Graduation Date
1998
Document Type
Thesis
Program
Master of Arts degree with a major in Sociology
Committee Chair Name
Dr. Judith Little
Committee Chair Affiliation
Cal Poly Humboldt Faculty or Staff
Second Committee Member Name
Dr. Carol A. Whitehurst
Third Committee Member Name
Dr. Ronald A. Fritzsche
Keywords
Sociology
Abstract
This is a two-fold study of the media's influence on welfare recipients' self perceptions. The research focuses on how news stories about welfare effect women who receive Aid to Families with Dependent Children. It is my contention that welfare recipients have increasingly been scapegoated through the media by politicians and policymakers for the economic woes of this country. Welfare recipients are also blamed for their economic position in society. Historically, the discourse in the popular media neglects structural issues of poverty. Instead the debate focuses on changing welfare recipients' behaviors, by means such as denying benefits to those who conceive a child while receiving aid, using sanctions to discourage teenage pregnancy, and encouraging poor women to be self sufficient through employment. News stories on welfare reform were analyzed to ascertain whether the media perpetuate myths about welfare recipients, with mixed results. Then, 50 welfare recipients were surveyed to find out whether they internalize the stereotypes articulated in the media. The survey revealed that welfare recipients manage their self perceptions in such a way that they see themselves as "normals" while believing negative stereotypes about other welfare recipients. The purpose of this research is to add welfare recipients' voices to the discourse to provide insight into how the media influences welfare recipients perceptions of themselves and others.
Recommended Citation
Ludlow, Candice L., "The Media's Influence on Welfare Recipients' Self Perceptions" (1998). Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects. 2486.
https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/etd/2486