1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910794396803321

Autore

Mould Tom <1969->

Titolo

Overthrowing the queen : telling stories of welfare in America / / Tom Mould

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Bloomington, Indiana : , : Indiana University Press, , [2020]

©2020

ISBN

0-253-04806-0

0-253-04805-2

Edizione

[1st ed.]

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource

Disciplina

306.36

Soggetti

Welfare recipients - United States

Poor women - United States

Public welfare - United States

United States

USA

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Nota di contenuto

Acknowledgments -- SECTION 1. Welfare Legends: An American Tradition -- 1. Introduction -- 2. The Welfare System and Narrative Scholarship -- 3. Birth in a Nation -- SECTION 2. Insider Views: Aid Recipients' Stories -- 4. Origin Stories -- 5. Challenge Stories -- 6. Making-Ends-Meet and Achieving-Success Stories -- SECTION 3. Public Debates: Clash of Cultures -- 7. Symbols and Stereotypes -- 8. Hard Workers and the Worthy Poor -- 9. Welfare Lore in Social Media -- SECTION 4. Reenvisioning Legends -- 10. Context as Creator of Tradition -- 11. Truth and Doubt in Contemporary Legend -- 12. Overthrowing the Queen -- Epilogue -- Appendixes.

Sommario/riassunto

"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"--Publisher's website.