Single mothers in poverty: challenges and outcomes

Women's Issues: Poor Single Mothers

Poverty single Mothers

Women's Issues

Poor Single Mothers

Does Parker's 1971 definition of poverty still have relevance today? The purpose of this work is to discover the answer to this question as well as research the plight of single mothers in America today and explain the major economic and social problems that are faced by single mothers. Further this work will discuss the assistance available today that would have improved Parker's life in the decade of the seventies.

According to Parker, 1971 there is shame in being poor and poverty is to be viewed with anger and not pity. Poverty is "dirt," "being tired" states Parker who uses much small definition that poignantly catch the reader's attention. Parker reveals to the reader the vicious cycle of poverty. The facts concerning poverty are not the kind that are encouraging or inspiring and quite unfortunately the cycle described by Parker is real and is still in existence today in America.

I. Overview of Poverty Statistics:

The report released in the accounting for poverty among single mothers between the years 1995 and 1999 is that "Among people in families headed by single working mothers, there was no progress in reducing poverty between 1995 and 1999 despite an expanding economy. Reductions in poverty as a result of economic growth were entirely offset by increases in poverty due to contractions in government safety net programs." Porter et al. (2001) In the year of 1841 Unitarian preacher and social reformer Theodore Parker wrote, "What is luxury in one generation, scarce attainable by the wealthy, becomes at last the possession of most men....As society advances the standard of poverty rises. A man in New England is called poor at this day, who would have been rich a hundred and fifty years ago." While this statement may be true for the overall population, Ms. Parker's view of the 'vicious cycle' of poverty for single mothers is in fact precisely the way that it is in reality for single mothers.

The employment rate among single mother in the United States was at 73.0% in 2000 and fell in 2003 to 69.8%. However, the employment rate among single mothers lost about 1/4 of the gains between 2000 and since the losses have not triggered an increase in the families receiving TANF cash assistance the question as to whether the program is effective in reaching those in need is being asked.

II. 1996 Welfare Reform

The 1996 welfare reform "eliminated the federal guarantee of a basic income support for all families and replaced it with Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)" TANF is a state-run program that combines requirements for work and sanctions for behavior that is nonconforming. There are a 24-month limitations and a five-year maximum on receiving welfare under this program. Reportedly, only about one-half of the women forced to exit welfare assistance actually find employment. Furthermore, research has shown that the type of work that many welfare recipients are eligible and qualified for does not raise the family standard of living out of the poverty bracket as the jobs tends to be in relation to wages, at the bottom of the scale that measures employment wages.

The result is that families on welfare lose benefits such as food stamps and other programs only to earn am amount that keeps the family in the 'vicious cycle of poverty' and pulls the mother out of the home for these mean wages.

Further the jobs that are available to low-skill and low-education attainment individuals offers no benefits in the areas of time off or insurance and furthermore the hours are generally irregular which make it difficult to impossible for the mothers to find adequate care for their children while they are at work. "The working status of women contribute to their poverty status ....the types of jobs single heads of household can get depend on their level of education. Often women have low levels of education and they get low skill level jobs that pay low wages. To further exacerbate the financial stress many jobs pay women 60% of the income they pay men for doing the same job." Shaw et al. (1996). Women are significantly represented among the homeless population. Twelve percent of the homeless population were women who were alone. Another 34% of the homeless population are families mostly made up of single mothers and their children. Blau (1992)

III. Social Issues of Poverty for Single Mothers:

The social stigma placed on single mothers and most particularly on single mothers in poverty is a barrier that is practically impenetrable in the life of a woman who is a single mother and lives on the poverty level. "The stereotyping of poor people and stigmatism placed on single mothers presents barriers for poor single women with children. There is a misconception that poor people are poor because they don't want to work." O'Hare (1996). The family that exists in the community in which there is neither father nor husband is viewed by others in the societal element as being an institution of deficiency." Because poverty is so prevalent for single mothers the resulting poverty is considered to be a feminine issue.

Summary and Conclusion:

The United States has a solid history in at least making the attempt to address the issue of poverty among single mothers. However the Welfare Reform Act of 1996 may have set the initiative back quite a bit because the women that were propelled back into the workforce did not go to work making enough money to provide a better life for their families and neither are the benefits in place on these types of jobs that aid the worker in maintaining their employment on a long-term basis. Without the benefits of medical and health insurance and without the benefit of "time-off" work experiencing a sudden onset of illness for which they have no medical care. Although there have been at least historically, advances in addressing the problem, much more research and action is needed in this area.

Bibliography:

Is There Such a Thing as an Absolute Poverty Line Over Time? Evidence from the United States, Britain, Canada, and Australia on the Income Elasticity of the Poverty [Online] available at: http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/papers/elassmiv.htm

Fisher, Gordon M. (1996) Relative or Absolute -- New Light on the Behavior of Poverty Lines Over Time Department of Health and Human Services [Online] available at: http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/papers/relabs.htm