Gender, armoede en de overheid. De casus van alleenstaande moeders in Amsterdam

Samenvatting

Gender, Poverty and the State: The Case of Single Mothers in Amsterdam. With the reforms of the National Assistance Act of the last decade, the Dutch state has changed its responsibilities toward single mothers. Single mothers are no longer considered to be full-time mothers and the state no longer automatically replaces the income of the absent male breadwinner with a monthly benefit. Instead, single mothers are defined as able-bodied workers who are required to look for a job. The result of this policy reform is that the financial insecurity of single mothers has increased. This paper aims to relate the new stereotypical images of these women, constructed through welfare reforms and social policy, to the women's own self-images. These women view their treatment at the social service agency -- the agency responsible for the administration of the Assistance Act -- as highly unjust and as in contradiction with their own self-images. This conflict between ascribed and appropriated images motivates the women to engage in behavior that is partially aimed at breaking the rules and turning their back on the state. By hiding part of their daily lives from the agency's employees, the women try to regain control over their financial situation, to increase their independence of the state and to reclaim their self-respect. 26 References. Adapted from the source document.