want someone to give at least a little donation if that was you? Poor people struggle every day for a fresh start. I would trust poor people who would ask for money because maybe I could be the start for their fresh start. Maybe, poor people save up the money someone would give them.
Unfortunately, I too believe that my beliefs regarding the concept of welfare have come because of what is portrayed in the media and what is referred to as “common knowledge.” After reading this article, I was surprised to learn the true facts of the matter based on empirical research and data. I agree with the idea that the media and other outside sources are manipulative in that they “fill in the gaps” when our knowledge on the matter is lacking. We are more prone to believe the ideas that are suggested by the majority. This exerts a powerful influence in our society and impact our understanding of “who is poor” in the United States because like the article infers, it is based on prejudices. However, I also believe that it is a result of a race not wanting this stigma associated with them so they deflect it on another race.
I grew up in a small town that consisted mostly of white people. Now I am living in Baltimore which is a lot more diverse. While it can sometimes be a culture shock, I think living in a city opened my eyes to see actual social problems, such as poverty. However, the statistics that were discussed in this article usually differ from what we see. In Baltimore I tend to see a lot of African Americans that are homeless and asking for money. In reality, the majority of people using food stamps and receiving welfare are white people. That statistic shocked me. Social media and news articles portray African Americans and Latinos as the ones that are living in poverty and collecting welfare, not the white-working class.
When I am asked for money by poor people I have almost always said no and kept walking. I go to New York City a good amount and live in Baltimore so it is something that I see a lot and I expect to see it. Sometimes I feel bad because I want to help but it is also hard to tell who just wants money for drugs and who wants it for food. One time my dad told me how a guy asked him for money for food and instead of just giving him the money my dad went into a McDonald’s and bought him a meal. When my dad went back outside and tried to give it to the man, the man got mad and threw out everything my dad had bought him because he actually wanted the money for drugs. It is stories like these that make people skeptical whether people actually want money for food or if they just need it to buy drugs and alcohol. In addition, I think as a whole, society should make a more conscious effort to decrease the amount of poverty. Helping one person may mean a lot to them but in the long run they are probably still going to be living in poverty, so I think we should try to figure out ways to decrease it in general.
This article presented a lot of eye opening data, however I found the most intriguing point to be the portion on smart phones. I could easily understand how years ago, shutting off one’s cell phone plan would’ve seemed like a relatively practical way to cut bills if money got tight- cell phones were not nearly as integral in daily life. However, now they are such an important part of everyday life, and are extremely necessary when one is looking for a job. They provide internet access to apply for jobs, allow for contact with potential employers, and from a personal experience, I haven’t come across a job application that didn’t require me to provide a phone number. It seems like the people who have this “war on the poor” mentality expect people who are in need of various financial assistance to quite literally have nothing in order to gain their sympathy. I think certain people have a vision of what they think someone who is poor “should” be living like, and if a person doesn’t align with those standards, those people simply won’t believe that person could truly be suffering. The statistics and rationale presented in this article can help to break down those preconceived notions, but as it states, many people are wholeheartedly committed to this social framework they have constructed in their heads, even if what they believe directly contradicts data.
Traditionally, imagery surrounding social welfare and poverty is associated with low income, exploited people, or a class that is often stigmatized or looked down upon by other members of society. As shown in the article, falsehoods often emerge because of the way the public absorbs messages and stories found in the media. Because media is so relevant and influences our society in such immense ways, it does shape the public’s understandings and perspectives on various topics. Specifically, the public is not aware of the data or research regarding the types of people living in poverty or those on welfare. For those receiving welfare particularly, I was surprised to find out that the white working class was the largest group who benefited from the usage of food stamps, especially because they do not necessarily have the highest rates of poverty. As stated in the article, stereotypes and prejudices do inherently shape and influence who we categorize as “poor” or “needy” in the United States. I think it is incredibly difficult to attempt to disarm these biases which contribute so strongly to our beliefs. We need to encourage the public to seek out statistical research and encourage the media to be more accurate in the way that race, gender, and stereotypes are portrayed in images and narratives.
While reading this article, I was surprised to learn the statistics about the distribution of food stamps among different racial groups in the United States. I, along with others, as stated in this article, went along with “common knowledge” way of thinking. I feel that it is more natural to just assume that African Americans receive food stamps and government assistance, but this is just the presumption that people make. Additionally, I thought it was interesting to see the map of states with a high percentage of recipients with food stamps. From other articles that I have read for this class, like about white trash and “Trash Talking the Working Class”, it wasn’t a surprise that certain southern states receive assistance. Overall, I feel that people have gathered their thoughts and opinions of African Americans and the way that they live. This is why I think that people assume that African Americans are on food stamps and government assistance.
Furthermore, I think the word “welfare” has a negative connotation. When people hear the word, they immediately think poor, or in the need of help. This is why I think that programs like food stamps, that help poor people is called welfare. Additionally, “welfare” gives a different connotation of security and safety net for people, which could be why it is used in this way, to benefit the poor.
For a long time, I did believe in some of the negative images of people who use welfare. But with the last few years, I had to change what I had thought and unlearn the traditionally misogynistic, racist narratives. I do think the sources of information (stereotypes, “The Welfare Queen”, etc) that most people uphold to be the truth have a dangerously strong influence on how poverty is seen and understood. Most people only know the misconceptions of who is on welfare and hold these false narratives to heart. I was not surprised at the statistic that said white people receive more welfare benefits than any other group. Personally, programs that benefit poor people are labeled as “welfare” because traditionally it seemed that these programs are meant for short term usage but they have been made into crutches that are used by those who are described in the narratives. Although I disagree with the view that those programs are crutches, in my opinion this is what a lot of people think of when hearing about welfare.
By looking at the charts, I was surprised that white people were the population that gets food stamps the most. The reason why is because the media has always emphasized that minorities are always the ones taking “advantage” of the government because sometimes they lie to get free food and free money. I believe that if someone is able to work and won’t work then they shouldn’t get any help from the government because that money can be spend in other problems that would be more useful in. Some people who really need help from the government are left out for the ones who lie and say that they don’t have funds but don’t have any disabilities or health problems. Injustice happens often with people who is a minority in this country because they give the priority to white people.
The way in which people think about the poor in America negatively affects people’s ability to make decisions regarding welfare. For example, we are often presented with the idea that those on welfare are lazy. However, this is simply not the case and can be proven once a person takes the time to look at the data. Yet, this idea, as well as other ones like it, create a serious problem in our society by skewing the public’s view on public assistance. A skewed and incorrect view on such an important issue will prevent the impoverished people of our society form getting the help that they so desperately need. Thus, the cycle of systemic poverty will continue as more and more privileged Americans turn their backs on the poor. I fear that the end result of this trend will be the destruction of the lives of millions that could have been helped, had we simply provided these people with the support they needed to get back on their feet. Nevertheless, there is still time to change things for the better and I believe that reforms in such areas as food stamps and social security, could help the plight of many Americans. These changes must happen soon though, as the support for Americans in poverty continues to dwindle.
I have seen media imagery about welfare narratives before, but I never put any thought into it. Once in a while I would laugh, but I never realized how much they provoke and perpetuate resent of disadvantaged groups. After reading this article, it impacted my understanding and feelings about what society believes are the “poor” in the United States. I find it ironic that we judge the poor if they have nice things, yet we also judge them for not living on our terms. Our society feels entitled to creating false narratives about what poverty looks like or what kind of poverty is valid. It’s unfortunate that the cultural logic for “unwritten” welfare recipients is that they assume you should sell all luxury goods you were fortunate enough to have possessed prior to your job loss. However, we don’t take a second to think that we live in a society where technology is a necessity for communication, connections, and job opportunities. We’re so consumed with the idea that those things give you a certain social values.
The media has depicted welfare as a huge negative in the area I am from and the community seems to support those ideologies. I grew up thinking that welfare was simply food stamps or monthly checks to people, some of who didn’t deserve it. I do know a couple people back at home who have cheated the system with a fake disability; therefore, I assumed the number of people cheating the system was very high. I know these people personally and they could work, but they just didn’t want to.
As for who I thought was receiving these benefits, I was wrong. We have many races in my community, from white to Hispanic to black, and I would say the distribution of people on welfare in my area is spread through the board evenly. Although, with the media portraying blacks as the welfare kings and queens, I assumed my area was an exception to the system. But, even to contradict the spread through race and the assumptions of the majority of welfare going towards blacks, this article and the statistics show that the actual majority of participants receiving welfare are actually white. Hopefully I can now correct people who believe that welfare is a cheated system for a majority of one race.
In response to the question about why people get so upset about aid and benefits received by the poor, after reading the article, I believe these feelings stem from ignorance or misinterpretation about what “welfare” really refers to. One idea introduced in previous reading and re-enforced in this one, is that unbeknownst to many, welfare aid is most prevalently given to those who are working stable jobs. That meaning, health care and other relative benefits fit under the welfare umbrella as well. So many mistakenly hear the word “welfare,” and think only of food stamps. Many people feel upset and as if their hard-earned money is being spent on lazy people who can’t pull their lives together. Quite on the contrast, most of these poor individuals are not just choosing not to work, many entry level positions in today’s society fail to pay the necessary salary to enable a sustainable living.
In addition, people may keep a careful look on those using food stamps in a grocery store, and immediately notice that the individual or family be overweight. This is not because the government is spending too much tax money on the food stamp program, allowing these people to over eat, these families actually aren’t even receiving enough aid to buy healthier options. In turn, they are left only with cheap bags of chips and cases of soda to get by on. Welfare is a topic that many pay much attention to because it requires some benefiting off of others; therefore, people become sensitive about who should meet the standards necessary to receive that aid. However, many also fail to realize that other government funding the military and other corporations are constantly ignored because most don’t have a clear example of this right before their very eyes.
Hardworking, tax paying Americans are angered because they believe that their tax dollars aren’t going back into the government when given to someone on welfare. They believe that if someone on welfare were to “just get a job” the welfare program would be eradicated, and tax dollars would go into programs more centralized on their interests. By hearing these welfare narratives, the media is able to sculpt the view of how Americans see the world by only showing them select information. This is seen constantly in the media and only select people see that it is a ploy. The mass majority of people simply watch what is shown and do not do additional research to check the facts on what they are watching. This allows the media to bias certain pieces of information, and the individuals watching are none the wiser.
Human beings love to complain about things. Anything. It can be their car, their job, who is famous, or traffic. It does not matter what the scenario is, there will always be someone complaining about something. The media, be it news network or social network, receives interest or “hits” when something controversial is posted. The reason why we hear so much about people that are impoverished or any other bad news is because it is an easy scapegoat to make the lives of Americans feel better. It is repeated over and over again in order to not allow you to see what the real truth happens to be. This, in a way, is a form of controlling the public into thinking in a certain mindset, which allows them to receive more reviews.
Do you honestly think the Kardasians are that interesting? The majority of people I have asked say no, yet the show is still there. Why? It receives attention as a subject of hate. Even by posting something online in a negative connotation, it is still bringing attention to the subject. Spreading news draws attention, and whether it is positive feedback or negative feedback, networks make money. They don’t care what the consensus coming back is, they already received what they wanted.
