Overthrowing the queen : telling stories of welfare in America
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
Overthrowing the queen : telling stories of welfare in America
Indiana University Press, c2020
- : pbk
Available at / 1 libraries
-
No Libraries matched.
- Remove all filters.
Note
Includes bibliographical references (p. 331-357) and index
Description and Table of Contents
Description
In 1976, Ronald Reagan hit the campaign trail with an extraordinary account of a woman committing massive welfare fraud. The story caught fire and a devastating symbol of the misuse government programs was born: the Welfare Queen. Overthrowing the Queen examines these legends of fraud and abuse while bringing to light personal stories of hardship and hope told by cashiers, bus drivers, and business owners; politicians and aid providers; and, most important, aid recipients themselves. Together these stories reveal how the seemingly innocent act of storytelling can create not only powerful stereotypes that shape public policy, but also redemptive counter-narratives that offer hope of a more accurate, fair, and empathetic view of poverty in America today. Overthrowing the Queen tackles perceptions of welfare recipients while proposing new approaches to the study of oral narrative that extend far beyond the study of welfare, poverty, and social justice.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Section I: Welfare Legends: An American Tradition
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: The Welfare System and Narrative Scholarship
Chapter 3: Birth in a Nation
Section II: Insider Views: Aid Recipients' Stories
Chapter 4: Origin Stories
Chapter 5: Challenge Stories
Chapter 6: Making Ends Meet and Achieving Success Stories
Section III: Public Debates: Clash of Cultures
Chapter 7: Symbols and Stereotypes
Chapter 8: Hard Workers and the Worthy Poor
Chapter 9: Welfare Lore in Social Media
Section IV: Re-Envisioning Legends
Chapter 10: Context as Creator of Tradition
Chapter 11: Truth and Doubt in Contemporary Tradition
Chapter 12: Overthrowing the Queen
Epilogue
Appendix
Notes
Sources Cited
by "Nielsen BookData"