Sociology of Poverty, Welfare, and Social Inequality

What significant changes happened as welfare changed from AFDC to TANF?

AFDC (Aid to Families with Dependent Children), federal entitlement —anyone who met eligibility got benefits

TANF (Temporary assistance for Needy Families, 1996 reform), converted to a block grant to states, introduced work requirements, time limits and gave states wide discretion to set rules

Went from federal assistance to state and federal backed. Fewer families receive cash assistance and there is more variability between states. No longer an automatic safety net

What is the difference between absolute poverty versus relative poverty? What are people living on $2 a day experiencing?

Absolute poverty: a fixed threshold of minimal resources required for survival (food water shelter). (<2.15/day)

Relative poverty: defined by comparison to the living standards of a society (<50% of median income). It captures social exclusion and inability to participate in normal life in that society

People living one $2 a day: means severe material deprivation, little or no access to healthcare, poor nutrition, precarious housing, frequent shocks. ACES. Unsafe working conditions and enlisting in perilous work.

What myths are there about welfare and welfare recipients?

"Most recipients are lazy or choose welfare over work": many recipients work or want to work but there are structural barrier (childcare, transportation, low pay, low mobility).

"welfare spending is huge and bankrupt governments": cash welfare is a small share of GDP

"Welfare fraud is rampant": fraud rates are low and administrative errors are more common.

How do employers and landlords take advantage of low wage workers and those living in poverty?

Employers: pay low wages and rely on irregular schedules (on-call shifts, split shifts, overtime), deny overtime pay, cut hours to avoid benefits, retaliate against union organization or requests for better conditions. Jennifer forced to do the work of 2 people for no compensation

Landlords: "soft evictions"—outrageously abusive methods of punishing tenants who are late on rent (removing doors, cutting off power, feces). Buy low cost homes and then don't repair them to save money.

What is epigenetics? What are the different types of traumas (positive, tolerable, toxic)? What are ACEs?

Epigenetics: study of chemical and structural modifications that change gene expression without altering the DNA sequence. Environment (nutrition, stress, toxins) can influences gene expression patterns; some changes may persist but are not deterministic.

Types of traumas (pos. tolerable, toxic): Positive, safe stable nurturing relationships and manageable stressors that promotes healthy development. Tolerable trauma, serious stressful events (loss, accidents) buffered by supportive relationships; the body's stress response actives but can recover. Toxic stress, intense/chronic adverse experiences without buffering adult support (long term abuse, neglect, chronic household dysfunction) leads to prolonged elevated stress hormones and greater risk of negative developmental/health outcomes.

ACEs: Adverse Childhood experiences. Standard set of childhood exposures (abuse, neglect, household dysfunction, substance abuse, mental illness, incarceration, domestic violence) higher ACE scores correlate with worse health, behavioral and social outcomes across life. From just one ACE.

What is the feminization of poverty?

The disproportionate representation of women among the poor. Women, especially women of color and elderly women, have poverty higher rates and greater economic vulnerability.

Causes: gender wage gape and occupational segregation, single motherhood, care responsibilities limiting full-time work and career advancement, lack of social supports (affordable childcare, paid family leave)

Why are the cost of fresh fruits and vegetables higher than ultra-processed food?

Productions and distribution: fruits and veggies are perishable and require faster transport, refrigeration, and careful handling.

Economies of scale and subsidies: staple commodity crops (corn, soy) receive more subsidy and feed processed foods, processed foods are designed to be shelf-stable and cheap which generate more money. Agribusinesses lobby against any changes.

Supply chain and retail: time, spoilage, and smaller profit margins on fresh produce make retailers price them higher relative to calorie-dense ultra processed foods.

What are some myths about people who are food insecure?

"they just buy junk food": constrained budgets, lack of access/transportation, time scarcity, and targeted marketing shape purchases.

"food assistance funds are misused": SNAP is regulated and primarily used for groceries. Many recipients still experience tradeoffs and produce less nutritious diets because of cost.