This article, “War on Poverty” is something that should be shared with people, just so they understand and see the numbers about the truth to poverty. I would say that many people do not have enough information for them to say things like, “Oh why are these people getting welfare checks or benefits despite having nice clothes or even a phone…” Sometimes what gives these people this type of idea is the media itself and the way they portray it. The media does have the ability to sway public opinion and make people think a certain way and not the truth. It’s only a matter of educating the public about the truth of the struggles people face with each day. They also make the statement that the type of people who receive benefits and help are majority minorities; African Americans, woman and the people live in Urban when in fact its white Americans receiving help. My reaction towards this is also same because living in the South Bronx for most of my life, which is predominantly minority most of my neighbors were on at least some type of aid from the government. Although I did not think of the majority of the U.S and the South Bronx is just a very small portion that makes up for the U.S.
When I was younger, for sure the media, I think, probably had some subconscious element as to who I believed who was on welfare and who wasn’t, but as a grew older and began to look at the facts, the evidence became quite clear who was and wasn’t actually on welfare. In terms of being surprised, not in the slightest. This is simply due to the population of the United States, white people outnumber black people roughly 6-to-1, it would nearly be impossible for more black people than white people to be on welfare. In terms of why certain programs are looked at as traditional “welfare,” while others are not, it’s simply because of some people looking for a reason to look down on another group of people in some way. People like to think that they are entitled to some benefits, such as tax breaks, corporate welfare, etc. because they have been “successful” while those who haven’t are “leeches” who need to get off the government dole. And of course, all forms of welfare are indeed just that, but again, those in the upper class don’t like to call it welfare, as welfare is for poor people, not successful business people like themselves, who deserve such forms of welfare like subsidies, etc. I think the reason why so many people get angry about welfare spending, as opposed to corporate subsidies, is because welfare is something nobody wants to be on, while corporate, subsidies, well that’s something everyone wants to be on. So the intellectual argument is that people don’t want to rock the boat of those who are in power, so that they themselves have a better chance of becoming successful themselves. However, the far more likely argument is simply the fact that almost nobody talks about corporate subsides, because the corporations who receive said subsidies also own the news channels, and therefore don’t allow any reporting of it, while at the same time beating the war drums against those on welfare, even though the amount spent on individual welfare versus corporate welfare is completely incomparable. It’s simply a lack of information about the real issue at hand, and that lack of information is no accident either.
The discussion on welfare has definitely been a longstanding one, especially within the United States. It is definitely true that the term welfare solely becomes conflated with food stamps, SNAP benefits, etc., which is problematic because it ignores all the other welfare programs within the country including unemployment benefits. It is common discourse in this country that the people who receive welfare are mostly from urban areas and are people of color. I was definitely surprised about the fact that rural areas receive more welfare than urban areas. It is commonly thought that urban areas are the areas that are “in need” so that definitely shed light on something I did not know. I was not super surprised at the fact that more white people receive more welfare benefits than other racial groups just because of the racial demographics within the country as a whole. However, what was interesting was the difference in percentages among the races and that white people receive nearly half of all food stamps.
I think that not only the media, but just the general colloquial discussion regarding people of color tends to be problematic. Conflating all black people with African Americans is one of these issues. By solely using the term African American to refer to black people, it lumps numerous distinct cultures under one term. Even using the term Hispanic is problematic to be using when having this discussion because it refuses to acknowledge the Indian and African origins of many of the people it seeks to describe, in order to recall the Spanish and Portuguese colonization of said people. Therefore not only is it necessary to change these popular conceptions regarding welfare, but it is also extremely important to change the language used as well.
I think one of the most interesting parts of this article is the way politicians are able to distract the public from destructive macroeconomic policies by stigmatizing particular welfare recipients. This history of stigmatization and putting propaganda about people of color out there I think contributes in large part to many of the protests and problems we see today. For example, although the #blacklivesmatter movement focuses on police brutality based off of this article and other articles I’ve read in this class and on my own that was the tipping point after all of these other layers of oppression. The idea of the welfare queen is one example of the government purposefully and inaccurately portraying black people and urban environments in a negative light. When the government supports and comes up with this propaganda like this it creates an environment of distrust and anger that festers over time into massive protest. Government systems such as welfare and the propaganda politicians still point to successfully create deeper divides between minorities and the lower class white people according to this article and other research. It’s unfortunate that politicians may feel this is the only way to make non-rich white people vote in favor of policies that don’t help them and exploit their fears of minorities to everyones detriment.
It is interesting to me that only some things are categorized as welfare. I feel that with other programs, such as the G.I. Bill and unemployment compensation, the names lead people to believe that people who are on said programs are deserving of the benefits. Practically no one is going to question why an marine is getting tax deductions or why a person who presumably was “let go” from their job is collecting unemployment. Those people are perceived to be deserving of federal money because they have “done something” to deserve it. However, as soon as some people hear that a person is on welfare, their perception of that person changes. Most of the time, they tend to view the person in a negative light. It is as if they see the person as undeserving. I am not sure if it is because they think the person has not done anything to “deserve” the welfare or if it is because the name welfare itself is pegged as something negative by society through things like “The Welfare Queen.” Whatever the case may be, it is something that is very thought provoking.
Social media has effectively portrayed welfare recipients as people that have no business deserving free benefits. For a long time, I had a stereotypical understanding of welfare. I usually classified welfare recipients by race, gender, and class. Social media and other influences on my life conveyed that wrong sense of who welfare recipients represent in America. Sharing a meme, intended to have a humor based connotations, has different effects on those who see and interpret the meme. It might provoke laughter from people and even sometimes anger. In the United States, entertainment and humor get passed around a lot more than data and facts. During my early teen years, I assumed that those on welfare composed a majority of African Americans and not White people. Only when I actually visited and worked with people who received the majority of welfare benefits did I realize that the poor white working class Americans received a hefty amount of welfare. Stereotypes can get so drilled into one’s head that the line from fact to fiction becomes blurred. I know people who get upset about welfare recipients when in fact those haters get some sort of government bailout. They believe that welfare recipients do not deserve and should not have any claim or entitlement to benefits. It all comes down to fact and stereotype. The truth illuminates a lot of false presumptions about welfare. The most disturbing thing I see occurs when people share a stereotypical incorrect meme and take it as cold hard truth.
It is disrespectful to see people on welfare as a negative way. Instead of judging them and criticizing them, we should be helping them try to get them off from welfare. Sure, there might be people who enjoy getting their welfare checks, but majority are not like that. In the article, it made an interesting point. It said people who are on welfare should get a smartphone in order to find jobs. The streotype “poor people should not own a smartphone” is simply not true. In this day and age, without a smartphone, you can’t really do anything. Even finding jobs can be done through internet, thus they do need smartphones to find jobs. Instead of spending billions and billions of dollars on military, we should take care of our citizens first, who are struggling to survive. Among the people who gets welfare checks, there are children who can barley afford to eat because their family don’t have enough money to buy food. So instead of spending on military, we should take care of our citizens first. After all, they are citizens of the U.S, and therefore government should be helping them out more.
I was very surprised to hear in this article and in class on Thursday that there are more white Americans then African Americans who are on welfare and use food stamps. Up until now when ever i have read something, heard something on the news, or seen something on tv they always portray everyone who is on welfare or everyone who uses food stamps are African Americans. The chart in this article shows completely different the graph shows that 40.2% White Americans us food stamps and 25.7% of African Americans us food stamps. From what i have read and seen in the past i would have guessed that the numbers would have been flipped. That is horrible that it i portrayed this way. I don’t understand why it is portrayed in the media that most people who use benefits are African American.
I think it is awful that people get mad when they see people using food stamps and hear about people on welfare. The reason I think this happens is because there is a thought out there that everyone who is on welfare or using food stamps don’t work at all and just sit at home collection tax payers money. Some people may do but i remember hearing in class that it is a very small percentage of people who are on welfare. Once again this is another thing that i portrayed that they are just lazy people who don’t want to work and are just sitting at home and collecting the tax money of the people that do work. I think people need to be informed of the real statistics.
The false narrative that is often times portrayed in regard to a person on welfare is that many of the people who are on welfare are not actually working. The idea that is put out is that people who receive a welfare check are getting a handout and are able to have many of the same things, if not better things then some people who work hard every day and can barely put food on the table for their own family. It turns out that only 2% of the people that are on welfare are the ones that are abusing the SNAP benefit system. Many people rely on the SNAP benefits just to get some sort of food that they would not have had otherwise. This notion of associating all people on SNAP benefits makes people unable to sympathize with people who are in unfortunate situations. This false narrative makes people resent poor families instead of wanting to help them. This narrative also bring about the idea of the undeserving poor. If people associate people on SNAP benefits with lack of motivation and laziness, people paying their taxes are going to resent those who are on SNAP benefits because they are not doing anything but accepting a check. We know that is not the case. It is a shame that many people have brought an image of hatred instead of helpfulness into our society.
This article shows how naive people are. People stereotype people and make unjust assumptions without looking at the facts of data. A lot of what I see about welfare is on Facebook though memes and links that people share. These sources are not accurate and make it seem as though the poor people on welfare in our country are African Americans who are cheating the system and are too lazy to get a job. You see that someone on welfare was wearing too nice of clothing and that they were using an iPhone, however, if these people were not to be dressed nicely or using an iPhone they would be judged for that as well. I definitely think that since I grew up in a predominantly white and wealthy town I had a misconception on who was actually on welfare. Most people are white and are children and elderly. It is so sad to think that 1/4 of the children in the US grow up in poverty. I do think that it would be unfair if people were just “collecting checks” and not working, however, based off of the data it is seen that that is not the case and that most people in poverty are working more than two jobs, hoping to rise above poverty.
I would absolutely agree that the media imagery regarding “welfare narratives” has influenced my understanding and feelings regarding who is poor in the United States. Growing up, I would hear my family talk about how people who are on welfare are those who just don’t want to work and who drink and do drugs all day instead. I would say that whatever media I have seen regarding welfare has either been a misrepresentation and negative, or not present at all.
I was very shocked by the statistics regarding more white people that African Americans receiving social welfare benefits. I recognize that I was under educated on this subject before our readings and our discussions in class, but I think that the world we live in and the politics we are experiencing in our country completely further this false information, and don’t work at all to change that.
I think that people get angry at poor people for receiving benefit and aid because they don’t want to blame the upper class because they want to be them. People may think that they can achieve the standing that would put them in the upper class, or at least not be considered the lower class. People want to differentiate themselves from the poor but not the rich, and use this anger and blame to do so.
The media encourages the negative stereotypes surrounding poor people and poor people who receive welfare. Poor people are consistently portrayed as undeserving, and this certainly contributes to society’s view of poor people and encourages society buying into and believing these stereotypes. The media certainly had pushed me to buy into these stereotypes as well, and it wasn’t until I actively pursued the evidence and took a sociology class that I realized how untrue the stereotypes were. I was surprised to learn that more whites than African Americans are receiving welfare because of the stereotypes that I had grown up believing. Even people in my own family believed this and continued to push these same ideas on me. The media influences other people’s understanding, and this was also passed onto me. The media’s portrayal inundates with information constantly, so our understanding of our world is partly influenced by it. People shape policy, and our policy is not solving the problems at the root of poverty, so instead nothing changes because we continue to believe the negative stereotypes. Poverty is extremely misunderstood, and people become sensitive to the idea of increasing welfare spending because of the negative stereotypes that we hear the media and policymakers continue to push. Our misrepresentations of the poor have led us to adopt policies that only exacerbate poverty as an issue instead of solving.
Our society today had painted a bad image of the poor. People claim they are lazy as well as describe them by their race. So many people don’t know that poor people don’t get welfare. The people that receive welfare are the people who don’t need it, the upper class. They are also the people that get all the tax cuts that everyone seems to be all about. The people that really pay the bills, like the working class, don’t get any break at all. In fact, they get more pressure from the government and are eventually going to be poor because there is no money going to the poor. There is no help to the “untouchables” or the working class.
