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Social work is faced with the grand challenge of understanding the role of macro systems, such as government social policies, in shaping individual well-being. Existing social welfare programs in the United States mainly focus on the alleviation of material deprivation, with limited attention to improving the well-being and dignity of individuals. While poverty has often been conceptualized as material deprivation, such as absence of income or physical resources, growing research that suggests poverty triggers various emotions, including shame and anger, that impact one’s physical and emotional well-being.
Recent global studies deliver empirical evidence uncovering the relationship between poverty and shame among persons experiencing poverty in Uganda, India, Pakistan, China, Great Britain, and South Korea. Due to the highest rate of poverty among affluent democracies, dominant culture of meritocracy and profound segregation of American society, analyses of poverty and shame nexus conducted in the United States could deliver additional insight, particularly in the context of social work research, policies, and practice. Yet, no study in the US explores the relationship between poverty and shame, and the ways in which individuals navigate such feelings and the systems that trigger these feelings. This paper aims to address this gap.
Methods
Individual in-depth interviews were conducted with 60 individuals who lived in the Bronx or and East Harlem, New York. Participants were eligible for the study if they received welfare benefits and had children under the age of 18 and were recruited from community centers. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed. While the interview protocol was centered around understanding the relationship between poverty and shame, it elicited other salient themes. Thematic analysis was employed.
Results
Participants discussed a) material experiences of living in poverty b) emotions that were triggered by welfare systems and situations and c) mechanisms used to manage and negotiate systems. Firstly, participants discussed that their experience of living in poverty was characterized by dealing with financial hardship, navigating the challenges of unstable housing, and residing in neighborhoods characterized by violence, and having to manage various oppressive systems. Secondly, participants discussed various emotions that were often triggered by the systems and conditions. While some participants noted feeling ashamed because of inability to provide clothing, shoes or toys for their children or receiving benefits, almost all participants expressed feeling angry and frustrated when having to engage with the welfare system. Thirdly, participants discussed ways in which such feelings provided them with the impetus to manage and navigate systems and situations. Such processes included managing material resources (such as food), reaching out to social support networks, and fighting against the structural oppression through community collective efforts.
Implications
The findings reveal the range of emotions, not just shame, and reactions to experiences of living in poverty, but also demonstrate the ways in which welfare policies and programs evoke feelings that potentially affect individual well-being. A nuanced understanding of experiences, emotions, and survival strategies of individuals experiencing poverty can inform the development interventions that go beyond addressing the material experiences of poverty.