Faces of Poverty: Portraits of Women and Children on Welfare PDF
Preview Faces of Poverty: Portraits of Women and Children on Welfare
Faces of Poverty This page intentionally left blank Faces of Poverty Portraits of Women and Children on Welfare Jill Duerr Berrick Oxford University Press New York Oxford Oxford University Press Oxford New York Athens Auckland Bangkok Bogata Bombay Buenos Aries Calcutta Cape Town Dar es Salaam Delhi Florence Hong Kong Istanbul Karachi Kuala Lumpur Madras Madrid Melbourne Mexico City Nairobi Paris Singapore Taipei Tokyo Toronto and associated companies in Berlin Ibadan Copyright © 1995 by Oxford University Press, Inc. First Published by Oxford University Press, Inc., 1995 First issued as an Oxford University paperback, 1997 Oxford is a registered trademark of Oxford University Press All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of Oxford University Press. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Berrick, Jill Duerr. Faces of poverty : portraits of women and children on welfare / Jill Duerr Berrick. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 0-19-509754-8 ISBN 0-19-511375-6 (Pbk.) 1. Poor women—United States—Case studies. 2. Poor children—United States—Case studies. 3. Welfare recipients—United States—Case studies. 4. Public welfare—Government policy—United States. I. Title. HV1445.B47 1995 362.5'0973—dc20 94-43371 10 9 8 7 6 5 43 Printed in the United States of America To Ana, Sandy, Rebecca, Darlene, and Cora, to the promise of a brighter future for all their children This page intentionally left blank Acknowledgments This book honors the women and children who offered me a window into their lives, who shared their hopes and fears with me, and who spoke honestly about the struggle to live with dignity in a world that scorns the poor. Many others assisted in bringing out their voices. I am particularly indebted to Catherine Maclay, who read every draft of the text and who helped me find words to describe each family's experience. Renee Robinson and Susan Katzenellenbogen transcribed countless hours of audiotape, and Colleen Stephens was a tireless research assistant. Neil Gilbert, my early mentor and the man who has always challenged me to think critically about social problems, was an unfailing enthusiast of this project. The idea for this book came in a dinner conversation with my close friend Helen Noh Ahn. It could not have materialized, however, with- out the financial assistance of the Smith Richardson Foundation and the facilities and support of the School of Social Welfare at the Uni- versity of California at Berkeley. Dean Harry Specht and Richard Barth were particularly helpful, allowing me time away from other respon- sibilities. Several valuable critics read all or part of the draft, com- mented, edited, often disagreed, but always encouraged me to con- tinue: my parents, brother, students, colleagues, Cheryl Keller (Smith Richardson Foundation), and dear husband, Ken. I also benefited from the insight of my editor at Oxford University Press, Gioia Stevens, and from the comments of the early reviewers of my manuscript. I extend thanks to my husband, family, and friends, all of whom have taught me to question the world as it is and to embrace the principle of generosity. vii This page intentionally left blank Contents Introduction: Living Poverty, 3 1 What Is Welfare? 5 The Development of Welfare, 5 Welfare as Intended Versus Welfare in Practice, 10 Myth and Reality, 12 What Is the Problem?, 18 2 Ana: Caught in Circumstances Beyond Her Control 23 Living on a Budget, 24 One Day Can Change a Life, 27 I Don't Belong on Welfare, 29 The Fragility of American Prosperity, 32 Managing Poverty, 34 Shelter from the Economy, 38 3 Sandy: Working but Poor 41 Teenage Pregnancy: The Fastest Way to Poverty, 42 Low Income and Sick Children: A Bad Combination, 43 AFDC as a Disincentive to Work, 45 Carrots and Sticks to Go Back to Work, 47 Moms Can't Work Without Child Care, 50 Working and Just Getting By, 53 Make Him Pay, 55 Securing a Future, 61 ix
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