The Forgotten Many: A Study of Poor Urban Whites

Authors

Reba L. Chaisson, Loyola University

Abstract

Being White in America is thought to ensure social and economic stability, but the lives of Whites who are poor run contrary to these assumptions. Members of this group, the focus group of this study, receive food stamps, public aid and general assistance payments on a monthly basis. And they rely on public health clinics and food pantries to get by-programs and services that are viewed by the larger society as being tapped only by Blacks. This paper examines the differences and similarities between the poverty experiences of Blacks and Whites. The research for this analysis consisted of participant observation and individual interviews performed in a predominantly White community of a major midwest city.

Recommended Citation

Chaisson, Reba L. (1998) "The Forgotten Many: A Study of Poor Urban Whites," The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare: Vol. 25: Iss. 2, Article 4.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15453/0191-5096.2488
Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol25/iss2/4