Seccombe Chapter 5

I personally know some women that are welfare recipients and I can honestly state that living and surviving on this system is difficulty and it affects the women by the poverty line I believe there are placed in. Being able to afford some luxuries help ward off feelings of hopelessness, despair, and depression that are associated with poverty (Seccombe p.127) I disagree with this because this doesn't represents recipients of welfare and negative statements like this is focused on more than any positive of a welfare recipient. Now there are people that want the American Dream of being part of the main stream is by purchasing demanded clothing styles, jewelry. So I do agree with Seccombe when she states that welfare recipients want part of the mainstream so they buy cosmetics, stereos, jewelry and clothing (Seccombe p.127)



I think this is a critical issue because the unfortunate parent or parents has the same or even greater intention of the middle class or rich families for their children to provide them a good quality of living. This will not be a issue to discuss if the fields were even and the resources are not limited then parent or parents will be able to provide a peaceful environment and purchased materials to keep their child or children happy rather than safe in most cases. The intentions of the welfare recipients is protect their child or children its a mother nature or better yet a parent nature. At times the welfare recipients exceed their budget to buy a material or materials that will keep their child or children occupied so that they will not be a easy target to be a part of the hostile environment that is surrounded by violence, drugs and peer groups that influences others kids. The worries that these welfare recipients face are crime, drugs, and peer groups that could tempt their children (Seccombe p.128)

Seccombe Chapter 4:Dependency on Welafare

Chapter 4 can be summarized as women believing their issue is a rare case and different from the other recipients of welfare. The perception of welfare recipients is that they are criminals, dependants of the system and have no interest in better themselves. After reading this chapter, I have realized that this perception isn't just a media perception it is also the perception of women that receive welfare. Most of the women that were interviewed by Seccombe separated themselves from others recipients of welfare and didn't view themselves as depending on the system of welfare. For instance Rhonda didn't see herself as a dependent on the welfare system and hates welfare, but welfare supplies her and her son shelter, food, clothing and medicare. Rhonda feels her situation is rare because she has been on welfare off and on, but she fails to see that her hard time to find permanent employment that pays well enough to live above poverty line is a problem that she and other recipients of the welfare system has also. The lack of jobs paying a livable wage, the risk of losing health insurance, lack of good quality and affordable daycare, lack of father involvement and child support enforcement, inadequate transportation systems, broader problems in our social structure, such as racism and sexism and a welfare system that penalizes women for initiative and eliminates their welfare benefits prematurely were the structural reasons stated by the women on why they needed welfare. People are penalized for wanting to better themselves, for wanting to achieve a better quality of living. As programs that are considered welfare benefits are terminated it puts the child health in jeopardy and sometimes contribute to a welfare recipient's economic burden. With this being said I can agree that welfare system is structural set up to encourage dependency and not independence. The fact that this is a capitalist structured society that breeds money, power and greed is the reason why these women aren't encourage to socially and economically succeed. It is fact that in most cases when you are socially isolated that you will be inferior to the dominant group in our society who is socially stratified.








I don't agree with the position off the women that was interviewed because all of them separated their life situation as being vital for welfare but stated negatives views of other welfare recipients. I am confused because I would have thought that the ones that are experiencing hardship will be more understanding of society structure and not jump on board with the media perceptions of welfare recipients. I think the women on welfare are dependents of it even if they continue to better themselves. I believe welfare is needed because equality among all is still not equally distributed that includes the essential resources and opportunities needed for livable conditions.


I ask myself when will the world wake up as a whole to change the structure of our society, capitalism. Why is minimal wage set to a non-livable wage? Why do blacks and Latinos have far less valuable assets than whites? Why are people that work 30-40hrs a week at minimal wage denied access to welfare? I do agree with the structural perception of the welfare recipients. I am not a welfare recipient but don't see the point of slaving myself for a undeserved and poverty wage when i can get assistance that will assure me shelter food and medicare. It is impossible to live with shelter food and medicare off minimal wage or even 10 bucks a hour in Chicago. On top of the structure the causes the increase of poverty and welfare recipients there is also a imbalance between the job market wage per hour and cost of living.

Blog Review:Ricky

The second blog I randomly selected was Ricky's. His blog was very descriptive and straight to the point. I agree with him when he stated the mayor report is full of it and covers up the truth about hunger and homelessness. His blog also states the number of unmet needs for the people that are are seriously in need. His blog including mines and others states the hunger and homelessness problem exist and is growing, even with the acknowledgement from the mayor from each city. Ricky states that his city Miami is handling the homelessness issue pretty well because of the ten year plan, but my question is how about a everyday plan until the hunger and homelessness issue is resolved and no longer existence. His blog is preety cool and raise very good points. I think he could use some images, video clips and other things that can present his blog other than paragraphs.

