Post on 27-Jan-2016
description
Families & Families & PovertyPoverty
Introduction to Family Introduction to Family StudiesStudies
Welfare Reform - 1996Welfare Reform - 1996What Caused Sweeping Reform? What Caused Sweeping Reform? Attitudes towards women’s rolesAttitudes towards women’s roles
More acceptable for women with children More acceptable for women with children to workto work
Since nonpoor mothers were working, Since nonpoor mothers were working, those on welfare should be toothose on welfare should be too
Characteristics of recipientsCharacteristics of recipients Not widowed, but rather, single mothersNot widowed, but rather, single mothers
Divorced or never marriedDivorced or never married Deserving vs. undeserving poorDeserving vs. undeserving poor
Hand-up vs. hand-outHand-up vs. hand-out Racial composition had changedRacial composition had changed
Families & PovertyFamilies & Poverty
YearYear PercentPercent
19691969 13.713.7
19791979 12.412.4
19891989 13.113.1
19981998 12.712.7
20012001 11.711.7
20072007 12.512.520082008 13.213.220102010 14.314.3
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census
Despite many initiatives and billions of dollars over the past 40 years:
Note how LITTLE CHANGE in the % of people living below poverty
Poverty in the U.S.Poverty in the U.S.
In 2004, 37 million people were In 2004, 37 million people were in poverty, up 1.1 million from in poverty, up 1.1 million from 2003 2003
Your likelihood of being poor and Your likelihood of being poor and of receiving welfare is associated of receiving welfare is associated with your race and ethnicitywith your race and ethnicityhttp://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/poverty04/pov04hi.html
04/21/235
TANF Population by Race/ethnicity2008
Families, Public Policy, Families, Public Policy, & Poverty& Poverty
How Do We Define Poverty?How Do We Define Poverty?
The official poverty level The official poverty level established by the United established by the United States Government.States Government.
How would you go about How would you go about calculating or estimating who calculating or estimating who is poor an who isn’t?is poor an who isn’t?
Where would you draw the Where would you draw the line?line?
How Do We Define Poverty?How Do We Define Poverty?Poverty thresholds were Poverty thresholds were
developed in 1963-1964 by developed in 1963-1964 by Mollie Orshansky, a home Mollie Orshansky, a home economist at the Social Security economist at the Social Security Administration.Administration.
Based on the estimated cost of Based on the estimated cost of an “economy food budget” an “economy food budget” multiplied by 3 (assuming that multiplied by 3 (assuming that food constitutes 1/3 of a food constitutes 1/3 of a family’s budget).family’s budget).
The economy food budget was The economy food budget was “designed for temporary or “designed for temporary or emergency use when funds are emergency use when funds are low.”low.”
How Do We Define Poverty?How Do We Define Poverty?
Poverty thresholds define the poverty level Poverty thresholds define the poverty level
Used for statistical purposes – to show poverty Used for statistical purposes – to show poverty over timeover time
Adjusted for:Adjusted for:family sizefamily sizenumber of children under 18 years of agenumber of children under 18 years of ageannually based on changes in the cost of livingannually based on changes in the cost of living
Problems with this definitionProblems with this definitionFamilies living below poverty have inadequate Families living below poverty have inadequate
incomesincomesFamilies just above line still teetering on the Families just above line still teetering on the
edgeedge
How Do We Define How Do We Define Poverty?Poverty?
Poverty guidelinesPoverty guidelines
Issued each year by the Dept. of Issued each year by the Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS). Health and Human Services (HHS).
Used for administrative purposes-- for Used for administrative purposes-- for instance determining who is eligible instance determining who is eligible for federal programs like: for federal programs like:
Temporary Assistance to Needy Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) or welfare.Families (TANF) or welfare.
Poverty Guidelines for Recent Poverty Guidelines for Recent YearsYears**
Year First Four Person Each Add’l
Person Family Person
1996 $7,740 $15,600 $2,620
1998 $8,050 $16,450 $2,800
2000 $8,350 $17,050 $2,900
2004 $9,310 $18,850 $3,180
2010 $10,830 $22,050 $3,740* for the 48 contiguous states and D.C.
Source: Department of Health and Human Services http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/10poverty.shtmlSource: Department of Health and Human Services http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/10poverty.shtml
The Deserving PoorThe Deserving PoorHistorian, Michael Katz, studies the history of
poverty in the U.S.
He argues that there have always been a group of people called the deserving poor – they deserve to get assistance from the government
They are poor through no fault of their own
Prior to the 1970s, this group included the:AgedChildrenFemale headed families (through widowhood)
The Deserving PoorThe Deserving Poor
Now the deserving poor are only:AgedChildrenDisabled/mentally challengedThe deserving poor no longer includes single
mothers because they came to be perceived as poor because they made bad choices – i.e. had a child outside of marriage
Shift from single motherhood due to widowhood vs. single motherhood due to nonmarital birth
How do Families “Make How do Families “Make Ends Meet?”Ends Meet?”
Think about trying to live on $22,050 dollars per year as a single Mom and three children:RentFoodChild careUtilities
Electricity/GasPhoneWaterCable
Clothing