1. Negotiating Privacy in the Context of Poverty: Poor Mothers and the Social Safety Net.
- Author
-
Hughes, Cayce C.
- Subjects
PUBLIC welfare ,POOR people ,LOW-income mothers ,POVERTY rate ,SOCIAL stigma - Abstract
Drawing on in-depth interviews with sixty poor mothers in a high-poverty neighborhood in Houston, TX, I ask how mothers experience the potential loss of privacy endemic to the process of seeking public assistance, and examine how privacy concerns affect when, how, and whether they engage with the social safety net. I find that in the welfare context, it is both the extent of information clients are asked, how caseworkers ask those personal questions, and the power of the state to uncover clients' personal information whether or not they voluntarily disclose it that produce privacy problems for mothers. In contrast, in the non-profit and church settings, very little personal information is required from mothers and organizations do not have the power to get information if clients do not disclose it. Yet, mothers worry about a different dimension of privacy, as they fear being seen by other community members utilizing these resources because of the stigma attached to being "needy" enough to use what is seen as a last resort, and the judgment around those labeled "greedy" because they take charity for which others might have a greater need. Mothers face multidimensional tradeoffs navigating the social safety net as they weigh the desire to preserve privacy, dignity, and autonomy while also getting the material assistance they need to support their families. Theoretical and policy relevant implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2016