Seccombe Ch. 5- "Day-to-Day Living and Decision Making"

Seccombe claims that living and surviving on welfare touches all aspects of a person's life, not just the economic realm. After reading the chapter, I absolutely agree with this statement as Seccombe does a great job at providing the reader with numerous examples to support her point. This chapter started out by explaining to the reader that a group of Florida legislators and state policymakers voluntarily signed up to be paired with a welfare recipient for one month to see what it's like to walk in their shoes. Although Seccombe gave these legislators and policymakers credit for attempting to understand the daily experience of welfare recipients, she still said that their experience should not be confused with the actual realities of welfare assistance, because these legislatures and policymakers knew there was an end point to where they would be able to go home. There was a light at the end of a tunnel for them, which is not quite the case for actual welfare recipients. The rest of the chapter discusses the many impacts that welfare has on a person's life.

Seccombe states that the recipients clothes come from thrift shops and garage sales, that their cars are old and in disrepair, and dinners out are likely to be monthly excursions to a fast-food restaurant. Right here one can see that being on welfare affects the way one dresses, their method of transportation and the types of food they eat that they consider to be a "treat." Also discussed was a woman named Jana who takes no vacations, no shopping trips to the mall, and rarely goes to a movie or out to dinner. Due to her lack of money, Jana can't hire a babysitter for her children so she therefore has to stay home day after day to care for them all on her own with no breaks since she's a single parent. In this example, welfare greatly affects Jana's personal life or lack therof. "It is not easy to pay bills on time, to put food on the table, to pay for childcare, to nurse sick children, to find a job, and to locate donations and charities to help benefits stretch throughout the month" (pg. 112). Many poor people on welfare live in substandard housing which according to Seccombe, poses a potential threat to their health and safety as they must live in damp, dirty, crowded, dangerous, and disease-ridden conditions that may lack proper cooking or sanitation facilities (pg. 113). There is also a stigma attached to welfare that the recipients have to deal with on a daily basis which can have an effect on their self-esteem and self-worth. Seccombe discusses on page 117 that data from the 2003 Cobsumer Expenditure Survey found that poor households spend approximately three-quarters of their income on three items: housing, food, and transportation. It is also stated that women on welfare are most commonly without cars, telephones, washing machines, and clothing dryers which are things most Americans see as routine household appliances. There are also the issues that surround the holiday's such as Christmas or birthdays that Seccombe explains. "Poor children are not isolated from the consumerism that surrounds holidays. They are bombarded with commercials on television for expensive toys; they see their peers wearing expensive clothing and shoes at school; and they are frusterated by opportunities that are seemingly unavailable to them" (pg. 119). Additionally discussed was the issue that poor households do not have sufficient funds to buy nutritious foods. Healthy foods cost more money, therefore, welfare recipients buy food that is not nearly as healthy because it is cheaper and they can buy more of it. This can obviously affect one's health. Seccombe explains that the many concerns that face those on welfare causes recipients to be more depressed, and to suffer from more psychological distress than do others. Adolescent mothers were said to be particularly at risk for stress, depression, and psychological distress because the teenage years are difficult as it is, without the added responsibility of motherhood (pg. 125). "The poor experience a cultural dissonance. They are painfully aware of the American dream, which is laden with heavy consumerism, and fueled by cash or credit. However, they are disconnected from it" (pg. 127). Also, low-income areas are less likely to offer after-school programs for children and teens and according to Seccombe, poor families are less able to afford the costs associated with extracurricular activities, such as uniforms, or dues (pg. 129). This can also have an affect on one's personal life and socialization process. Seccombe ends the chapter by stating "Like other studies, I found that poor women and welfare recipients often share conventional, mainstream aspirations, yet harsh economic realities impinge upon their abilities to meet these conventional goals" (pg. 131).