In class we talked about how the homeless people do have jobs but the jobs they have aren’t giving them enough money to support themselves. We paint a picture of a homeless person as some lazy guy, probably drugged up, begging for money cause he doesn’t wanna get a job. Well thats a stereo type that is incredibly untrue. We are fighting a war on the wrong social class.
After learning the information about welfare and the races that benefit from it, I was surprised to see the statistics. I take credit for completely believing in the stereotype of African Americans making up the majority of those on welfare. I think the reason that this stereotype was created was because many americans do not realize that majority of the people on welfare are in the working class. It is difficult to survive on a minimum wage job. Many families who attempt to make ends meet with this paycheck are also on welfare in hopes to receive the aid they need. These articles, statistics and information has made me realize that you can’t always have a blind eye to a topic so broad and confusing as poverty. There is no specific race that should be stereotyped to be receiving the most benefits.
I was surprised to learn that the statistic show that more white people are on welfare than any other race. I feel there is a huge stigma that blacks and hispanics make up the majority of those who are on welfare. I also feel like the majority of Americans are misinformed about welfare and how it s used. I remember a few years ago I watched a video I saw on Facebook about a family in a Walmart parking lot. The family had just bought the majority of their groceries with food stamps, and had used a dollar to buy a lottery ticket. A group of people noticed that they had used their money for a lottery ticket and not extra food for their family and they were very upset. The group of people gathered around the family screaming at them that they were irresponsible and taking the money of people who worked hard by buying the lottery ticket when they should be using the money for food. The video was absolutely ridiculous. Just because the family is on food stamps does not mean they can’t have any enjoyment in their lives. If the lottery ticket was a source of fun for them then they should be allowed to enjoy their lives how they want. Taking the enjoyment out of people’s lives because they are poor is not the goal of food stamps and other forms of welfare
One thing that opened my eyes from this article was who the majority of the people on welfare were and the stereotypes that many have when welfare comes to mind. Some of the stereotypes are women or single mothers and black people are a large majority of those collecting welfare when that is not the case. The largest group of people living in poverty and collecting welfare are young white children and the elderly. This coincides with the stereotypes that blacks make up the majority of those on food stamps when more white people are on them than any other race. The video “Welfare tough love” shows how unaware some are of just welfare in general. Many of those on welfare work multiple jobs and work 40+ hour work weeks to support their families. A very small percentage of those receiving welfare are just sitting at home doing nothing. Rather than getting rid of the welfare policy all together like this video and many people in the United States suggest, it should just be fixed to help reduce the number of people who scam the system.
Scrolling down my newsfeed on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram has become a part of my everyday life. I’ve seen many images and memes about welfare and “who is poor.” Before taking this class, when I would see these posts, I would think “Right. How do you have an iPhone and you’re on welfare?” But now that I am educated on the issue, I have the knowledge to understand that a person could’ve been doing well, lost his/her job, and that is the cause of him/her being on welfare. A person on welfare could have had many high-value possessions prior to job loss or whatever factor that led to them being on welfare. I guess society expects people on welfare to have nothing; to sell all of those possessions and dress “bum-my” and “live like you are on welfare.” To me, that makes no sense.
Unfortunately, the stereotype that more African Americans are on welfare than whites is very common. I even thought this was true. But after looking at the statistics, I realized that there are almost 2 times more whites on welfare than African Americans. I think this stereotype just plays into the overall negative view of the African American race.
One thing that surprised me was the creation of the “Welfare Queen” persona. I didn’t realize that Reagan villainized a certain race to cover up his own mistakes. Yet, it has so much impact on the way people view citizens who are on welfare today; it’s effects are just as profound as it was years ago.
It was also nice to see a different perspective of ‘people on welfare should not have nice things’ dispute. If you continuously hear that people on welfare shouldn’t being wearing nice clothing, you start to believe what they are saying. So, listening to a different perspective was very eye-opening.
I have lived in an urban area all my life, so I have seen poverty and am aware of what kinds of people are poor. I will start by saying that stereotypes about poor and impoverished people exist for a reason. I have seen many people who sit around on their porches all day waiting for their welfare check to come, only to spend it all on weed and cigarettes. This is the common stereotype for poor people in urban areas, so to reiterate, that stereotype exists for a reason. Then there is the other side of the spectrum. I once saw a woman beg my mother for money, claiming she needed it to feed herself and her son, who were struggling to survive in her car. My mother pulled out a twenty dollar and gave it to the woman, who proceeded to thank my mother like she had just been given twenty million dollars. I mentioned in class about working in soup kitchens and food pantries. At these events, I encountered the most polite and grateful people I have ever met. They were thankful that we were giving them food, they were thankful for the clothes on their backs, they were thankful simply to be around others. When you have so little, I suppose it is easy to be thankful for things like that, things we often take for granted. From these experiences, I have chosen not to go by the word of the media, because they have a habit of painting just about everything in a bad light. And in the days leading up to the presidential election, everything has become part of a political agenda for most news outlets, so I can’t trust that what they are reporting is unbiased. The reality for me has shown through. There are the typical poor people for sure, but they are far outnumbered by people just like you and me who are likely just victims of bad circumstance. Poor people are some of the most genuine people you could ever meet, you just have to look. Furthermore, in regards to what kinds of welfare these people are on, I do not feel that it inhibits their willingness to go out and find work. I do feel that theoretically it does its job in acting as a safety net for people, but I only say theoretically because often times people get caught in that safety net. They may find a job, but it is not a job that can support them on its own. So people bounce from minimum wage job to minimum wage job, hoping to land a bigger one the next time. It shouldn’t be called a safety net, it should rather be called a safety trampoline. It may give you a good boost, but you always come right back down to where you were shortly after. This is the situation for thousands of poor people. Finally, in regards to a higher percentage of poor people being white rather than a minority, it does not surprise me. When you are the majority, it should come as no surprise that you are also the majority of the poor/impoverished.
I think is article is very eye-opening because it shows how ignorant we are as a whole. Many people assume and believe that most of the people on welfare or poor are African American. Even after many studies conducted people seem to ignore the data and still make assumptions. This goes along with media because most memes or different pictures that show poverty are of African Americans. This definitely impacted how I think about poverty because there is no specific “look” for a poor person; they can be anyone. I think welfare is a good program but sometimes can be abused. I believe that the government should research more before giving out welfare so that there are no scams. People on welfare should not be judged or treated differently because most of them are in the working class and just need some extra help and there is no problem with that. The only way to resolve this issue is by educating people more extensively so that there are no stereotypes.
This article really shows how many Americans, including myself, are extremely ignorant when it comes to our knowledge about the poor. When most people think about the poor, they think of someone of color, who does not want to work and is addicted to some sort of substance. Thinking this way clears our consciences because it makes us not feel bad when we do not help these people. Of course a small minority of the poor are people like this, but the vast majority of people who are poor are working extremely hard and are honest people who deserve more. It is also a shame that people believe the amount of our taxes that go to people on welfare is much much more than it actually is. If one is complaining about welfare for tax purposes, one should be complaining about the numerous other government programs that take a way larger portion of a taxpayers money.
There were many aspects of this article that stuck out to me. First was when the author says “groups into to a single condemned “untouchable” class. As a result, they became feared and despised by the rest of society”. It is interesting that society now has a fear of the poor because their actions are fearful ones. It would make more sense that we fear or despise someone because they have done some unthinkable and horrid act. We shouldn’t fear or despise someone because they don’t have as much as most of us, in fact shouldn’t we feel compelled to help them? It seems as if no one knows what it truly means to fear someone or despise them because if they did they wouldn’t hate people who are in poverty. It is the media telling us that the poor aren’t good enough or that we should hate them and people who continue to post content like that aren’t thinking about how uneducated they sound. They are essentially bullying the poor when these people did nothing wrong. They were dealt a bad hand and having people put them down isn’t helping the situation at all.
I am an elementary education major and part of my major requires that I complete my student teaching internship in the baltimore area. Interns can either be placed in the county or city. My current internship placement is located in the middle-class neighborhood of Parkville. Unlike many schools in baltimore, my school is not considered Title One. A school is deemed Title One if they receive financial assistance from the government, due to the high number of children from low income families. The money from the government supplies the money to provide students with free meals, field trips and various school activities. From the article, most individuals would consider these children to be products of welfare queens. The ignorant individuals of our society believe that they are lazy individuals who are taking from their hard earned incomes. Due to the medias negative portrayal of poor individuals, our society believes that welfare should become obsolete. If it was not for welfare and government agencies, these children would not have the same opportunities or basic necessities that are needed for one to achieve educational success. As a result, I believe that welfare is an essential part of our economy and should be looked upon in a more positive light.
The stereotypical image of poor people, as enforced by the media, has played a huge part in shaping my idea of the poor. Growing up, the poor people were the homeless people sitting on city sidewalks. Then they became the disheveled, angry, pajama wearing people that the media portrays. Now, they are my neighbors whom I respect and care about. The inaccuracy that media portrays is extremely unfortunate. Without someone to teach the people what it actually means to be poor in America, the majority of this country will never understand. I didn’t understand until this course, and now that I do I am horrified by the logistics of the situation. I was surprised to learn that the majority of people on social welfare are white, but it does make sense. There are more white people in general and the social aspect of “white trash” plays a huge role in it. Americans get upset about the poor people receiving help because this whole country was built on the American dream and the idea that anyone can rise as long as they work hard enough. That dream has blinded so many people to the fact that social mobility is no easier now than in the past. It’s very unfortunate, the fact that so many people have no sympathy to those suffering in their country. You want to make America great again? Start by getting off your high horse and helping those that are victims to our rigged economic system.
This article is something that has to be shared with all Americans. It’s important that we realize the truth about the government and how skewed the views of are of many Americans. This idea, that the people who usually receive welfare are black women, is false, but many people believe this. I don’t necessarily believe that the people who believe this are at fault. I think it’s a matter of getting educated. Personally, I didn’t think that the majority of people receiving food stamps were white and that many of the benefits go to people in rural areas. It’s not that I was stereotyping or had this idea that it was mostly African-Americans, it’s just that I did not know. Making people aware is the most important thing when it comes to alot of the social justice issues.
I think that social media plays a huge role in the views people have on social welfare and who receives it. There’s this idea that people who receive benefits should look a certain way or have certain things, but everyone who receives social welfare is different. The imagery just further creates stereotypes based on falsehoods. It doesn’t take into consideration how the world works now. In order to get a job, you need a phone to get a call back after the interview. Or like the article said you may have just been laid off so you still own the belongings you bought when you had a job. There is no ideal person who receives benefits. I think these images impact everyone’s understandings about who is poor in the US. Even mine. But the only way to stop that is to get educated. If you know who is poor and who is receiving benefits and why there even is poverty you are less likely to believe the falsehoods of the media imagery.
I can honestly say that I have spent most of my life under the impression that most people on welfare are African American. This definitely stems from the media’s portrayal of welfare, especially that of Baltimore.
The best example of this misconception in my life would be my idea of Baltimore before I started school here. When I visited Loyola for the first time I took time to walk the campus, went to info sessions, and drove around the surrounding area. While driving I notice a drastic difference between the houses in Roland Park and the houses on York Road. Most of the people that populated York Road were African American where as those that populated Roland Park were mostly White. This racial divide made me believe that most of the people that were poor in Baltimore where Black and the rich/ middle class where White. This is actually the case for these two areas of Baltimore but it only reaffirmed my preexisting belief that most poor people are African American.