Blog Reflection: Amber

The blog I selected was amber blog. Her blog posted questions that I and the rest of the community would like to know. The lack of service for the hunger and homlessness. I agree with her views about stating the our captalist structure have resulted in the poor is poorer and the rich gets richer. The images she used for her layout is powerful and goes well with her thoughts and questions. I agree with her when she stated that waiting on any government will be a waiting for awhile situation. Her blog was informitive and very enlighting. I like the layout on how she will post questions then respond with what she think would be a resolution to homelessness issues.

Kimberley States

First off I would like to thank Ms States for coming to the NEIU to tell our class her life story. I agree with Kim about the current system of our society and how it doesn't rehabilitate it imprisoned and mistreats. All the issues Kimberley mentioned to us that she had was not properly treated. What was kind of interesting was the last time she spoke she mentioned how she was refused by Grace House which is the placed that state that they take in everyone that want to work toward change. The philosophy of Grace House is to give everyone the change to turn their life around and never shut the door on hope. This bothered me because they didn't accept Kim and from the few times I have heard Kim testimonies it seem like she was sincere and serious about change in a positive pattern. I think Kim attitude and her relentless drive shape her to the person she is today, which is a advocating and representing the voices of the women that are incarcerated and formerly incarcerated.

I applaud Kim for her not giving up on herself after being a product of her environment and the prison systems. I think Kim change started when she admitted to herself that she need to change and that she was fed up with the prison life. I commend her drive and effort to advocate for women that faced the similar issues. The only problem I have with CLAIM is that is doesn't offer it service for the mother or guardian to be with her child if she committed a violent offense. I just think everyone situation is different and some mistakes will get weighed differently but my issue is what human is over another human, so who is we or me to judge on a type of offense someone commits decides whether or not that she will live with her child or children. I conclude to say and agree with Ms. Sates to create a society that equally distribute human rights to all and for the ones that make critical mistakes of putting someone else in danger then that individual should receive the proper treatment and have access to education and job skills to keep him/her current with the society technology.

Action Project: Support the St. Leonards Ministries Grace House

The group personnel is myself Clarence, Marnie, Franca and Miguel. Our group number is 1. As a group our proposal is to assist and support Grace House and SOS Children Village to take action for children and their rights around the world. Grace House and I decided to have a fundraiser at Grace House to raise money for the children in Haiti. I will deliver placed orders, help clean, cook and organized this fundraiser for the 19th of March. Grace House and I came up with the idea to cook food and then to sale the food, and with the money raise Grace House will then set up a internal transfer with the SOS children Village through the bank or Grace House will send the money to the Red Cross.

I look forward to this fundraiser because I feel and know that i am apart of helping someone in need. This is and will be one of the many times that I will volunteer to contribute to my community and the global community which I am apart of.

Boston Hunger and Homelessness Issues Continues....

The mayor report for 2009 has a new addition of information added. That information is the impact of the new or expanded government programs addressing the issues of homelessness and hunger. The causes of hunger is unemployment, high cost housing and low wages. The three things noted on the mayor report to combat the homelessness and hunger issues is to create affordable housing, increase food stamps payments and employment training programs. I agree with affordable housing but I think the only way a city or entire nation can solve hunger and homelessness is to offer and create jobs that pay well enough to live (not check by check), distribute human rights to all and utilize the model of working hard to earn your position.

According to the chart on the mayor report, it shows that Boston family homelessness has increased by 22 percent. I am assuming that the ten year plan is not resolving the issue and since implemented has not decrease the problem of homelessness among families. Now the individual homelessness in Boston has decrease by 9 percent. My proposed question isn't it ironic that the first plan leading the way combating and made family homelessness a priority and the new proposal of Leading The Way 3 made individuals a priority is a good thing but why cant ones experiencing this issue of homelessness get the assistance needed. If one or a type is left out it is a practice of discrimination no matter how you look at it.

There has been a 15 percent increase for the demand of food assistance. Out of this increase of demand for food assistance 60 percent are working class. The main food pantries in Massachusetts ran out of food at some point last year, 47% percent of them. That is half the food source, After imaging this it is sad. The report stated that the shelters in Boston are full and that the use of hotel and motels for shelters have doubled since last year. The only positive out of Boston when talking briefly about homelessness is the individual homelessness rate has decrease by 11 percent. The lack of available beds has cause shelters to turn homeless people away. Also 18.7 percent are below and experiencing the poverty line and 8.7 percent are unemployed in Boston,MA.

The chart that listed the unmet needs, shelters, transitional housing including Boston and others cities into their report. So the numbers were an average of about 16 cities. Individual homelessness for 2009 9,2625 (sheltered) 22,317 (unsheltered), families sheltered 654 and 18,556 unsheltered. Emergency shelter: 27,849-419 (new), transitional housing: 30,224-1747 (new) and Emergency supportive housing: 43,243-5,414 (new). The chart is basically stating that the needs are not being met and compared to the previous year the availability of services has decreased.

