Public Voices and Public Policy: Changing the Societal Discourse on "Welfare"

Authors

Vicki Lens, Yeshiva University

Abstract

Much of the public discourse on welfare reform is subjective and value laden, a composite of socially constructed stories and myths that support the dominant ideology. This article reports on a study that examines the language used by government officials, poverty experts, advocates and others to discuss welfare reform. Statements made about welfare reform were extracted from the Washington Post and the New York Times and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Dissecting the public language of welfare provides insight into how prevailing ideologies are communicated and reinforced, and how they can be changed.

Recommended Citation

Lens, Vicki (2002) "Public Voices and Public Policy: Changing the Societal Discourse on "Welfare"," The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare: Vol. 29: Iss. 1, Article 9.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15453/0191-5096.2791
Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol29/iss1/9