*Ch 26: Dynamics of $2-a-Day Poverty
What is argued in the Economic Explanation of Poverty?
Globalization Deindustrialization Labor market discrimination Low wages or job insecurity (companies fire at will)
HUD/section 8
Increases affordable housing for low income households
TANF
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
closed stratification systems
boundaries between classes are ridgid and based on ascribed status- royalty, communist, caste sytem, slavery
open system of stratification
boundaries between priorities may be influenced by achieved status-occupation- doctor lawyer, factory,
poverty is ascribed status
due to being raised in this- child can not go get job to get theemselves out of if, very hard to pull your self out of this status.
t or f- no society is entirely open or closed
true- US is open system to a point- you are born into poverty very hard to move- rich born has more access to education to suceed.
According to Edin and Shaefer, is SNAP "trafficking" common among all beneficiaries in general? Is it common among the $2 A Day poor?
Yes, it is common for people in poverty to sell food stamps for ½ of the value or selling them even to some stores to get cash.
what were some of the themes in the stories of 18 families in $2 a day
a cascade of hardships, long recurring spells of $2 day poverty, job loss, low pay unpredictable schedules, lack of sufficient hours, material hardship housing instability, falling behind in her rent
Medicaid
a health insurance program designed primarily for families with low incomes
because there are stritification and social class what is affected
affects individual life chances
of the life chances (housing, education, food, etc) which of these are influenced by social class
all are affect individual life- children don't have access they with try to get access by any means even deviant behavior
A major theme in Edin and Shaefer's book $2.00 A Day is the importance of ___________ for managing a household. The problem isn't simply that the social safety net doesn't provide this resource; in reality, poor families, communities, and even entire regions can be starved of it.
cash
social class
high, middle, low.
extreme poverty rating
house hold that there is 2.00/day available. this all the resources or could be cash avaliabe
in the qualitative research, what is a common precursor to a spell of $2 a day poverty________ quantitative? ________
job loss, housing instability
social inequality examples
job opportunities, education opportunities, access to medical care, money,
SIPP
nationally representative longitudinal mulitistage stratified sample of the US non-institutionalized population collected in panels ranging from 2 to 5 years
can you have stratification without social structures?
no- has to be attached to certain group and something has to be unequal- fame, prestige,
middle class
occasional splurges, still have money but budgeted
what did researchers find that the majority of children who live in these households surviving on less then 2.00 a day
often have at least one working parent
systems of stratification
open- gaps between classes are based off of some sort of achieved status- if someone situation changes they can switch classes- win lotto, graduate with education degree and get good job.
life chances
opportunities that are available to a person- like housing, education, medical care, food, transportation
stratification-poverty
pattern of social inequality associated with membership in certain groups-
what type of research for 2.00 a day
qualitative- use words to describe- how wide spread is this quantitative- looking at the numbers and statistics-(doesnt have these because of not having data)missing the personal connection
what were the three alternative definitions of income
rise in extreme poverty in late 1990's continuing into the 2000's increase in proportion of non-elderly households with children experiencing extreme poverty between 1996 and 2011
define disconnected
single mothers with neither earnings nor welfare, as many as 1 quarter of ingle mothers were disconnected for a 4 month eriod of time in 2009.
stratification is similar to
social structure- uneven distribution, it is a particular social structure that exists- it ways in which ppl has certain resources others have access to
SNAP
supplemental nutrition assistance program
what is the central argument in $2 a day reading
that cash resources have a particular salience in the US to be without cash in the US is to be without a flexible resource that is vital to the chance of bettering oe's circumstance
there was a rise in extreme poverty concentrated among households likely effected by welfare reform
the decline in cash aid from AFDC AND TANF is a major factor in understanding that trend of income levels st the very bottom
social status-extreme status
very poor, achieved status- treated worse because they choose to be this way- go get a job. .ascribed status- brought up in this environment- kild cant work to change this. master status. treated--pity, discouraging,
how can you move from low class to high class
work hard, move up, start business, more education
High class
would have more money, access to cars, travel, education highest universities
how does a society maintain a closed system like the caste sytem in india?
you can only marry someone same caste, occupation in same caste, kids will be born in same caste
What percent of the U.S. population are immigrants?
13.5%
Of all immigrants in the U.S., what percent are considered illegal or undocumented immigrants?
23%
characteristics of children in $2 a day household-pg303
32% were non-Hispanic white,24% black, 34% Hispanic, 37% in married households, 50% single female parent households, from southeast change in income was the key predictor of change
Clinton
42nd president Created EITC Provides to poor people
ADFC
Aid to Families with Dependent Children It was critisized for pffering incentives for women to hve kids and not work. Was replaced by TANF
Chapter 1: Welfare is Dead
-issues with Welfare programs in the United States -Welfare refers to federal programs that help individuals and families in financial crisis eg. Modonna Harris who's journey into poverty pushed her to get help from a cash assistance program otherwise known as welfare. Her story illustrates two of the most extensive problems with recipients of welfare; she is largely qualified for welfare yet, she does not even know she can receive it; and, it is challenging to receive it physically -Numerous federal monetary assistant programs are explained throughout the chapter. The programs are explained in terms of what they offer; who they are offered to; those who implemented them; and the myths stereotypes and around them. -Myths and stereotypes about Welfare hurt impoverished people the most
At the end of their book, Edin and Schaefer gave us potential solutions to the problem of poverty in America. One solution category had to do with jobs, one was about housing, and one was for people who simply cannot work full time.