However, White poverty becomes more evident once one leaves the York Road and travels toward Falls Road. There one will be approached by poor people of every race and gender which allows one to see that poverty strikes a vast array of people. Therefore, my outlook on who is poor and collecting welfare in Baltimore has changed. I have started to realize that poverty effects many people not just African Americans.
Thus, the misconceptions about welfare need to be cleared up. The country needs to accept that white people are on welfare too. This class has opened my eyes to the complexity and the reach of the welfare system. Meaning that welfare recipients are mostly white and those who are on welfare work.
Before reading this article and discussing the issues in reference to welfare, I had very minimal education on what it truly encompassed. The basis of my knowledge was the message portrayed by the media and the opinions of others around me. I have always associated the term welfare with poor Americans (typically African American) who had large broken families who did not have the education or economic means to support themselves. As completely ridiculous and bias that may sound, that has what the majority of society had lead me to believe. Many people I have come in contact with do not agree with having welfare benefits because they say it is creating a generation of people who do not want to work and expect handouts. However, this negative viewpoint on welfare has been overshadowing the true statistical data and benefits that it provides. As I furthered engaged in discuss about this issue, I found it surprising to learn that most people who are on welfare and use food stamps are white which goes to show that our society’s racists attitudes are still very much prevalent and are interfering with true statistical data. All of the negativity surrounding this subject has overshadowed the possible benefits that could come from it. The reality is that it is hard to survive in this world today as the structure of the economy and social life put major stress on most people. Life is unpredictable and bad things can happen. Say a husband and wife both have low-paying jobs and are trying to take care of four children, and something tragic happens to the husband one day-maybe having a few extra food stamps will help out a little bit each week.
Another very important point that was addressed in this article is that blaming the poor for all the government corruption is totally irrational. Most people living in poverty did not ask for the life that they live. Their circumstances are a result of their family history, the level of education they received, or their surrounding environment. Likewise, several wealthier people are also born into the situation that they are in or have means to earn a high-level degree. However, a problem that can stem from having these benefits accessible to them is that they may develop a sense of entitlement. From this, they may exude sneaky behavior and tend to engage in so called “risky business” by working the system and abusing government favors more than the underprivileged.
Comments frequently heard regarding racial movements, such as Black Lives Matter, commonly run along the lines of: ‘Racism doesn’t even exist anymore, so can these people just shut up and stop causing a ruckus?’ The notion that racism is extinct is completely inaccurate; the repercussions of holding this false idea are made evident in the speech, “Welfare Queen”, and amongst others of the same genre.
Propaganda still serves as a tool to sway the mass population. Some may think that in this day and age it is easier for millennials to identify falsified information, however, that is untrue as well. Though propaganda, previously, was much less sophisticated, today, propaganda has morphed into a much larger and dangerous beast. The advent of technology and social media has allowed propaganda to take on various and more pervasive forms. Instead of a handful of media sources, as there once was, now there are countless reliable and unreliable sources churning out information.
Many are aware of media propaganda, however, oral propaganda is a lessen known threat. Oral propaganda refers to the passing down of stories from a previous time. The idea of ‘blacks being lazy’, originated back in the time slavery. If one thinks that they are exempt from believing any forms of propaganda, they may want to think again. The pervasiveness of propaganda can affect our psyches, even without our knowledge. These little comments that hang in the air, here and there, amass over time to form systems of beliefs in our subconscious minds. Those who make untrue statements, such a ‘blacks are lazy’, may want to consider why and where the notion that black people are lazier than white people originated from. These beliefs are passed on, typically by family members, from a time where propaganda was not as easily spotted. This is just one way propaganda can sneak into ones belief system, without them even suspecting anything has been corrupted in their minds.
These belief systems result in a modern day caste system; those ostracized become the “untouchables.” These “untouchables” are deemed unworthy of help from their fellow citizens, on the notion they can work, but do not want to. Furthermore, people needing welfare have been stereotypically categorized as primarily people of black decent; however, that is actually the reverse of reality. The primary recipients of welfare are those of white decent! This propaganda once again has seeped into the minds of the current population because of Ronald Reagan’s speech, “The Welfare Queen.” Once again, society thinks it is immune to propaganda, for this speech happened over thirty ago. The speech affected many Americans’ parents and grandparents, who then have passed down these beliefs or ideas and they trickle throughout our society still today.
After reading this article, I found myself agreeing with the statements proved false. If someone were to ask me what is the biggest demographic on welfare, I would say African Americans. I was surprised to find out the biggest group was children followed by the elderly, two people I would not even think of. Another statistic that I was surprised to read was that the majority of people on welfare are white. While looking at the juxtaposition white people on welfare, compared to blacks, 40%, and 26%, respectively, I would be curious to see a percentage of blacks and whites on welfare proportional to the overall population of their respective demographics. I do find it interesting that a lot of people on welfare do have a negative outlook on the program. A major factor I can contribute this to is a select few who abuse welfare, creating a stereotype for all people on welfare. Few people realize that most people on welfare are also working while trying to support a family, not just sitting on the couch collecting checks.
The media and politicians alike have declared that poor people including, welfare recipients, drug addicts, and teenage mothers a class of people that are a drain on society. These negative stereotypes are then portrayed in the media making these people untouchable. People like Ronald Regan, a former president of the United States, made statements that made more American’s resent the people on welfare and those that just could not pick themselves up and make a good income and life for themselves. With the statements of Ronald Regan came various stereotypes that still exist today including that those that live in Urban environments are more likely to be poor. When in reality this is not true. The majority of poor people are white and living in rural areas. So how do we change this? People need to not solely rely on the media for the source of information because the media draws attention to the negatives, targeting black poor people on urban environments.
Another issue the article presented was the stigma of welfare that exists in this country. So many people have the idea that the people on welfare are lazy and just receiving free benefits so why should I pay for it? Welfare recipients are not all lazy. They have been dealt a hand of cards that are not ideal and need help to get themselves off their feet. Welfare should be seen as assistance rather than free money and services to lazy people.
In the first presidential election between Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton, the topic of Donald Trumps unreleased taxes came up as topic. Hilary Clinton made the comment that he does not pay taxes so he does not want to release them; Donald Trump responded along the lines that he uses the system and that just makes him smart. This debate resided with me as I read the article. Many complain about poor people using the system to ensure that food makes it to the table but the fact that Donald Trump uses the system to not pay taxes for 15 years is cheered for. I assume that the reason why people are upset that the poor are using the system is because they are unemployed so they are not giving back to the community. Along the same lines it is okay for corporations to use the system because they are employed and giving back to the community. This reasoning is flawed though; due to the fact neither are paying taxes but corporations are using more taxpayers dollars. Overall it goes back to the stigma that people place on social classes. Society shames those who they deem not worthy to use government money and they deem the poor not worthy so they shame them.
The poor have always been on the back burner of society. The very reference of the poor as being underclass makes it seem as though they lack class in itself-as though these persons are not human like the the rest of society. The government has effectively pitted the middle class and this lower class. To keep the middle class feeling better about themselves and angry at the wrong persons. Reagan’s “Welfare Queen” is an extreme, watered down example of the welfare system in the United States-giving many the impression that any persons on welfare are lazy and simply want to exploit the government and taxpayers. By playing on underlying biases and beliefs that people have such as race, it is easy for the media to present a view of welfare that is false and skewed. These stereotypes are harmful in ways that those who perpetuate them may not even know. The social psych idea of confirmation bias is very much present here as these same stereotypes are them “confirmed” whether they new information is true or false. I do not personally play into the lies the media tells in terms of who is receiving welfare-but I believe it is such a terrifying tactic to think about. I am certainly not surprised to learn that more white people are receiving food stamps/social welfare than blacks since firstly-the majority of this nation is white (63% to be exact). The fact that people even bought into this still baffles me. By putting a face to the case that is unappealing there is an exaggeration that strengthens itself. There have been unwritten expectations of welfare recipients that are inconsistent with what they actually do that cause unnecessary contempt towards people that is unmerited. Sure there are people who exploit the system -but there are many wealthy or well off persons that also exploit the system in ways that aren’t even fathomable (but the stigma is not attached the same way). This war on the poor needs to stop as it only creates division and anger among people who may be better off uniting with one another.
I was very surprised to learn that the statistics state that more White people are receiving food stamps and other social welfare benefits than African Americans because most media infer that it is the “poor” African Americans who are milking the welfare system. This shows that stereotyping and reality are not necessarily the same. We should refrain from judging people based on their race and gender. Also we need to remember that the media is often used to spread propaganda.
The rich benefit from poverty because they can exploit the poor by employing them and paying them low wages, therefore the rich will always get richer at the expense of the poor. Poverty tend to make people desperate, this desperation lead to the poor not negotiating a proper salary because they lack social capital and negotiating skills and settle for a “hand to mouth” existence, which result in the poor not having any surplus.
I believe the media portrays people on welfare as usually lazy, unkept and people of color. However with this being said, many people who are on welfare are on welfare not by choice or because their lazy and rather use someone else’s money but this can be due to the low wages they receive at work even if they work countless amounts of hours weekly. With just a simple search on google, of “people on welfare” it becomes shocking how one of the first sets of pictures are of people with their pants sagging down, unkept facial hair or even miss matched shoes. However, it becomes astounding to find out while reading this module that many people who are on welfare are white people even though I always had the misconception that it was African Americans or Hispanics just by how the media portrays it. With this being said, media imagery doesn’t even have to be a picture, there are also plenty of memes that resurface the same issue that many people have with people on welfare using someone else’s money with phrases such as “Welfare was not intended to be a career opportunity” or ” I work hard so people on welfare don’t”.
I believe that the media’s portrayal of welfare is one that degenerates and often implies that people on welfare are lazy and not hard working people. Because of this perception I was fooled to believe that people who receive public assistance are lazy so therefore, they are poor. Although that is that far from the truth since not all people who receive public assistance are poor by choice. It might be that their low wages cannot pay for their bills. The image of people in poverty as people who work multiple jobs to simply attain a one room apartment, their lack of knowledge of American culture or their frustration of not getting help because they do not proper documentation are often overlooked. Instead images of the welfare queen are portrayed to people such that shows people in poverty, as lazy people getting money from hardworking people. While reading this module, I was surprised that the statistics of who receives SNAP benefits are in a greater amount white people. I was led to believe that the people who take advantages from public assistance are Hispanic and African American people. Therefore, it surprised me and made me think of what other things that the media misconstrue and hid from the public.
Between the benefits for both the people in poverty and the higher class people I believe that we cannot solely pin point who uses more money from the government but we can create a guess of who spends the most. Although, we can have a general idea of who might spend the most. Usually people who are in poverty lack many of the basic necessities such as food but a well of person, will want food of better quality. People who are not in poverty have the choice of what they want and how they want it similar the naming of their benefits to the public. Because they have money and power they are able to create a positive image to what benefits they receive while painting those welfare benefits are wrong. Furthermore, I believe that the reason people get upset when talking about increasing the public assistance benefits derives from their lack of exposure of true poverty. Because they were taught that “hard work” got them to be the person they are, it is incredible hard for them to face the reality of the world. Facing the truth and opening their eyes to what they might have done to harm innocent people might be too much for them to bear. Giving more aid to people in poverty not only lets them become aware of people who need help but rather faces them with the reality of how the system they have blindly believed in as wrong.
