Working from the Margins: Voices of Mothers in PovertyVirginia E. Schein shatters the stereotype of mothers on welfare. The women she interviewed in cities, towns, and rural areas talked to her about their deep committment to the children they are raising in poverty, about the abuse they have endured, about their eagerness for meaningful work, and about their inventiveness in stretching scarce dollars. In a policy debate increasingly dominated by shrill, punitive voices, Schein argues that the experiences and collective wisdom of these women cannot be ignored. |
Contents
TWO The Women | 17 |
THREE The ABCs of Poverty and the Single Mother | 27 |
Struggling with | 41 |
Single Parenting in Poverty 55 | 55 |
Hitting the Cellar Ceiling | 69 |
SEVEN What Helps? The Role of Social Support | 91 |
Used to Have Dreams | 105 |
NINE A Job Is Not Enough | 121 |
TEN A Community of Efforts | 137 |
ELEVEN The Broad Perspective Revisited | 151 |
References | 167 |
About the Author 182 | |
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