An Insider View: Knowledge and Opinions of Welfare from African American Girls in Poverty

This paper presents African American adolescents girls' views of welfare and welfare reform at the cusp of welfare legislation in 1996. Data were collected from a randomized, community-based sample of families living in impoverished urban neighborhoods through a series of open- and close-ended questions. Results are contrary to public perceptions that such girls are knowledgeable, accepting, and planful about welfare. Rather, responses indicate that urban girls see welfare as an important safety net, yet have negative and derogatory views of welfare recipients and the effects of welfare on recipients. Their knowledge of basic welfare rules and of pending welfare reforms is limited. Finally, the vast majority express agreement with work requirements, and about half believe that a discontinuation of welfare would change adolescent sexual and childbearing behaviors. These results raise the possibility that adolescents are responding to the rhetoric and "signals" of welfare reform; alternately, they may simply be expressing typical adolescent egocentrism and optimism.