Human beings tend to generate preconceived notions about others, often to their detriment, despite insufficient information: this is more commonly referred to as prejudice. While the word may have negative connotations, prejudice is innate in human beings and is born from the ability to observe and make deductions from stimuli (González, Cortina, & Rodríguez, 2019). It is crucial to note that bias affects not only the subject but also the perpetrator. The statement in question is about the discrimination levied towards women who receive welfare as their primary means of sustenance or supplement to their individual or family income.
In reality, unwed motherhood, divorce, and desertion are not confined to college graduates. Therefore, most single mothers do not have the professional skills to earn a fair salary. Furthermore, it is essential to acknowledge that these welfare mothers’ plight is not only inept economic management but rather a myriad of issues, ranging from mental illnesses, domestic abuse, or alcohol and drug addiction (Cassese & Barnes, 2019). If these issues are considered by the broader society, then such prejudice towards welfare mothers would, perhaps, dissipate, and people would actively seek to render aid.
To mitigate the issue of welfare mothers, administrations should strive to avail such programs as rehabilitation and counseling, job training and informal education, and apprenticeship to bolster professional skills and allow them to be self-sufficient in society. The statistics of current welfare programs should also be made readily available to the public. This would show the positive impact of such programs on the lives of many individuals from low-income backgrounds and might incentivize future support of these interventions.
In conclusion, prejudice affects people’s ability to have objective opinions about others. Society often disregards the issues that force mothers to rely on welfare to raise a family. This paper has identified factors contributing to mothers’ overreliance on welfare and suggested some measures that could alleviate this challenge. Therefore, having a deeper understanding of problems affecting mothers can help eliminate biases surrounding the welfare they receive to cater to families’ needs.
References
Cassese, E. C., & Barnes, T. D. (2019). Intersectional motherhood: Investigating public support for child care subsidies. Politics, Groups, and Identities, 7(4), 775-793.
González, M. J., Cortina, C., & Rodríguez, J. (2019). The role of gender stereotypes in hiring: A field experiment. European Sociological Review, 35(2), 187-204.