I was attracted to the story because of an interest in our collective tendency to ignore the many elephants in the room. There is a cognitive disconnect between the rose-colored glasses through which citizens see this country and what they know to be true about it. As the article noted, Americans have concerns about poverty, and rightly so. But Americans also share the many stereotypes of “welfare mothers” portrayed as bad parents, lazy, and unmotivated (Hays 478). Reading this article reinforced what I already believed: it is easier (and cheaper) to put people in boxes, tied up and neatly wrapped, and labeled in the ways that make us most comfortable than it is to explore real problem-solving and make meaningful change.
The thesis discussing “federal law[s] reforming welfare [offering] a statement of values” (Hays 474) speaks volumes on many levels. Intended by lawmakers to instill earlier American values of marriage, hard work, and personal responsibility, it has continued with perhaps a new face, but the same principle of blanket solutions to complicated problems. And emains a symbol of stereotyping, cursory exercises in social support, and a blind eye towards the individuals.
It is a look at the struggles women in a socioeconomically challenged strata face. There are clearly differences among social groups based on gender and even more so financial capacity. The ability of these women to support their families with limited resources, education, and social support creates a vast inequality that has the potential to stretch on for generations.
I agree with what the author is saying. There is inequality between different groups and it can also be seen within the identified group the author discussed in the sense that a hierarchy exists among members of the group (single mothers accessing welfare) (Hays 479). The author supports her claim that welfare reform has done little to make real change for these women, evidence she gathered in her research.
I agree there has to be personal accountability, but there can be no individual success with blanket solutions. I am reminded of the story of the man throwing starfish in the water. When told there were too many to make a difference, the man picked up a starfish, tossed it in the water and noted that it made a difference to that one. This is a parable for our societies poverty issues. Ignoring the problem will not make it go away. Pretending there is a single, generic solution won’t either. Individual problems require individual solutions.
Works cited
Hays, Sharon. “Excerpts from Flat Broke with Children.” Inequality in the United States. John Brueggemann. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice-Hall.