Question: Why do you think people get upset about poor people receiving aid and benefits that are, by way of contrast, much smaller in terms of the total expense, as compared to expenses for other government spending programs, i.e. military spending and tax incentives for corporations? (see the list below).
There are a number of factors that would get people upset about poor people receiving aid and benefits. One is that people are not aware. They work hard for their hard earned money and they pay taxes. Taxes takes a huge chunk of that paycheck and it goes to whatever the government seems necessary such as: aid for people and military and that’s what they believe it goes to. Some are becoming aware of their tax money are going to military but they are not aware of the: 70 billion per year for home owners, 248 billion that goes to the Wall Street bail out etc.
Another thing is that people want to construct social boundaries and convince of themselves of their class. By saying “I don’t want my hard earned money to go to poor people” they are already distinguishing themselves from “poor people”.
Why they get mad over such a small amount put into people earning benefits vs. military expenses that requires a lot more money is that there is always constant talk about war. Maybe they want to feel safe after 911 and terrorist attacks from ISIS. People are scared so they do not mind paying taxes to keep themselves safe. But there is a movement on social media (Facebook) that wants to inform people to be aware of what the government is spending their hard earned money on.
Yes, I believe this type of welfare’s meme can highly influence the way people perceive who is poor in the United States. First of all, it can create stereotypes on how poor people should look to the outside world. But in reality to be poor doesn’t mean you have to show yourself more deprived of materials things than what you are. Moreover, it creates the idea that, if someone poor has a material possession, that in some people’s mind, that person cannot afford at any point of his life, it’s because he is not really in need. But as prof. Sandra Trappen says, ‘‘In other words, prior to their job loss, they might have possessed sufficient resources to buy things for themselves, i.e. phone, car, nice clothing’’. So we should stop judging based on how people look to us. Life is not steady; things can change for good or bad.
Second, those media imageries influence the way people feel about citizens receiving public assistance or welfare. Those media’s memes make many citizens think that the money used to support families in need or unemployed people, it’s only coming out their pockets from the taxes deducted of their paycheck. But whom should we blame? It is not only social media who projects what it wants us to believe, but society as a whole, like politicians, TV programs and others. They all create welfare stereotypes. Therefore, it is time to get educated on this matter and stop thinking that all welfare money is going to lazy citizens, drug addicts and alcoholics.
I took the time two do a small survey on media imagery. I used a what’s up chat of 5 co-workers and friends. I sent them a meme that says, ‘‘For all the taxes they take out of my paycheck, the least they can do is send me a picture of the ghetto family I’m supporting to hang out on my fridge’’. Their reactions just proved the problematic created by the bad influence of those media’s images and society as a whole. Only 1 out of 5, and who is majoring in sociology thought that the person who wrote and created the image doesn’t understand how taxes works and doesn’t have any ideas about statistics of public assistance. Then, 4 out of 5, agree with the image by laughing and saying yes, that’s true.
I really dislike the fact that human beings are getting judged for taking any kind of public assisting from the government and honestly I believe that’s a topic we can all agree that the media should be held responsible for. The media sets this tone for anybody on welfare without knowing or understanding the individual’s particular situation. There is really racial remarks and discrimination on any political or economic subjects. After reading and reviewing the statistics and poll “Food-stamps roll by race” about who is actually using and abusing welfare, it was not a surprise to acknowledge that many individuals are convinced and very delusional on the statement that it is the “lazy blacks” who are claimed to accountable for all the scams and despairs from the support of the government. As the USDA confirms in their report for fiscal year 2013, and still African Americans are being labeled with this negative title, followed by being viewed as the untouchables. Likewise, 40% of the white populations, and only 26% are proven to abuse the programs more likely than blacks. Blacks are till this day perceived as negative influences.
The general public, are constantly dragging the topic about the percentage of the poor population receiving assistance or benefits (i.e food stamps, or welfare) because many of the working middle class are tired of majority of their pay checks going to the non-working and unemployed, basically rewarding the poor for being poor, when the middle class and the more wealthy actually work for what they get. I believe that if they have to work and pay taxes for others, while they do everything they are supposed to do, then in all parity they believe that they should be entitled to receive something back.
What do you think about media imagery that you have been exposed to that traffics in “welfare” narratives? Do you think they impact your understanding as well as feelings about “who is poor” in the United States?
The types of memes shown on this blog show up regularly on Facebook. The fact that so many people “like” them lend credence to the reality that too many of us are buying into what we are being told through social media and other media formats. The people look to be white in the memes, sending the subliminal message that their comments are aimed at minorities or immigrants. We want the poor to look “deserving” to appease us, i.e., don’t have a cell phone and dress neatly because that implies you are fine and don’t need help. In the past, I did not feel animosity toward those receiving welfare, but I did assume that the system was likely being manipulated and abused by many – not because I knew anyone personally who was doing it, but because I heard people complaining about their tax dollars helping “freeloaders.” I thought I was open minded, but I realize now I have held my own bias. What seemed like common knowledge was actually a constructed narrative to focus our attention on those who do not have the power to defend themselves. Not enough of us get angry about the billions in subsidies, etc. afforded the already wealthy and powerful. As for who are the poor in the U. S., the empirical research and statistics tell a different story; the misconceptions about the people who are actually poor and receiving public assistance surprised me. That is what I love about Sociology – it has taught me to think critically about the information that is being fed to the public, and to evaluate and question the source of that information. I now have a sense of obligation and responsibility to be aware of policies that affect us, especially the policies that have an adverse impact on those who most need help. With this awareness, unfortunately, comes disappointment and anger at the unfairness of it all. I was really dismayed to read Reagan’s comments on this blog. When Reagan was president in the 80s, I was not paying attention to him or his policies because I was young and blissfully ignorant. Reading his words now, I am disgusted with the way he used “welfare queen” rhetoric to arouse animosity, turning citizens against citizens. He negatively shamed the poor in our country while he helped the rich (funny how “welfare” is the term for the poor receiving help, but respectable euphemistic terms are used for the benefits we give to the wealthy).
People, as in the general public, get upset about the poorer population receiving aid or benefits (i.e food stamps, or welfare) because many of the working middle class do exactly that. They work, so they believe that if they have to work and pay taxes and do everything they are supposed to then in all fairness they believe that she should receive something back. They middle/working class has to not only work for themselves but for the people that need assistance as well and that bother many people because everyone should contribute to society in the end. For many it seems unfair that there are people in this world that do not do anything or do not even try to get out and work and make a living but rather sit at home and collect free money. Furthermore, the money given out as aid might be a very small portion compare to other expenses but the general public would rather see their money being used for something that serves a purpose like the military to keep our country and ourselves safe rather than give it out to the poor.
I wasn’t all that surprised to read the statistics about who is actually using welfare, mostly because this is a topic that has been discussed in several of my classes. However, prior to college and courses such as these, which aim to get at the empirical truth, I probably would have been a lot more surprised. This is especially true as I come from a town which tends to be overwhelmingly conservative, with a large proportion of the population which is fairly wealthy. Teachers and officials in our area tend to paint biased images about social issues, which are perpetuated as they are internalized. It becomes difficult to understand the truth of the poverty situation when surrounded by an environment that thinks that way.
As far as the distinction between welfare and public assistance goes, it seems to really come down to connotation and the ability to use the terms in order to support societal values. “Welfare” is literally defined as support given in order to maintain the basic well-being of those in need. Is that not another way of wording “public assistance?” The groups supported by each respective program are either those that are undesirable, or exemplary. The negativity associated with “welfare” gives a platform to crusade against, working functionally to further instill the values of success in our culture. Meanwhile “public assistance” sounds inherently more forgiving, aimed at caring for those that have participated in valued actions- such as the military. Of course this distinction does ignore the fact that those looked down upon for using the aid of welfare may have once also been involved in business, or some other mainstreamed contribution towards society, as mentioned towards the end of this post, and have been dealt some bad chances, leading to this marginalization. The difference is largely socially constructed.
No, I was not surprised to learn that there are more white people receiving food stamps and other forms of welfare benefits than African Americans. It is brought to my attention in almost every class I have that the reason more white people receive welfare benefits compared to any other minority is for the simple fact that there are more white people in our population. People tend to believe that it is minority groups that do not work hard enough, that live in low income areas and have no desire to get out of them because they choose to do that. This is not the case. Even though many people believe that since the majority of minorities live in these types of areas and receive welfare that it is mostly them who are the beneficiaries of it, white people as a whole, throughout the entire country, regardless of your living standards and location are the ones receiving the most welfare benefits. This is a common error of an assumption made by most people in the United States; believing it is mostly African Americans receiving welfare and more importantly believing that they are only receiving it based off of the assumption that they are “lazy” and do not want to work. Not to mention that many people believe that being taxed for welfare benefits is also having their money be used for “lazy” people. These are all assumptions of people uneducated on how the economics of this country works, and if people just took a step back to not assume and to not put down our minority groups and where they come from in this country, we may not have to run into these sorts of issues.
I was somewhat surprised to learn that statistics document there are more white people receiving food stamps and other social welfare benefits than African-Americans, mostly because the media depicts welfare is directly associated with blacks. One default reason why there are more whites receiving these aids may be because the white population is still the majority in our nation. It is gradually decreasing and becoming a plurality. The media always takes one side of a story and leaves out the other part so it can fit with their agenda, usually against the poor. Usually the media illustrates a picture that the poor are lazy, dirty, and manipulative, when in actuality, they are socially constrained to living in a cycle of oppression by the system. The programs that benefit the poor (Food stamps/SNAP benefits) are referred to as “welfare,” but other programs that are similarly classified as public assistance (Social Security, Medicare, home mortgage interest deduction, GI Bill, and unemployment compensation) are not thought of as “welfare.” That is because the ones that are not referred to as “welfare” benefit the wealthy, upper middle class, middle class, and so on. Many people feel that because they have not earned or worked for that aid, that they are getting freebies, which hints on the stigma that the poor are lazy. Many people are quick to express their disagreement and anger about poor people receiving aid and benefits but do not know is much smaller in terms of the total expense, as compared to expenses for other government spending programs. Most people are not well informed about these issues, so they only judge and speak from what they see on the television. Everything on the television is told from the point of view of the wealthy and elite, so of course, the poor get scapegoated as the lazy, dirty, moochers of our society. Something to really think about is to get well informed about issues by reading several sources, not buying into entireties of medias’ agendas, and formulating your own perspective after reading from all point of views.
No I wasn’t surprised. For one there are more whites than Africans Americans which can explain part of why more whites get these benefits than African Americans. At the same time there’s people who are working and still getting these benefits at the same time. people always have this misconception because of what they see on TV or in the media but if more people looked at statistics these views would change and they would know the real statistics.
The media tends to racialize its imagery on welfare topics by using the faces of African Americans in stories about poverty. I am not saying that there aren’t instances where white people are referred to in poverty stories, but African Americans are overrepresented in the portrayal of poverty. The two images in the posting about “I phone and collecting welfare” appears to be white people, they are so suggestive as to who the target of the arguments are directed to. Why couldn’t even one of the two images feature an African American with those same arguments. These imagery definitely impacts a person’s understanding as well as feelings about who is poor in the United States. The newspaper, television and magazines are some of the platforms for highlighting this misconception.
