Who Defines Need?: Low-Income Individuals’ Interpretations of Need and the Implications for Participation in Public Assistance Programs

Authors

Kerri Leyda Nicoll, Massachusetts College of Liberal ArtsFollow

Keywords

Need, poverty, participation, welfare

Abstract

Existing research into participation and nonparticipation in U.S. public assistance programs is nearly all rooted in the assumption that people who meet a program’s eligibility criteria are in need of that program’s assistance. Based on in-depth interviews with members of 75 low-income households, this study argues that the failure to give low-income individuals a voice in defining their own need prevents researchers from understanding how and why these individuals choose to participate, or not participate, in public programs. The disconnect between individual interpretations of need and program eligibility standards pushes us to rethink the design of participation research and program implementation.

Recommended Citation

Nicoll, Kerri Leyda (2017) "Who Defines Need?: Low-Income Individuals’ Interpretations of Need and the Implications for Participation in Public Assistance Programs," The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare: Vol. 44: Iss. 4, Article 7.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15453/0191-5096.4061
Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol44/iss4/7