Revisiting Social Support for Disadvantaged Women

A special issue of Social Sciences (ISSN 2076-0760). This special issue belongs to the section "Social Policy and Welfare".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2022) | Viewed by 7601

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Social Work, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC 28608, USA
Interests: public welfare policy; asset development; economic justice; universal basic income

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Historically, government support for disadvantaged women, mothers, and girls has been shaped by racism, sexism, colonialism, and classicism. For example, neoliberal welfare policies in the United States that explicitly aim to promote marriage and work have been described by some scholars as simply a replication of Reconstruction Era policies designed to control the personal and economic lives of newly freed African Americans. These policies often impose strict eligibility criteria, including extremely low income and asset limits, purportedly designed to prevent “fraud,” which ultimately make it difficult for families to escape poverty. Further, policies that prioritize mothers entering the paid workforce devalue the critical role of care work that is predominately provided by women to the global economy. New policy proposals have emerged in recent decades to better support women, such as universal child allowances and basic income.

In this special issue of Social Sciences, we will explore the effects of social support on the lives of women and potential policy innovations. We seek rigorous qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods evaluations as well as theoretical contributions. We encourage submissions representing methodological, disciplinary, geographic, and researcher diversity in order to provide a broader understanding of the topic. 

Dr. Leah Hamilton
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • welfare
  • women
  • sexism
  • neoliberal
  • care work
  • mothers

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 729 KiB  
Article
Advancing Women’s and Indigenous Groups’ Educational Achievement: Changes in Outcomes following the 2017 Ley de Gratuidad in Chile
by Matthew Carnes and Raimundo Salas-Schweikart
Soc. Sci. 2023, 12(6), 353; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12060353 - 14 Jun 2023
Viewed by 1488
Abstract
Who benefits when economic costs to the pursuit of higher education are diminished? Can such reforms advance the educational trajectory of historically marginalized groups, including women and indigenous people, or are historic social inequalities replicated in the use of new opportunities? The 2016 [...] Read more.
Who benefits when economic costs to the pursuit of higher education are diminished? Can such reforms advance the educational trajectory of historically marginalized groups, including women and indigenous people, or are historic social inequalities replicated in the use of new opportunities? The 2016 Ley de Gratuidad in Chile presents a unique opportunity to examine who benefits and how when the state provides a policy guaranteeing free higher education at participating universities. Given the systematic biases and cultural norms faced by women and indigenous people in Chile and the broad design of the state-led policy, the educational reform constitutes an important test of the extent to which lowering costs can facilitate education across an economically and socially diverse population. Leveraging data from two waves of a household survey, this paper finds that educational attainment, measured in the number of years of schooling achieved by respondents, is significantly higher for those who receive such a benefit, consistent with the design and intent of the policy. More surprisingly, these increases in years of education occur for women and indigenous people, even though no programmatic element emphasizes these groups. The results suggest that state financing is significantly associated with promoting higher education in the population and that women, the poor, and indigenous people are significant beneficiaries of this effect despite the social and cultural barriers in the country. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Revisiting Social Support for Disadvantaged Women)
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20 pages, 390 KiB  
Article
Multidimensional Aspects of Social Networks: Implications for CPS Recurrence
by Reiko Boyd, Abigail Williams-Butler, Katarina Ploch and Kristen Slack
Soc. Sci. 2023, 12(4), 234; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12040234 - 14 Apr 2023
Viewed by 3391
Abstract
This study examines the social network characteristics of 670 mothers reported to and investigated by the child protection system (CPS) in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin in 2016. Specifically, having a recurrent CPS investigation within one year of an index investigation that did not result [...] Read more.
This study examines the social network characteristics of 670 mothers reported to and investigated by the child protection system (CPS) in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin in 2016. Specifically, having a recurrent CPS investigation within one year of an index investigation that did not result in an ongoing CPS case is assessed as a function of positive social network ties, negative social network ties, and perceived neighborhood support. Few studies have explored these aspects of social networks comparatively and simultaneously in relation to CPS outcomes, or within this population. We used cluster analysis to identify particular combinations of network characteristics among mothers with recent investigations and then examined whether different cluster types are predictive of recurrent CPS involvement within one year. Clusters differed on the perceived levels of both positive and negative interpersonal ties as well as perceived neighborhood support and were associated with different levels of known child maltreatment risk factors. Clusters with lower levels of perceived neighborhood support were more likely to be associated with future CPS investigations, but this association becomes statistically insignificant when controlling for mothers’ depressive symptoms. The results of this study suggest that a more multi-faceted view of social networks can be helpful to understand the social contexts of mothers as they experience contact with CPS and raises questions about how these contexts interact with parental mental health in relation to CPS recurrence. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Revisiting Social Support for Disadvantaged Women)
16 pages, 1023 KiB  
Article
Can Inclusive Entrepreneurialism Be a Solution for Unemployed Female Graduates? A Study on Inclusive Entrepreneurial Intention
by Mhd. Louai Sarhan and Kamarulzaman Ab. Aziz
Soc. Sci. 2023, 12(3), 151; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12030151 - 3 Mar 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2129
Abstract
Recent reports highlighted a worrying trend in Malaysia where the number of female graduates has increased but at the same time there is a lower number of female workers. Particularly, in 2022, most unemployed graduates are women, accounting for 54.2% of the total, [...] Read more.
Recent reports highlighted a worrying trend in Malaysia where the number of female graduates has increased but at the same time there is a lower number of female workers. Particularly, in 2022, most unemployed graduates are women, accounting for 54.2% of the total, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DoSM). This increases the gender gap in the workforce and subsequently decreases female participation towards nation-building and economic growth. Meanwhile, studies have shown that inclusivity can significantly affect the reduction of unemployment rates and increase re-employment. Thus, this study suggests that “Inclusive Entrepreneurship” can be a viable solution to the problem observed, as entrepreneurship might be a more attractive option than employment for female graduates. This paper aims to explore the factors influencing inclusive entrepreneurial intention among female graduates in Malaysia. Specifically, this study employed the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and opted for a quantitative exploratory study using the conductive method. The collected survey sample of 227 female students in Malaysia was analysed using PLS-SEM. The framework structure is based on a combination of formatively and reflectively measured variables. The results indicated that attitude, perceived behavioural control and inclusive innovativeness have significant relationships to the inclusive entrepreneurial intention of female graduates in Malaysia. These insights can lead to the formulation of effective policies and programs to encourage as well as enable female graduates to contribute towards the nation’s development via inclusive entrepreneurialism. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Revisiting Social Support for Disadvantaged Women)
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