The welfare/self-sufficiency gap among single mothers through theoretical lenses

Abstract

Poverty has been a recurring issue in America since time immemorial and become the target of a panoply of corrective measures from the federal government. One of these measures is, of course, the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), the key welfare policy under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. Since its inception, TANF has constantly been the subject of vehement controversies among politicians, lawmakers, community advocates, social researchers, and government officials. Indeed, there has been a growing concern about the effectiveness of the program in galvanizing economically disadvantaged families toward economic self-sufficiency. This paper presents a historical overview of the political context that led to the passage of the TANF policy, identifies barriers associated with TANF implementation, explains the concept of self-sufficiency, and critically analyzes the gap between welfare receipt and economic self-sufficiency through the lenses of four theoretical benchmarks: policy design and social construction, culture of poverty, racial classification, and social control. Implications for research are discussed.

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