This chapter discusses lessons learned about women and welfare. It summarizes that women's lives are more complex than commonly believed and social policy does not adequately address the causes of poverty. The chapter also outlines some of the barriers poor women face, including sexism, low wages in female-dominated jobs, and lack of resources like childcare and transportation. It considers whether welfare reform has been a success and suggests potential reforms like providing more structural supports and a basic income program. Finally, it compares the U.S. approach to poverty to other countries that tend to have more universal, comprehensive social welfare systems and lower child poverty rates.

1. Chapter 9
Conclusion: Lessons Learned and
Visions of Change

2. Lessons Learned:
Women and Welfare

3. Popular Perception of Women of Welfare..
A Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=wKBhF3Kx_UQ
Additional Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=dHIuXnNKKGo&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbHZsx-
jIkY&feature=related

4. Women & Poverty
Poor women are criticized and stigmatized for
their status in society..
What are these criticisms (again?)

5. Lessons Learned
The Author’s Critique of the Welfare
System

6. Women & Poverty-Introduction
• Women’s lives are much more complex than is commonly thought (viewed more as a
personal problem or moral flaw). There are varied reasons for women going onto (and
remaining on) welfare .
• Social policy does not address causes, contributors or consequences of poverty (such as
economic conditions, divorce, medical health, etc.)
• Women in welfare are not able to survive on a “welfare check”, they rely on a valuable
network of formal and informal support.
• Welfare mothers share the same views on motherhood and work as their upper and middle-
class counterparts
• Attributing personal responsibility to welfare recipients, benefits upper/middle classes
– Decrease in members on “welfare rolls”
– Creates a separate “sub class” in society
– Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hh-3L1HEBYU&feature=related

7. Women & Welfare-Barriers
Some of these barriers include:
1. Sexism
• Women assume the role of taking care of the family’s children;
yet their work is highly devalued as easy & not economically
valuable
• It is assumed now that day-care is the best option for lower-
income women to raise children than the mothers themselves
• Although great strides have been made for women in
workforce(economic conditions notwithstanding), these strides
lead to an expectation that women who don’t work are
stigmatized
• Women are expected to be the “superwoman” able to juggle
household work and outside employment. In most houses, this
can cause stress (pg. 216/217), it is even more so in homes with
limited resources and support and in an environment of
discrimination
• Working women are often blamed for youth problems-juvenile
delinquency, teen pregnancy and more…

8. Women & Welfare, Barriers cont’d.
2.Wage Structure
• Women are overrepresented in “gendered” jobs that are
often lower-paying and have less prestige than their male
counterparts (Secretary, Waitress, etc.)
• Historically, women have not been seen as serious hard
workers and were often pushed out of workforce altogether
• Women
– Women in poverty receive even less income from work than
men, less (or no) benefits in jobs that offer
– Women in poverty also have less marketable job skills and
education

9. Women & Welfare, Barriers cont’d.
3. Lack of Resources: Poor women lack adequate
childcare, transportation, education
Women lose these supports when they “go off of
welfare”
• Healthcare (Medicaid)
• Income security (Check)
• Assistance with food (Food stamps)

10. Visions of Change: Reform
Welfare Reform-Success or Failure?

11. Welfare Reform-Success or
Failure?
Has welfare reform been a success?
What are some possible ways we can reform
current welfare policies in the United States?

12. Visions of Change
Welfare in Other Countries

13. Welfare Reform-Success or
Failure?Possible Suggestions for Future Reform
• Provide structural supports that provide security
– Higher wages/Living wage
– High-Quality daycare
– Transportation
– Education/Training
– Benefits that transfer from job to job
• Asset accumulation
– Basic Income Grant
– Individual Development Accounts (IDA’s)

14. Comparison Between US and
Foreign Countries Response to
Poverty
US poverty rate exceeds 17 other comparable
nations
Other countries provide the following for
poverty:
• Proactive, rather than reactive
• Not Means-tested
• Family/Child Allowances (around 10% of
average wages
• Universal

15. Nation in Focus: France
• Higher unemployment rate, child poverty rate
considerably lower
• Only 25% single mother receive “welfare benefits”
compared to 66% in US
• Childcare free from 2 1/2 – 6 years old
• Before/After school care for nominal fee
• Free universal healthcare that cannot be lost
• Family allowance, child allowance, housing allowance
• Investment in lower-tier work (receive more
assistance)

16. Now a short quiz to wrap up the text!