The three causes of Boston hunger issues result from high costs of housing, medical cost and unemployment as far as individuals or families with children. Homelessness with children has been caused by low paying jobs, domestic violence and lack of affordable housing. The individual homelessness issue is caused by mental illness and lack of service provided, lack of affordable housing and substance abuse and lack of service needed according to the mayor report of 2009.

The lack of affordable housing is the biggest reason and issue of homelessness, which is supposedly be a human right to all. The ones that suffer and experience these issues the most correlates with the ones that are socially isolated, likely to be in prison, marginalized and not apart of a just society.

Bibliography: US Confernce Mayor Report of 2009

"So You Think I Drive a Cadillac"-Karen Seccombre

Chapter 3-Stigma and Discrimination.
This chapter discusses briefly about the negative images the mass media produce about the welfare mother and the image fits the African American female. In this chapter a woman by the name Dawn fits the typical and falsely accusations of the welfare mother that depends and milks the system of government assistance. Dawn didn't have a father figure around and believes that it didn't harm her which I disagree with. What gender is best to come to for advice if the gender having concerns is a male and vice versa? I think when a female is curious and have questions about her body and other changes, the best person is the mother of a woman of experiences.

As the chapter goes on its talks about the racist comments made about participants of the welfare system, unfairly labels on the African American community-stating that there is more blacks than whites on the system. (Seccombe p.57) Many whites assume that majority of the participants on welfare is blacks, which is untrue. (Seccombe p. 57)

Our believe that the biggest reason for on going discrimination and inequality between races is because America as a nation is in Denial. It is sad that the nation I live in is in denial about America social structure and the racial inequalities that existed in the past and exist today. "We are all created equal"-This is B.S.!

The interviewing process that Seccombe had proved that women, black or white admitted that they didn't know of anyone personally that milks the system but hear about it alot. The interviews showed that some women on the system are influenced like others by the mass media of the false perception of mothers on welfare.

The problem I have about Dawn is her philosophy on how is quite OK for her to raise her children off government assistance because she grew up that way. I have a non-judgement mentality and believe that some situations can make a child stronger but in most cases can permanently scar the child for life.

"So You Think I Drive a Cadillac"-Karen Seccombre

Chapter 2 was a breakdown and history on what is believed to be legitimate reasons for poverty and social inequality. At the beginning of chapter 2 it states "Poverty was considered part of natural social order and was not necessarily taken as defect of the social structure" (Seccombe p. 29) I disagree with this statement, because I believe poverty exist from capitalism and that the past and current system of the U.S. is set for certain people (whites) to prosper. Some people state that my generation has the torch for a possible chance of a new and equal society, I say its a lie because the elite ones that control the wealth now have sons and daughters, godsons and daughter, grand daughters and sons or someone that is part of the family somehow that will obtain the power, wealth and control from inheritance. The model of work hard to obtain your goal or goals has always been false in my eyes, it has always been and still is about who you know.

Later in the chapter it goes briefly into the history of cash assistance which solely purpose was suppose to help and support the ones in much need. All these government assistance programs purpose was to eliminate financial hardship, but form certain tactics that resulted in discrimination and excluded minorities from receiving assistance compared to the Whites. The statements that was going around was people opting to collect assistance instead of employment, and that people are buying items viewed as not being indispensable for the essential things needed for life. The people that the media and the wealthy ones are talking of is blacks and other minorities. Is this right? I don't think this is right at all what happen to a right to privacy and what man is in the position to judge what is right or wrong. As i recall I don't remember any human or group over another human or group, so is it right to raid a person home to enforced a policy to what the wealthy believe to be a norm. It seems like the constitution is only upheld when it is in favor to penalized the criminal of America-the opposite of whites. I am not stating that no whites go to jail but i am saying that they are the ones that make the laws but break them or create them to prosper from them. Why doesn't these corporation gangs or these individuals in charge of these bank scandals get sentence? I think these crimes at more serious than what the media portray to be so dangerous on everyday news. Its the black crimes or minority crimes versus the white collar crimes.

Chapter 2 talk about four perspectives that is believed to cause poverty. The four are individualism, culture poverty, fatalism and social structuralism. I don't think poverty exist from culture, fatalism and individualism, so that leaves social structuralism that support my beliefs of why poverty exist. Capitalism only benefits the rich and wealthy, the set rate of minimal wage isn't even a rate to survive off of. I totally believe this perspective because if you look around you can see the socially isolated neighborhoods, poorly perform schools, lack of resources and restrictions of opportunities is located in the predominately blacks and Latinos neighborhoods.