Confronting welfare stereotypes: Characteristics of general assistance recipients and postassistance employment

Public debate about welfare reform has focused on reducing and eliminating cash assistance programs such as Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) and general assistance (GA). Widely held welfare stereotypes contribute to the unpopularity of welfare, especially programs serving groups viewed as undeserving. This article explores three bases for this negative stereotype-American values, conventional gender roles, and racial attitudes-and examines the relationship of the stereotype to actual recipient characteristics for a sample of former GA recipients in Michigan. The empirical investigation includes a descriptive profile of the Michigan GA population, an examination of the degree to which former GA recipients successfully found work after GA ended, and a discussion of the extent to which this employment varied by recipient characteristics. Overall, the findings run counter to the stereotypical assumptions. Recipients varied greatly by race, age, gender, and health status.