What happens to people's governmental assistance when they start working and why is this a problem?

Benefit cliffs: when earnings rise a little, beneficiaries can lose large shares of benefits (SNAP, housing subsidies, child care), leaving net income the same or lower than before working.

Disincentivizes full-time stable employment, traps people in low-income status, and makes transitions risky without gradual phase-outs or earned income supplements.

What issues arose with the use of food stamps in the book? Why did some resort to selling food stamps?

People with food stamps couldn't stretch them through the month and needed more assistance.

Households under cash stress sometimes trade SNAP benefits for cash at a discount because SNAP wont pay bills like rent, utilities, or medicine. Immediate cash to avoid eviction, pay medical bills, or buy goods/services SNAP does not offer. This is illegal but driven by survival needs and benefit inadequacy.

What problems come with overreliance on charities (instead of changing structure of government) to deal with poverty?

Charitable aid (food banks, soup kitchens) can provide immediate relief but it is patchwork and unreliable. It doesn't address root causes (low wages, housing policy, healthcare). Can normalize private relief in place of public responsibility. Often stigmatizes recipients and ignores long-term solutions (living wage, affordable housing, strong public benefits)

What is the shadow economy? What are some examples discussed in the book?

Definition: economic activities not fully reported to authorities, informal work, cash exchanges, barter, unregulated sales.

Informal day-labor, babysitting paid in cash, selling SNAP benefits, street vending, selling plasma

What is the culture of poverty and what are some critiques of it?

Suggests that long-term poverty produces a set of values/behaviors (present orientation, fatalism) that perpetuate poverty across generations

that suggests people in poverty develop a distinct set of values, behaviors, and beliefs that are passed down through generations and can hinder upward mobility. This concept argues that poverty is not just a lack of resources, but a self-perpetuating way of life rooted in feelings of fatalism and marginalization.

Blames the poor rather than structural causes (labor markets, policy). Overgeneralizes diverse poor communities. Minimizes agency and resilience. Empirically weak as sole explanation —poverty is multi-casual.

What are some examples of agency (free choice) and structure (limits, boundaries) that were discussed in the book?

Agency: taking informal jobs, selling plasma, pooling resources with others, going to receive benefits

Structure: low minimum wage, lack of affordable housing, rigid benefit rules, discrimination, limited transportation

People exercise agency within structural limits.

What policy recommendations did the book make to help those in extreme poverty?

Raise minimum wage. Expand and index refundable tax credits. Make SNAP benefits more generous and flexible; remove harsh cliffs. Universal childcare and paid family leave. Affordable housing supply and rent subsidies; eviction protections. Expand Medicaid/universal healthcare. Invest in education, job training, and public transit. Reconfigure welfare rules away from punitive time limits and toward support for stable employment.

What are some examples of how work and deviance/crime are socially constructed (created and defined by society)?

Social imagination. Work and deviance/crime are socially constructed because society decides what counts as "real" work and what behaviors are labeled "criminal." For example, unpaid caregiving or housework is essential but not seen as legitimate work since it isn't paid. Meanwhile, street vending or sex work can be criminalized even though they're forms of labor. Acts like same sex marraige drug use or protests may be considered deviant in one era or culture but accepted in another. These definitions reflect who has the power to make laws and set norms—showing that ideas of "work" and "crime" change with time, culture, and social status.

What happens when the government subsidizes big corporations such as Walmart? Why does the public not consider this "welfare?"

Corporate subsidies (tax breaks, infrastructure, training funds, low-cost land) lower corporate costs; public cost borne by taxpayers. Welfare is viewed as aid paid to individuals, while corporate subsidies are framed as "economic development" that will bring jobs this masks the reality of public investment in private profit.

What is intersectionality? Where do you see intersectionality in the article about the class action lawsuit against Walmart?

Intersectionality: overlapping social identities (race, class, gender) that shape unique experiences of disadvantage and discrimination.

Low-wage low-class women of color were specifically discriminated against with pay gaps and lack of promotions in the same time as male counterparts.

