The Culture of Welfare Dependency essays

The Culture of Welfare Dependency essays The issue of welfare dependency has been the topic of debate for many years. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the culture of welfare dependency and to present the available evidence on the issue. The discussion will also focus on how this topic is sociologically relevant. Finally we will state that the conclusions that we have drawn from the The Social Security Act of 1935 created a program known as Aid to Dependent Children. (Smith-Brandon, and Tang) Originally this program was designed to shield children from the full effects of poverty. However, in the years that followed the program has become an alternative to finding employment. (Smith-Brandon, and Tang) The article explains that "for many decades, some welfare recipients have received AFDC benefits for several generations, and they do not have to "work" for their "money" (welfare checks/benefits). Many critics have argued that the antipoverty program has created a more intractable social problem by promoting unstable, single- parent families; encouraging illegitimacy and the abandonment of families by fathers" (Smith-Brandon, and Tang) In his book Losing Ground, Charles Murray points out that the government spent an enormous amount of money on social welfare programs. Murray asserts that "From 1965 to 1980, the federal government spent about the same amount on job programs, in constant dollars, as it spent on space exploration from 1958 through the first moon landing." (Murray) The author also asserts that the progress that America made to improve poverty has been impeded by the welfare system. (Murray) This issue has created generations of women and children that are dependent upon the welfare system for their survival. There has been some attempt to stop this cycle in recent years but in some cases these programs have created new problems. Over the next few paragraphs we will discuss ot...