The Working Poor: Invisible in America, outlines the social, economic, and cultural barriers that impact families hovering above and below the federal poverty guidelines (Shipler, 2004). Shipler claims that impoverished families do not fit into the myth that people are poor because they are lazy or the corresponding anti-myth, that families are poor because of the harsh social policies and communities that help perpetuate the cycle of poverty (2004, p. 6). According to Shipler low income families are poor because of a combination of person choices and oppressive systems that hinder an individual’s chance at upward mobility (Shipler, 2004, p.7). Shipler holds that the poor do not have as much control over their personal decisions and feel the
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229). The endless array of required paperwork provides another opportunity for families to be cut off from receiving services. Lawyers working with families report that in order for families to receive services they have to report to the office multiple times and in many cases, miss work to try and keep up with the paperwork that is require of families to remain on welfare assistance (Shipler, 2004, p.229). Welfare offices determine eligibility for Emergency Assistance for homeless families and in one instance a family that was staying in unsafe housing was not eligible for services because they were not technically homeless. (Shipler, 2004, p.229). The family by law was eligible for shelter because they had a letter from their doctor saying that the housing where the family lived was making the asthmatic child ill. The family ended up relocating in frustration after being denied services for their family (Shipler, 2004, p. …show more content…
Families end up living in poverty, not just for poor decision making, but because of oppressive systems that negatively impact the families ability to pick themselves up and out of poverty. The parameters which allocate who is eligible for services seems to be the most oppressive action by social policies, which are essentially saying that families are poor, but not poor enough to receive medicare, WIC, SNAP, or daycare. It seems like such a grave injustice that families that work full-time are poor and have such a difficult time navigating the very systems that are suppose to ease the burden of
229). The endless array of required paperwork provides another opportunity for families to be cut off from receiving services. Lawyers working with families report that in order for families to receive services they have to report to the office multiple times and in many cases, miss work to try and keep up with the paperwork that is require of families to remain on welfare assistance (Shipler, 2004, p.229). Welfare offices determine eligibility for Emergency Assistance for homeless families and in one instance a family that was staying in unsafe housing was not eligible for services because they were not technically homeless. (Shipler, 2004, p.229). The family by law was eligible for shelter because they had a letter from their doctor saying that the housing where the family lived was making the asthmatic child ill. The family ended up relocating in frustration after being denied services for their family (Shipler, 2004, p. …show more content…
Families end up living in poverty, not just for poor decision making, but because of oppressive systems that negatively impact the families ability to pick themselves up and out of poverty. The parameters which allocate who is eligible for services seems to be the most oppressive action by social policies, which are essentially saying that families are poor, but not poor enough to receive medicare, WIC, SNAP, or daycare. It seems like such a grave injustice that families that work full-time are poor and have such a difficult time navigating the very systems that are suppose to ease the burden of