The statics showing that more white people receive food stamps and other social welfare benefits did not really surprise me, as I learned this fact for some time now, but what was a little surprising to me is the gap in percentage between whites and blacks. The fact that 40% of recipients are white and 26% are black was more surprising to me, that’s a difference of 14%. The argument that black people are lazy and are the ones collecting more welfare is just a bias stigma. Another surprise that I got from reading this article is the fact that there is something call, “Corporate Welfare and Welfare for the Rich,” I did not know that the words “welfare” and “rich” go together. According to research the largest group of people living in poverty are white children, is enough to let us know that blacks and other minorities are just victims of bias and stereotype.
Questions:
What do you think about media imagery that you have been exposed to that traffics in “welfare” narratives? Do you think they impact your understanding as well as feelings about “who is poor” in the United States?
Were you surprised to learn that statistics document there are more white people receiving food stamps and other social welfare benefits than African Americans?
Response: I think that the imagery that traffics in “welfare” narratives that I have been exposed to are biased and they impact my understanding as well as feelings about “who is poor” in the United States. Within the media minorities are portrayed as being the majority of those in poverty. However, after learning that statistics document that there are more white people receiving food stamps and other social welfare benefits than African Americans I was surprised. I felt ashamed to not have been aware of the true outlook on poverty. Prior to reading this blog and taking other classes I always went with the notion that African Americans correlated with poverty. The media depicts people in poverty and on government assistance as African American. Also it is less likely to see successful African Americans portrayed in the media than Caucasians. Sometimes what one’s sees is all they know especially if they will most likely not experience or know someone in a different lifestyle or situation as them. According to the blog posting the elderly and Caucasians make up majority of the poverty population (Trappen, blog post on the war on the poor). Professor Trappen’s blog also discuses how despite African American women’s one third representation of women on welfare they only make up 10% of the population of welfare (Trappen, blog post on the war on the poor). It appears that even though African American women are stereotyped as the welfare queen, people are only focusing on African Americans and their relation to all women on welfare rather than what they are stereotyping them for which is their race.
I agree with the blog. Even when the media depicts poverty it is inaccurate. The blog mentions how not everyone who is poor or receives government assistance has always done so. Therefore, one might be unemployed or on welfare with luxury items. One of the few media depictions that show the common type of poverty are the movies “The Pursuit of Happiness” and Tyler Perry’s movie “Good Deeds”. In “The Pursuit of Happiness” Will Smith’s character was barely making an income and was forced to live in a shelter until he was able to get back on his feet and provide stability for his son. Once Will Smith’s character received a job on Wall Street he still was living in poverty until he had enough money to live elsewhere. Despite not having a structured home Will Smith’s character still went to work in the suits he previously owned and did not “look poor”. In Tyler Perry’s “Good Deeds” the mother in the movie barely made enough money as a maid to support her daughter. After losing her apartment and then her job due to absences and tardiness from picking up her child from school. Although most people would have a babysitter or enroll their children in before and after care everyone cannot afford it. Unfortunately the mother was left to sleep in a car with her child until she got back on her feet.
Learning that statistics show that a greater amount of white people receive food stamps then African American people do does not sock me after I thought about what happens in society. In society we are given many negative and untrue misconceptions about the people on welfare and their usage of the money given to them. I believe that these misconceptions really shape how a lot of people see welfare and those who receive it. Learning that more white people are on welfare is not surprising, however to many people this fact would be shocking because white people have not been stigmatized as the people receiving welfare and food stamps. Ideologies of a culture highly shape peoples assumptions on certain matters, especially the people who are given a life of many luxuries and privileges.
The idea of an ideology is also important when discussing people’s opinions on poor people receiving aid and benefits, when in fact the amount of money spent on aid for the poor is a lot less then other government spending’s. Being an individualistic culture we believe or have the ideology that we must work hard, and if you work hard you will succeed. We also believe that only you are responsible for the outcomes of your life, however we know that this is not true. In regards to other government spending’s a lot of people do not see this as negative because it does not involve an individual alone. For example when we hear military spending we do not think of a certain individual but the military as a whole.
I feel this a very powerful post with lots of information that proves an interesting point. Many people assumed black people made up the larger majority for welfare this is not the case. Daily individuals all over the country make judgments about people who live near or around them. Color unfortunately, impacts peoples perceptions. Not only is it quite sad that even today we have a vey unfair and racist society, it is scary that people in power seem to want to keep it that way.
Discrimination and bias within the minority communities causes a strain in all aspects of life. I think The United States is way behind the times and many Midwestern states, have a historic mentality that does not seem to be changing anytime soon. Hopefully, one day we will not have to judge or incriminate people because of sex, religion, social status and color.
The media pretty much always show the people a very controversial side as to the truth. It was researched that when relating social welfare to different race in different places, studies found out that in some of those places the whites out numbered the blacks. But is that shown anywhere on the social media, no its not.Blacks are supposedly the ones that always do wrong things and need social welfare. To some point agreed the blacks do need social welfare but so does some whites. Another category thats been given is the level of poverty, the help that poor people get is called welfare but middle class people its termed differntly. Its worst than being categorized racially. Apparently poor people shouldn’t dress, smell , look or even talk good. They should look poor but poor is a lifestyle that many of us fight to get out , it shouldn’t define who we are as human beings and working very hard to create a better live for ourselves and our families.
I agree with Diane R, the media does portray the poor in a negative way, in the movies for example the poor or less fortunate are considered to be hopeless citizens, needy and only want a free handout from the government. I can’t sit here and say that welfare is bad, because my parents were on assistance for some time when they were in need, and they were grateful that it was given to them, however, they were even more happy that they no longer needed it. I have no problem with those who use assistance as long as its needed truthfully and not taken advantage of. I have seen incidence where people sell the food stamps for cash, and use the benefit card to pay for food and liqour meanwhile they dress better then me, does it bother me..of course it does because I like many working women and men we work hard and for some there are people that take advantage of the assistance. I feel that the government should regulate or monitor these programs a bit more to control how the recipients and using the assistance.
The media does portray the poor in a negative way. In the news, you see poor people committing crimes. In movies, poor people are made fun of and put down by their limited resources. American society portrays being poor in the media as the worst thing a person could be because it’s due to their failures. They do not show the economic disparities and the truth of the hardships of being poor. The topic of “welfare queen” is sad. I know that if a person where given the proper resources, knowledge, and upbringing, no one would want to collect welfare. It’s not laziness that makes a person go on welfare; it’s their underprivileged life and many failures due to society that turns them into the “underclass” and all the traits and stereotypes that come along with it. Both the poor and the rich receive financial government assistance however it could never be considered welfare for the rich. The government “helps” the rich with no problem but take away from those who really need the help. It just goes to show us the hypocrisy of our government.
It is unbelievable that a President can abuse his power to talk negatively about people in welfare by taking one person and making the rest look like they are all the same. The media does portray blacks as being the less fortunate and on welfare. I have to add that Hispanics are also treated that way.The truth is ether incomplete or does not exist when the media is involve. I have taken food stamps and have seen how workers in the Welfare office has told some that applied to sell their gold chain and coat if they want to get help. They judge you by what you wear and how you talk and make a determination according to their conclusion. Welfare recipients will have a hard time getting on their feet because being an unskilled worker and having two jobs is not enough to sustain oneself and a family.
Media has had a negative influence on the welfare topic. The topic of welfare is being associated with race. Due to media people associate welfare with the urban blacks. Like always whites are being associated with something positive while blacks are being associated with something negative. Society is programmed thorough culturally based stereotypes to connect attributes of the poor to the black community.
People need to remember the rule “never judge a book by the cover”. I think that with this economy especially many people are hitting hard times. People that use to live in expensive homes are now in one bathroom apartments. People have lost jobs, homes, pay cuts. They may have been easily able to afford nice things in the past and still have them. Now if a person can still be able to buy expensive things while on welfare then that shows that their priorities aren’t straight.
The way the media views the poor that are on welfare is very interesting. The example gives shocked me. Despite race, everyone goes through tough times in their life. I do feel that there are many people who take advantage of welfare while there are people who actually need it. I work in a supermarket and i see many people who use food stamps. Many people actually look like like they need it but there are some people who dress really well and look as if they do not need it. But the truth is we really do not know what these people are going through. Programs for the poor are called “welfare.” I believe this is the case so that they can be reminded that they are poor. Programs for the middle class are also just like welfare. Like welfare, these programs are assisting us with the things we need help with. The study by Glliam shows how much of an impact media has on different viewpoint of welfare. Welfare is used to “label” the poor and identify them as people in need who are “too lazy” or can not support themselves. Welfare or benefits all provide support for people and should not be specifically for poor or middle class. These assistant programs can be used by anyone.
Sometimes I feel like what’s the point in watching the news. The media only display half the truth on what is going on in our society. I usually just see Blacks doing the most crime. I think it’s ridiculous that the inequality of our skin color would never change. Figuring out that Whites are higher in crime rates yet you would never see them on the news as much as you see the Black race. The media makes it seems as if Blacks are the poorest and have high rates in receiving welfare. However, I was shock to realize the truth is Rural Whites are known for the highest rates in receiving it likewise the White children and the elderly are the largest groups living in poverty. I believe the media is just there to deceive and entertain you with false and half news. I believe there’s always going to be a stereotype between each race because of course the rich do not want to be equal as the poor. There’s a “difference” in each class system on programs that benefits which does not make sense to me. I just feel its the same and Welfare is just portrayed as only for the poor which isn’t true.
African Americans are presented as the faces of poverty and crime in America. Usually when welfare is being discussed in the media the African American welfare queen is usually referred to as the reason why welfare should be cut. The reality is that African Americans are not the sole beneficiaries of welfare. The media is guilty of perpetuating the stereotype that black people are uneducated, lazy, and poor. Also i think it is unreasonable for us to expect people who poor to not have nice things. We do not know if that person received that iPhone as a gift, or if they have been saving up for those new shoes or that bag that they purchased and i honestly think that is none of our business. I don’t think it is ethical to deny poor people of some simple luxuries or condemn poor people to a life of misery. I feel that we have been socially programed to look down on anything that is related to poor people. Little do most of us know we are one or two paychecks away from public assistance and welfare.
http://youtu.be/ug8bC7jBtZg – White People Love Food Stamps too!!
The main stereotypes of people on welfare are Black/Latino ghetto baby mamas drinking 40s and getting their nails done. It’s sad that this is the view of people have on individuals receiving government assistance. Within New York City there are many Jewish families on government support too. The media loves to focus their attention on inner city projects or poor neighborhoods because that keeps the news “sizzling”. People receiving government assistance sometimes go through a long humiliating process to receive the help on top of that they do work! You have to work the minimum of 21 hours per week to receive help. Many are not “Ghetto Baby Mamas” but single parent (mostly women) who are educated, have a decent job but need the help. It’s expensive to raise a child/children alone. Government polices (minimum wage not meeting inflation) and the breakdown of family structure throughout the years (divorces/single parent) has left many individuals on government assistance.
It’s sad that because a small group of people have chosen to abuse welfare, majority assume that all people on welfare do the same. Today, I know many people that work and still struggle to provide enough for their families and rely on welfare. I believe there is nothing wrong with that as that was intention in which it was created, to help those who need it. However, I do not encourage the few who do take advantage of it by doing nothing to better themselves and living at the expense of others. I also find it sad that statistics show who makes use of welfare but society has found it necessary to associate welfare with black people, especially women.
After reading this article, I am quite shocked that there are more white Americans on Welfare than African Americans. However, thinking about it does make sense because the dominant race in America is White. Sadly, this information is not revealed, most people stereotypes African Americans dominating the Welfare program. Then again there is none to little social mobility for poor Blacks and there not much resources or opportunities provided to them. Instead there are secluded in poor neighborhoods called Ghettos and have no choice but to need Welfare.
