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.