In
William Julius Wilson’s book,The truly Disadvantaged
, the identifies the social inequalities many urban communities are faced with
today. He argues that the increase in poverty in the United States is not due
to racial constraints, but rather because of individual beliefs shifting to
create a culture not centered on community progress. Other analyses of inner
city problems danced around the issue of racial discrimination for fear of
being criticized. Previous studies referred to an “underclass” that had
increases in crime, higher poverty rates, and different individual mentalities. Regardless of the racial composition of
residents the living conditions in urban ghettos were declining at rapid rates.
Many who resided in these areas were
recipients of welfare benefits in order to survive. While the welfare program
was created to help individuals in temporary situations, as time went on the amount
of individuals receiving welfare increased.
This
increase in the amount of individuals receiving welfare caused the change in
neighborhood culture. When the first
generation was raised in an area with an overwhelming amount of individuals receiving
welfare they became socialized to believe receiving welfare is an acceptable
form of income. As this generation came into adulthood they developed a dependency
on the welfare system, and the behaviors of their everyday life display their dependency. Those dependent on receiving welfare are
typically unemployed, more likely to be involved in criminal activities, and less
likely to positively impact their community. A community with a dependency on
welfare can have an extremely negative effect on its residents. According to
Robert Sampson the effects of a neighborhood can greatly determine an
individual’s likeliness to contribute positively to their surrounding area.
Community dependence on
welfare creates a culture that negatively impacts all residents regardless of
the specific neighborhood they reside in. As I stated before the welfare system
was created to provide assistance to individuals who have fallen on hard times
due to some extenuating circumstance in their life. “The institutionalized program was set up to be an offset measure for
those in need, not a complete replacement of income and benefits.” (Welfareinfo.org)
The federal government defined the minimum needs a family with no income has. “The needs standard includes food, clothing,
recreation, personal incidentals, fuel for heating, cooking and water heating,
electricity for refrigeration and lights, household supplies, medical chest
supplies and shelter.” (Welfareinfo.org) It
is supposed to provide a minimum amount of money for only those who desperately
need to meet the minimum standard of living. When large amounts of individuals receive
welfare benefits, the amount of individuals receiving the help they desperately
need is decreased. The government can only provide so much funding into these
programs and when individuals begin to take advantage of the system it becomes
ineffective. In the case that a person
makes the conscious decision to receive welfare instead of being employed it is
no surprise that they do not spend their day being as productive as they could
be. The ability for individuals like this to receive welfare contributes to a
culture of laziness. Younger generations develop the belief that they are also
entitled to the same benefits in life.
Recent changes to welfare
systems have allowed these programs to become more effective than they originally
were. The in statement of food stamps ensures that individuals are spending the
money allocated for food actually on food. Applications for this aspect of the
welfare program is processed the quickest to allow individuals to eat. There
have also been changes to how poor individuals receive tax benefits from
government funds. In order to receive these funds individuals must prove
employment. This requirement of employment forces individuals who want to receive
benefits to join an institution where they are positively contributing to
society. There are also checks on one’s criminal backgrounds in order for them
to receive welfare allowances. This measure safeguards the system from being
flooded with criminals wanting to receive a cash handout. At the most a family
of four can receive up to $900 a month through welfare benefits and individuals
can receive up to $300 a month. (Welfareinfo.org) The most amount of money a
family can receive is not enough to provide for a family of four, but it is
enough to make sure some of their financial strain is lifted. $300 a month does
not seem like enough for an individual to live off of, but if they choose
residency in an area with cheap housing this $300 may be enough to make ends
meet to some extent. In order to ensure the success of modern welfare programs
more stipulations on employment need to be put into place. There is nothing
wrong with individuals needing help from time to time to make ends meet, but
this should be a transitional period in their life. Welfare has never meant to
be sustainable income for anyone.
Welfare statistics
found at: http://www.welfareinfo.org/payments/