After reading this I was so surprised to learn that white rural areas have more people on welfare than black urban communities and I personally think the media influences our society to believe otherwise because the news and even movies usually depict black people as the only ones on welfare. Also I do not view welfare as something bad because there are people who work very hard but still cannot make ends meet. Unfortunately, there are people who abuse and cheat the system by cashing in government assistance money to buy drugs and other useless things which then makes it much harder for those that really need it.
How much help is too much for the poor?
As a New city resident, and growing up 4 miles away from a public housing shelter; I can easy say that there is a war on poverty. I have seen that many people qualified, and received public assistance (such as welfare, food stamp, Medicaid, free housing shelter, and social worker advisor). I have known people who abuse the public assistance, and called for more assistance for the poor. Despite the evidence that the poor experience undesirable living conditions and health issues, the public stills split over government assistance to the poor and needy. The rich believes that government aid to the poor does more harm than good by making people too lazy, and dependent too much on government assistance. The billionaire believes that a lack of effort of the poor is more often to blame for why a person is poor. Actually the government assistance to the poor does more good than harm because these individuals on the “missing class” cannot get out of poverty until their basic needs are met.
I agree with you and believe that in order for the poor to get on their feet, the low wage needs to be at least 15 dollars an hour.
It is such a shame how people view welfare programs in society. It amazes me how ignorant people responded to the black woman on welfare versus the white woman on welfare. No matter what color you are, everyone faces hardships. It is annoying to see how the news headlines portray welfare, it is just plain negative feedback with racial attacks. Welfare has such a stigma of being for people who are lazy, unmotivated, and have no desire to work. The media fails to show you a deeper look as to why these people need and are on welfare. No one should be judge based on what you had before you needed assistance. Yes, there are people that abuse the system but there are many more that desperately need it in order to get by. Just because a person is on welfare now doesn’t mean that they were liable to sell all their stuff before they got on it. Things happen in life and sometimes the unexpected happens when you least expect it. The people who judge and reticule people on welfare can very well end up in that situation too. Unless you are part of the struggle, majority of people would not understand how that feels unless it happens to them. If people were more competent to how others situations are, people would have less of this stigmatized viewpoint. It is time to wake up and see reality for what it is and stop listening to the conditioning ways that media trys to put on us all.
It is pretty ridiculous that you are automatically judged if you take any kind of help from the government and honestly I blame the media for that. The media sets this negative tone for anybody on welfare without knowing or understanding the individuals particular situation. It is looked at as a bad thing when in reality its not. Furthermore, the media has never affected my views on those who are unfortunate and need the help. How can you fully access something from the outside looking in? You cant. Therefore, you shouldn’t judge anybody and their situation. Like with everything else in life of course there are those cases where people take full advantage and beat the system however, we cannot forget about those who really do need the help and support from our government.
the idea that welfare cause and keeps people in poverty has create all of this misconception and stereotype around welfare benefits. people who are on welfare are often describe as lazy, corrupt and self-centered. I was reading this article “those lazy jobless” that came out in the New York Times the other day and it was a respond to a statement made by the speaker of the house john Boehner who said that unemployed American aren’t trying enough to get a job. he describe them as lazy whom are sitting around colleting unemployment benefits. this urge to blame the victim has proven that they don’t take into consideration the financial crisis that plugged American into a recession. of course unemployed described as a large dark skinned crowd of takers, when in fact the large share receiving unemployment benefits are white. also the media and all those misconception implement that if you are poor and unemployed it is a personal fault.
I thought the experiment with the same woman as an African-American and as a Caucasian woman was very interesting. It was interesting to me how only 50% or less even remembered or paid attention to the fact she was white when it was the white woman. I feel that often that is how much of society thinks. If a white person is struggling or on welfare; etc, ‘we’ seem to turn the other cheek, as if it doesn’t exist. I also liked seeing those ecard images. I recognized them , as I have seen them posted on instagram before. I think it is true, we have no right to pass judgment on someone who may be in a tough position right now. We don’t know what their life was like before. Maybe they had a great paying job when they bought material items and then lost it all. Regardless, who are we to judge? It is in no way “easy” to be eligible to receive public assistance. To often, those deserving and in true need never even get approved. I especially hate to hear people of my age group make comments like these, because they have the same material items that they did not have to work hard to get because Mommy and Daddy bought them. I’m not judging either way, I just feel, “you shouldn’t throw stones if you live in a glass house'”.
Growing up in an urban community, in East Harlem, I was always exposed to public assistance and welfare. I never had to use it per say but I never looked down on those people who were in need of financial assistance to provide for themselves and their family. However, there are people who cheat the system. They are not in need of welfare but they have it where someone else needs it. And I think those cases influence the media’s perception of welfare. People just trying to get over and are lazy. Unfortunetly, the cases of those people that are reported are mostly African American and Latino populations, which tends to then label the whole group as “poor.” So the media feeds off of the negative press to propose the ideas that minority populations are “poor” and in need of public assistance, though the chart of the United States above shows that the highest percent of public assistance is in rural, high white population of people.
The media image that i am exposed to in my opinion hasn’t impacted me on my feelings about the poor. What has impacted me the most is growing up in an urban area where every body was on “welfare”, it was normal. The media i think just shows the public the bad side. But growing up in this situation I have learned that not everyone is the same. Yes, there are more people taking advantage of public
assistance than ones who are not but that’s the medias fault the public only sees those kinds of people. I feel like the ones who are working and on welfare just don’t have the time to flaunt new things and buy expensive things because they are to busy trying to get out of public assistance. Ragan’s so called ” Welfare queen” doesn’t exist. That what just a way for the government and the 1% to try to abolish public assistance. And I’m glad it didn’t work. There are people that are deserving of that extra push to help them through live’s struggles. Help for the middle class is not called welfare because the government had let society think that word refers to being poor. But the worst part is that society thinks that being poor is some kind of uncurable desease that we are all going to die from.
Dear Student:
Han Gans makes a good point in the reading in regards to how the poor are stigmatized and how the media plays a big role. What I think about the media imagery is that it is an informal mechanism to maintain social control. The stigmatization down to the policies created takes one away from the real issues that affect society as a whole. Our paradigm of who is poor spreads like wild fire, as seen from Gilliam’s experiment. People are unaware of the different types of welfare because the media are quite creative on how they want the underclass to be perceived. If you are not contributing to society in order to maintain the social structure then you would not be rewarded.
P. Rambaran
The study done by Gilliam definitely shows how much of an impact the media has on different people’s viewpoints of welfare. So many people are quick to stereotype when poor is poor. Anyone who does not have money may need assistance and I don’t think they should be judged because of how they look or the possessions they have. “Welfare” given to the poor and “benefits” that the middle class and the wealthy receive are two of the same things aimed at different needs. I don’t understand how you can see one as good and ridicule to other based on the type of people it assists. There are plenty of people who are not African American on welfare and many men who are also poor.
This article puts your thoughts into different perspectives of the term homelessness in a socio economic factor. The media imagery displayed showed how society views a person who is poor. When it comes to welfare programs such as food stamps, most people who are not receiving aid would suggest that those who are, are lazy and poor. But when I think about the word poor, I think of someone who does not have a home, starving, eating scrapes of food from different peoples plates and appearance wise.
The images stuck out to me. People suggest that most african americans receive public assistance benefits, but in reality more Caucasians receive them. It frustrating how social media portrays the poor. People do not know why you may need the aid and would automatically assume negative ideas. People who are on, have their own personal reason as well. Not all recipients receiving aid abuse the benefits being given. I just find it funny that no matter what socio economic class you are in, their is judgment along the way. The poor get attacked and people do not understand their situation and quick to assume.
This reading touches on a sensitive topic for most people receiving some type of government aid. Not only does the information within the reading opens the public’s eyes to the brain washing by the government, but it also reveals the demonization of African Americans, women and the poor. The perception that most people living on government aid are assumed to be blacks and women are completely false. The misrepresentation about the amount of African Americans on government aid or assistance is to condemn blacks. The fallacies about the “welfare queen” are to sway the minds of the public about blacks and play on the publics biases. Individuals on welfare are being portrayed in a negative manner.
Media imagery has not impacted my feelings about who is poor. It is shocking to see how media imagery plays a big role in perpetuating the stereotypes of people on government aid.
It is very sad and unfortunate when the conversation or idea of being on welfare/food stamps comes up. People automatic assume and think of an African American. Data shows more Caucasians being on welfare or some form of public assistance. But yet people still think of black people. Its also strange how many people are more disgusted or disappointed with an African American woman being welfare or collecting food stamps. Versus a white woman being on food stamps. This is terrible, and what makes things more worst. The “people” who think and feel this way begin to promote this idea to other people and their children. Also. just because who have certain clothing or certain devices does not mean you should/shouldn’t be on some form of government aid. looks can be very deceiving and one should not judge
I think that poor people do get attack often by the media because they are perceive as lazy even though that might not be the case. other things can factor into people needing government assistant like death of a spouse, job market, the inability to work due to an injury. the media don’t really give you that side of the picture they want to limit these assistant so middle class people are against giving aid to the poor. programs that benefit the poor are called welfare since they are just given money but programs that help middle class are not called welfare because they usually have jobs and these programs are usually loan people money instead of just giving it to them. the word and image of welfare has most to do with it cause when i hear welfare the image in my head is a person who doesn’t work and is just sitting home collecting checks without any hard work.
I found this article really interesting because welfare programs such as food stamps were created as an addition aid to those who come from a lower socio economic background and cannot afford the basic survival needs. The images portrayed in this article are misleading because they are only of African Americans or of women. I think that the media is trying to convince people to have these specific images when they hear the word “poor” however I do not agree with them because there are many non-African American that are poor and there are also many men that are poor. Thus, I think that it is not relevant to specifically look at a certain race or specific gender when we think about the question “who is poor.” The reason that programs that benefit the poor are called “welfare” and those that benefit the middle class are not thought of as welfare because the word “welfare” refers to additional aid for those who cannot afford many things due to low financial status. Not everyone who receives “welfare” is proud to receive it because they would rather have a well-paying job that helps them pay for the basic survival needs rather than use welfare to pay for it. Whereas for the middle class, they are not rich enough to afford all the luxuries, but they have enough financial savings to support themselves and their families. They do not need “welfare” to survive, but they do need home mortgage interest deduction and unemployment compensation.
the media imagery that I am exposed to shows me that people want to show off as if the lives are good. they want to be able to collect welfare but not give up things that don’t need such as a phone etc. my feeling on ” who is poor ” would be someone who doesn’t have anything at all, no place to live , no food , clothing. In this time period people have money, clothes phone, cars ,everything that are luxury and expect to still collect money ( welfare ) from the government. in my opinion when we refer to welfare benefits as ” free public assistance” to people who doesn’t supposedly work in order to help them. in the other hand programs that benefit the middle class are programs in which these companies expect to receive the assistance in return with interest.
