Coping with Gendered Welfare Stigma: Exploring Everyday Accounts of Stigma and Resistance Strategies among Mothers Who Claim Social Security Benefits
Authors
Evans, NancyAffiliation
University of Liverpool; University of ChesterPublication Date
2022-04-07
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Drawing upon findings from a qualitative project exploring welfare stigma in the lives of women in Merseyside, this article examines experiences of stigma and resistance strategies among the mothers interviewed. The article provides insights into how gendered stigma manifests in the lives of mothers reliant on social security benefits in the present era of continued welfare reform. The mothers’ experiences of stigma are argued to revolve around the devaluation of caring labour, the perception that benefits are undeserved and the notion of ‘bad motherhood’. Furthermore, the article contributes to knowledge about stigma resistance strategies, including acknowledging the value of care and rejecting blaming narratives. Nonetheless, it is argued that owing to the power and pervasiveness of structurally-imposed stigma, individualised resistance strategies are limited and mothers must also engage in everyday stigma management techniques.Citation
Evans, N. (2022). Coping with Gendered Welfare Stigma: Exploring Everyday Accounts of Stigma and Resistance Strategies among Mothers Who Claim Social Security Benefits. Social Policy and Society, 21(4), 690–700. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1474746422000070Publisher
Cambridge University PressJournal
Social Policy and SocietyType
ArticleDescription
This article has been published in a revised form in Social Policy and Society https://doi.org/10.1017/S1474746422000070. This version is published under a Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-ND licence. No commercial re-distribution or re-use allowed. Derivative works cannot be distributed. © copyright holder.ISSN
1474-7464EISSN
1475-3073ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1017/S1474746422000070
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Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/