Structural Reinterpretation of Poverty by Examining Working Poverty: Implications for Community and Policy Practice

Hong, Philip Young P.; Wernet, Stephen P.

doi:10.1606/1044-3894.3645

Cited by 25 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…Therefore, as the next step of empowerment, community and policy practice ought to address the structural nature of poverty (Hong, 2009). Poverty and working poverty are not only conditioned by individual characteristics, but are exacerbated by structural employment barriers and marginal positions in the labor market (Hong, 2004;Hong and Pandey, 2007;Hong and Wernet, 2007;Rank, 2004).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Bottom-up Definition of Self-sufficiency

Hong

Sheriff

Naeger

2009

Qualitative Social Work

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Self-sufficiency (SS) is the epitome of America’s ‘reluctant’ welfare state. It is generally accepted in social welfare policy circles as a concept related to independence and financial stability. Nevertheless, SS is not a term agreed upon in practice by policymakers, researchers, or service providers and is frequently used without a clear common definition. In this sense, the purpose of this study is to explore the extent to which the top-down definition of ‘economic’ SS as the social policy goal is consistent with how the clients of job training programs perceive the term. Using a grounded theory approach, a bottom-up definition of SS was derived from a focus group of low-income jobseekers. The focus group was transcribed for a content analysis from which a client-centered definition of SS was drawn. Findings suggest that SS is a process of developing psychological strength properties and a goal-oriented progression toward realistic financial outcomes. Implications for evidence-based community interventions for client empowerment and workforce development are suggested.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Bottom-up Definition of Self-sufficiency

Hong

Sheriff

Naeger

2009

Qualitative Social Work

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“…-that limit their marketability (Danziger et al, 2000;Ellerbe et al, 2011;Nam, 2005;Santiago & Galster, 2004). Potential structural barriers for workers entering the low-wage market -skills mismatch and spatial mismatch -place these agencies at odds with the multiple systems that obstruct SS for individuals (Henly, 2000;Hong & Wernet, 2007). Programs that benchmark ESS outcomes continue to struggle when the supply and demand side of the labor market, exogenous to the agency setting, cannot be adequately matched.…”

Section: Background Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

Toward A Client-Centered Benchmark for Self-Sufficiency: Evaluating the ‘Process’ of Becoming Job Ready

Hong

2013

Journal of Community Practice

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The purpose of this study is to evaluate how service providers, clients, and graduates of a job training program define the term self-sufficiency (SS). This community-engaged, mixed method study qualitatively analyzes focus group data from each group and quantitatively examines survey data obtained from participants of the program. Findings reveal that psychological transformation as a 'process' represents the emic definition of SS-psychological SS-but each dimension of the concept is reflected in varying degrees by group. Provider and participant views are vastly different from the outcome-driven policy and funder definitions. Implications for benchmarking psychological SS as an empowerment-based 'process' measure of job readiness in workforce development evaluation are discussed.

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“…In-work poverty is a multidimensional problem (Hong and Wernet 2007). However, whether its core source is situational and societal or personal and individual reflects theoretical views of poverty (Pillai, Basham, and Jayasundara 2009; Segal 2007).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Working Men Views of Poverty

Strier

Eisikovits

Sigad

et al. 2016

Men and Masculinities

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Despite the alarming numbers of workers living in poverty in developed countries, work is still commonly seen as a way out of poverty. From a social constructivist perspective and based on qualitative research of the working poor in Israel, the article explores low-income Arab and Jewish working men’s views of poverty. It addresses research topics such as the meaning of work, the perception of the workplace, and the experience of poverty and coping strategies. In addition, the article examines the presence of ethnic differences in the social construction of in-work poverty. At the theoretical level, the article questions dominant views of work as the main exit from poverty, highlights the impact of gender and ethnicity in the construction of in-work poverty, and suggests the need for more context and gender-informed policies to respond to the complexity of the male working poor population.

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Structural Reinterpretation of Poverty by Examining Working Poverty: Implications for Community and Policy Practice

Cited by 25 publications

References 53 publications

A Bottom-up Definition of Self-sufficiency

A Bottom-up Definition of Self-sufficiency

Toward A Client-Centered Benchmark for Self-Sufficiency: Evaluating the ‘Process’ of Becoming Job Ready

Working Men Views of Poverty

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