When welfare was first established it was a way for people to get on their feet and receive basic necessities to do so. Why has that idea been lost? A way for people to help themselves instead of a way for people to mooch and take advantage of the government. Welfare isn’t charity. People have to work to even earn welfare or SNAP benefits. The stereotypes of people on welfare being lazy, cheating the system, or mooching off of the government was a scare tactic. Ronald Reagan’s “Welfare Queen” was a scare tactic and a very effective one. The reality is, Americans want to help the poor but nobody wants to spend their own money doing it. I think people believe the lower class need welfare but not the middle class. Welfare for the middle class is obviously called anything but welfare because welfare connotes low class and of course middle class really means hard working. The war on the poor is easy because the poor are easy targets. When images of the posted pictures are circulated throughout social media, and all your politicians are talking about cutting welfare benefits because of the spending, of course the poor are easy targets. We talk about poor people, social policies, welfare cuts all the time. No talks much about how JPMorgan makes money off the poor wether they receive enough money to eat or not.
This reading was very interesting it puts in to perspective how social media in particular plays a role in how society views and defines being poor. The reality is that African Americans aren’t the ones mostly on public assistance, in fact its Caucasian people mostly receiving public assistance benefits. The problem with this is that social media only focuses on the minority groups specifically Hispanics and African Americans. It seems like because of how the media portrays poor people we automatically assume African Americans and Hispanic are abusing the system. I think a reason as to why the percentage of white welfare recipients is higher in rural area is because of the lack of opportunities as well as the lack of education. I think the social media should pay more attention to communities in rural area where they are predominantly white, and talk about it. I sometimes wonder how white people would react if they knew a white person on public assistance, since minority groups are stereotyped because of the temporary help they receive. Anything that has to with making African American look bad and lazy, the media is on it. When it comes to white people they try to hide it and cover it. This is sad that there’s a double standard in how they are treated and portrayed in public. Society overall tends to have more empathy for white people who are poor and be resentful and judgmental towards African American. We as a society shouldn’t be judging any ones circumstance, because we don’t what they are going through. I personally believe that we all are on some kind of social welfare and for that reason we shouldn’t be so ignorant. On the other hand I think public assistance should be more controlled and have limitations, the purpose of public assistance is to help those get temporary help until they get on their feet, the problem with this is that people abuse the system not only that it allows them to be on public assistance for life, which in my opinion there should be a limit(Number of Years)allowed for a person to depend on welfare.
Before I read this article I never thought about the matter and the intention of media the media by posting and making jokes of social situations. It’s incredible that sometimes we tend to participate and find funny activities where some groups are being disrespected and bullying because of their social Status. During any time in our lives we all have participated in conversation about the amount of people taking advantage of the wealth-fare system, without making an effort to get out from It. I believe that some people don’t Choose to live in poverty level and depend on wealth-fare, we all have the desire to live in better economic status. However, sometimes can result more convenient for a person living from welfare than going out to work, when they know that the amount of money they will probably make wont be good enough to pay their kids day care, provide them food, pay rent and some of the other needs. I’m not making an excuse for all the people who live from wealth-fare, I also believe it may exist an small percent that just don’t feel like trying to improve their lives or they don’t have the instrument and the motivation to move on. I think that unemployment compensation, food stamp, mortgage interest reduction, are also methods of compensation and help. People have different needs situations. I believe that American society would be completely affected living in a real chaos without the existence of the wealth-fare programs, and others existing helps. The conflict of opinions will always exist because the society it’s just trying to find out the reason or the responsible for the actual economic situation.
I beilve that programs like unemployment benefits assume that you will be working again. It’s not looked at as welfare because your not living off of it. Many people are living off of welfare. I don’t think the media saying that poor people shouldn’t have the luxuries, like iPhones, is right. However, I am no stranger to having the thought “How do you have a new phone, when your broke?” I have thought this while listening to a friend who is considered poor, because he does not work & does not have much money. I think having food stamps & other welfare programs makes anyone poor. It’s help until you have established something better. I’m coming at these ideas from a perspective of someone who has social security being its, but I have it due to disability benifits, not because of being poor.
I blame the social media on how people are being seen when it comes to welfare. It is the media that is creating this image of people. When they changed the race of that woman and how people reacted to it, it reminded me of the place where I work. The common thought when it comes to welfare is, mostly African-American people receive benefits. However, the place where I currently work at proves that that thought it incorrect. The clients that we have, are mostly Latino or White, we only seen a few African-Americans. To be fair, there are people who are finding ways to “abuse” the welfare system and taking advantages. However, some of those same people who abuse the system, have to choice but to abuse the system because they either have a family to feed or are suffering from worst possible cases. Other people who judge people for receiving assistance, clearly do not understand what it is like to be in their shoes. If the government wants to stop allowing people abusing their system, the government could create new ways to get to know more about the individual who is applying for assistance. It is not only the poor who needs assistance, people who have stable jobs still need assistance. Take a step back and look at what a person is going through before casting judgment.
I think the images about “who is poor” that are exposed by the media is horrible.I think it is really sad that many people believe these things, that one must not uphold a decent image or carry themselves in a certain manner because they can’t afford to. The lack of education is why many believe welfare is just utilized by Blacks. Being poor goes way beyond the color of someone’s skin!
I don’t understand how Food Stamps are referred to as welfare and programs to help middle families are not. The definition of welfare is financial support given to people in need. So any recipient of a program is there because they are in need of some sort of assistance so all programs should be considered “welfare”.
These images have impacted my feelings of the poor being misinterpreted as those either women or blacks. Which is exactly what all the images presented. The first image was of a women and her children and the next image were also of women. What is also interesting is the notion of confirmation which is essentially how those that are seen as poor are looked down upon and also how when something is so deeply driven into a person’s perspective even if you tell them the truth they have a hard time grasping it. That is why people believe that those on welfare have to look a certain why or they aren’t allowed to possess anything then those around them have which is unjust.
Programs that benefit the middle class is not thought as welfare because example is given that the social media gives welfare a bad image and people see welfare as a negative attainment. That is why those in the middle class don’t want to look at the services they obtain as welfare. Also the notion of individualism plays out because welfare is also seen as a charity or as a waste of tax dollars for those who don’t understand the system they misinterpret very well. In the image where it talks on the cuts made by food stamps but one person will still continue to make money shows how flawed the system is and how the priorities in our country are not right instead of helping the poor achieve their basic needs they often blame and resent them without actually knowing their individual circumstance .
Personally the media doesn’t really affect my feelings toward “who is poor”. Although I do agree with some of the media post you find on social networks such as Facebook that criticize people on welfare that have nice phones and clothes. Now I’m not saying that you can’t own a nice phone or nice clothes and be on welfare because you could have had a good paying job where you were able to afford these luxuries and got laid off. My concern comes into play when you have people who have been on welfare for more than a year and claim they can’t provide for their family, but yet they always have the latest technology. For example I believe there are plenty of people out there that would rather stay on welfare just so they can afford the latest iPhone and not have to struggle to make “ends meat”. The downside to having people abuse the welfare system is that they give people who actually need welfare to provide for their families a bad name. They make taxpayers dislike the welfare system just because it’s easy to be manipulated and taken advantage of. No one really wants to pay taxes in general especially if its going to be used toward public assistance for people who don’t even “need” it. I feel the welfare system needs to be reexamined so that it only goes to people who really need it instead of people who prefer it. As for the question, why is it that programs that benefit poor people (Food stamps/SNAP benefits) are referred to as “welfare,” but programs that benefit the middle class (home mortgage interest deduction, unemployment compensation), wealthy (capital gains taxes), and corporations (subsidies) are not thought of as “welfare?” I believe that the reason welfare is associated with poor people is just due to history. Everyone is already accustomed to the term welfare being tied to food stamps which was created to assist “the poor”, it would sound silly to say that people who can afford to buy a home (even if its with the help of home mortgage interest deduction) should be placed in the same category. Society sees “the poor” as people who are incapable of owning nice clothes and electronics, so how is society suppose to associate “the poor” as home owners it just does coincide.
Before taking sociology classes my thoughts on people who use food stamps were no different than the next uneducated person, thinking that these people are lazy not wanting to work but collecting all the free food that they could get. Now that I am a little more educated when I see people who use food stamps I no longer shake my head in disapproval but now I understand and have sympathy for them even wondering what is their story. It’s sad that people think only African Americans live on or below the poverty line and uses food stamps as if other races don’t go through the same problems as African Americans. Gilliam results from his experiment shows that people would always see things as black or white. The pictures in the module bring me back to a time when I was out with my friends and someone was asking for money while wearing a pair of Jordan’s. My friends then went on saying he have on Jordan’s but asking for money but not knowing if the guy past life allowed him to buy luxuries such as Jordan’s. People already have an assumption in their mind that if you are poor you are supposed to look poor no matter what circumstances you were in before. I feel like this class has opened my mind and not have me so one track minded but to see both sides of the equation.
I agreed with everything you said.I used to think that people who are in warfare was lazy as well.After reading this article,I changed the way I thought about them.Also,I used to reacted the same way your friend did because when we really look at it how come someone is asking others for money in order to get something to eat but he or she have on a $120 sneaker on and $750 iPhone.This article thought me that it is not a good thing to judge the book by its cover because maybe the person had the $750 iPhone or $120 sneaker before he or she became poor.
Social media has no impact on how I feel about the poor. However, media imagery towards who is poor is based on stereotypes. Being poor does not mean you can’t have a phone, good clothing, or keep yourself clean. Anyone can be poor. When I see how poor people are portrayed on social media I get disgusted because it’s not accurate. Programs that benefit the poor are considered welfare because of stereotypes and how the people in the program view themselves. There are programs that benefit middle class; however there not seen as welfare because the one’s in the program don’t label themselves as poor.
It’s very upsetting to see social media reinforcing these stereotypes of welfare recipients. Not all welfare recipients abuse the welfare system. This is my first time hearing of the “welfare queen experiment.” The imagery and stereotypes that society associates with the poor is very unfair because not all people are alike and we don’t know the story or reasons they are in the situation they are in. Society shouldn’t have the mentality that people should be extremely poor to receive these benefits due to the fact that we live in a society where you can have a job and still not have the resources to feed your family and pay your rent. The imagery seen here is very provoking and can be used to discriminate against many people who need the resources.
This comment refers to the picture describing why he works so many hours so you can have a iphone refering to people on public assistance. many people are forgeting about people who absolutely have nothing else to rely on to provide for their families as oppose to the people who are abusing these services. like everuthing else the people who misuse these assistances have made the truley needy suffer and get ridiculed. not everyone is abusing these services. Also some people who are on thiese assistances have not been poor all their lives everyone has their harships at life hardships dont have a particular appointment they can happen at any time. why does material things have such a influence on peoples thoughts and have such a heavy symbolic meaning. a iphone is a cell phone like any other cell phone people have put it with a status meaning the phone isnt that great who cares. lastly when you really think about it alot of people have witnessed poverty jus as much as the true lower class because they struggle to pay their bills on a daily buisnness just like middle class and college grads. by the way im sure all these other people have iphones as well.
I agree with you Brittney that many people who are on public assistant probably was not on it for their entire life but just for a brief moment because they are going through tough times. Sometimes people may just need a little push to get them back to where they were or even beyond that and many times public assistance is that push. Also as you said having an iphone should not determine if you are poor many cell phone providers will give you an iphone if you sign a 2 year contract anyway so most times you are not paying out of pocket for the phone. Having a cell phone is probably the only way some people could keep in contact with love ones and what is so wrong with that
It is sad to see that people on welfare are being all judge on a negative way. There are some people on welfare that are talking advantages of the system. However there are others that really need the help in order to survive meanwhile they get their life together. I do believe that the government show try to find out more information before giving people welfare. They should be more involved and not only follow income levels, as well as implement program that help people to get jobs and get their lives on track. I understand the people that feel like other are taking advantage of their tax money, but I also I had seem case where people do really need it, as a necessity.