What is the difference between blatant, hostile racism/sexism versus subtle, micro-aggressions (examples given in Walmart article about lawsuit)?

Blatant: overt discriminatory policies, explicit slurs, refusal to hire certain groups.

Subtle micro-aggressions: repeated small slights, being passed over for a promotion, stereotypical comments, undervaluing female/black employees.

How can individuals influence change and challenge the power of the corporation?

Collective action like unionizing, strikes, class-action lawsuits, boycotting

What is Walmart's history when it comes to unionizing? What current trends are occurring with unionization?

History: long history of anti-union stance, corporate policies and store-level tactics to resist unionization

Trends: renewed worker organizing in big retailers, targeted campaigns, some successful union drives in specific location, increased public awareness.

What are interlocking directorates, conglomerates, and the idea of corporate personhood?

Interlocking directorates: when the same people sit on multiple corporate boards, concentrates power, coordinates interests.

Conglomerates: corporations owning diverse businesses across sectors, can reduce competition and diversify influence.

Corporate personhood: legal doctrine the gives corporations some rights similar to individuals (contracts, property, limited liability,). Has implications for political influence and legal standings

What would be some examples of agency (making choices) versus structure (boundaries/limits) in discussing the power of corporations and workers and worker rights?

Agency examples: workers choosing to unionize, managers exercising discretion, consumers boycotting

Structure examples: labor laws, market competition, corporate ownership, automation, regulatory environment

How are social inequalities structured into stores (placement of workers, race/gender/class of customers, treatment of employees)?

Work places view workers as a representation of the business so they want white/lighter skin people to be presented and they are viewed as more knowledgeable than Minorites.

What did the podcast "Babies Buying Babies", Racism in Toyland, and Cool Store, Bad Jobs show us about how race, class, and gender inequalities operate simultaneously?

Shows how race was at the forefront of selling babies, people (white rich women), wanted white babies and lighter skinned babies sold before black babies. With class there was a depiction of a middle class ideal with a white picket fence and the process of adoption. As well as, the popularity of the babies makes them a status symbol for wealthier families. The women who played the nurses fit into a traditionally female role and were supervised by a man. The dolls were also exclusively marketed to girls.

How does cultural capital and conspicuous consumption play a part in who gets the "desirable" (coffee shop/retail store vs fast food) jobs in low-wage work?

Employers favor candidates who display cultural fit (speech style demeanor) often those with middle-class capital, they want affluent young people who can represent the desired costumer of thee store.

Conspicuous consumption is the act of purchasing and using expensive goods or services to display one's wealth and social status to others

Cultural capital refers to the non-financial social assets like education, knowledge, and skills that people use to gain advantage and social mobility. It exists in three forms: embodied (personal knowledge, habits, accent), objectified (possessions like art or books), and institutionalized (credentials and qualifications). This concept can help explain disparities in social and educational success

How can you use Karl Marx's false consciousness versus class consciousness to account for the continued low wages and poor working conditions in "higher status" low wage work?

False consciousness: when workers adopt beliefs that obscure their real interest (identifying with company, blaming individual failings). Helps explain acceptance of low wages.

Class consciousness: workers recognize shared class interests and organize collectively. More likely to produce demands for higher pay/conditions.

Application: higher-status low-wage work (tech retail) may produce ideology of meritocracy that dampens collective action — false consciousness keeps condition stable.

How does privilege dominance (dominant positions), privilege identification (standard), and privilege centeredness (entitlement) impact the daily lives of those working in low wage work?

Privilege dominance: those in dominant positions control institutional norms (who gets promoted, who's valued).

Privilege identification (standard): the dominant group's traits become the "normal" standard (language, behavior).

Privilege centeredness (entitlement): expectation that dominant group's needs take precedence (e.g., customer always right attitudes that protect certain consumers).

Impact: daily micro-inequities, differential discipline, uneven enforcement of rules, emotional labor expected from marginalized workers.