Gender and Welfare Reform

Abstract

The parameters of the welfare reform debate of the 1990s have been shaped by neoclassical economic theory, which assumes hedonistic individual agents make a dichotomous choice between labor time and “leisure” time. This characterization has led to punitive reform proposals which inadequately reflect the context in which parents make economic decisions. This paper reports the research component of a collaborative effort amongst grass roots groups and academics to change the terms of this debate in a rural state. The research adopts an alternative methodological approach which leads to a more realistic and richer conceptualization of the economic behavior of single parent families. The findings suggest that single parents' decisions are guided by their primary goal of provisioning for children. Using a “basic needs budget” as a benchmark, the data suggest that many single parents simply cannot afford to take a paid job and that a major impediment is gender discrimination in labor markets.