1. All deserve the opportunity to work: Govt-subsidized private sector job creation, reducing wage-theft, improve quality of jobs, raise wages (hourly pay) 2. Parents should be able to raise their children in a place of their own: A few million additional govt rental subsidy vouchers, limit the home mortgage interest deduction on values above a certain level 3. Not every parent will be able to work, or work all the time: Creating a program that can provide a temporary cash cushion (safety net)
EITC
Earned Income Tax Unit Refundable tax credit for low income workers. The anount of benefit depends on their imcome and number if kids.
Authors focus is on extreme poverty
Extreme poverty perspective offers the reader the difference between Urban an Rural Challenges (social argument) is that poverty is an invisible world, therefore, it is easy to discredit people who are in an invisible world
Chapter 4: Survival Strategies
How people make money when they only have $2 a day -> Art of making due with less. Survival takes resiliency and it is important to recognize that poverty can happen to anyone. EX. Paul Heckewielder's Pizza Shop: The market crashed and he lost his business which his family was a part of. His kids needed help w/ marriage termination and custody battle. All of his kids, including grandkids moved in. Thus, forced into communal housing. Family run businesses can have negative because not only does your business go under but your entire family does as well. Public spaces become second homes because they provide shelter and warmth Charities need to be more professional to help these people. Some charities that are more unprofessional can do more harm than good Impoverished Single Mothers many times must preform illegal acts and be idle to provide better for their kids: it is cheaper to be on welfare and not work than work and be on healthcare. They must sell food stamps for money to make rent. EX. Jessica Compton: donated her plasma for money
What percent of the federal budget is given away as aid to foreign countries each year?
Less than 1%
Reagan
Made large budget cuts Reduced benefits for kids and families Cut support of AFDC
In Social Work by Mimi Abramovitz, What are the various tiers of welfare?
Social (system for the poor), Fiscal, Occupational (or Corporate)
Which government program constitutes the largest amount of spending?
Social Security (retirement subsidy for those older than 65)
Which welfare program gives cash directly to the poor so that they can spend it on their needs (or wants)?
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
In the chapter "A World Apart," Edin and Shaefer describe the shadow economy that can arise in response to a lack of opportunities in the formal economy. What do the authors tell us about this shadow economy?
The authors explain that the shadow economy is the illegal way of receiving cash, such as not reporting the income to the IRS or operating a business without a license or permit. It's hard for a community to return to a formal system. Shadow economy threatens to take over the formal systems in place.
American autonomy of the individual influences American healthcare to be unique in America
Other countries healthcare is determined if you are a residency but in America it is determined if you work and where you work It is part of the American Model to that work is prioritized above all else The autonomy of the individual informs peoples views on health care
What makes a published piece of non-fiction "scholarly"?
Peer-reviewed Published by university press
What role did health play among the $2.00 a day poor for both adults and children? How were health issues a barrier to making ends meet? How was poverty also a contributor to health problems?
Poor health conditions such as Jennifer Hernandez work condition that made her sick. Throughout the book, there were houses that were not to code and jeopardize the health of the family. Tabitha family was malnourished and was not eating three meals a day. Not able to get medical attention if needed.
Chapter 3: Housing Development
-Affordable housing; there -Doubling up: shared housing with extended relatives -landlords also are using this as a source of income so sometimes they have to do what they have to in order to make their own ends meet. Some can bet sleazy but some can also be kind -Ex. Rae Mccormic was on her own since she was 11 ; got pregnant young and was a single mom; as a result she has to double up with family and they try to take advantage of her and her daughter
Chapter 2: Work Structure
-Jenifer Hernandez, medical issues, sexual abuse of daughter, and from Jennifer's uncle when moving between different housing situations -Susan Brown, Married and doubling up
Chapter 5: Rural Poverty
-Southern plantations have pesticides that give the people unique health problems The lack of jobs and police add to illegal activity for people need to make an income and use shadow/alternate ways to make money -Jobs: lack of Jobs means that people need money -Lack of Police: no monitor for illegal activities EX. Alva Hicks, sold social security #'s and prostituted herself to keep from homelessness Effects on Children: -Positive-small town community offers the opportunity to get help from one another. Ex. Tabitha Hicks, gets help from teacher. The negative side is that people can take advantage easier. Ex. While Tabitha got help from one teacher she was taken advantage of by another who wanted her to exchange sex for shelter and comfort. This shows how the impoverished, particularly women and children are exploited Transportation: -Lack of transportation and cars makes it difficult for them to get jobs or help from welfare or food banks. EX. Martha Johnson, a single mom who her and her friend used transportation to get to jobs (Mutual Aid)