The Enemy Within: The Demonization of Poor Women

Authors

Ruth Sidel, Hunter College

Abstract

The denigration and demonization of poor women was central to the effort to repeal Aid to Families with Dependent Children by the passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. The utilization of negative stereotypes involving race, class and gender effectively marginalized impoverished women and their children, who were blamed for virtually all of the social problems of the United States during the 1990s. Despite the massive concentration of wealth and income in the hands of the wealthiest Americans and the ever-widening gap between rich and poor, the United States continues to ignore the need for fundamental economic and social reform.

Recommended Citation

Sidel, Ruth (2000) "The Enemy Within: The Demonization of Poor Women," The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare: Vol. 27: Iss. 1, Article 5.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15453/0191-5096.2628
Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol27/iss1/5