Faithful Welfare: How Religion Patterns Views of Federal Assistance among Low-income Mothers

• In Event: 1580 - Section on Sociology of Religion Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 04. Religion and Attitudes

Abstract

Recent changes in US welfare policy have proceeded, at least in part, from fears about the effect of welfare dependence on work attitudes and family formation. Religious organizations have been beneficiaries of the reforms, as policymakers envisioned congregations as morally-oriented institutions that could provide for the needs of low-income populations that are often disproportionately religious. Drawing on data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N=2,993), I investigate how religiosity patterns receipt of federal assistance, as well as assessments of popular opinions about the welfare system, among low-income mothers. I find that mothers that attend weekly religious services have lower odds of reporting prior receipt of federal assistance, but religiosity was not associated with views on the effects of welfare on work behavior or family formation. Women who had received assistance or were living at less than 100% of the federal poverty line had higher odds of supporting the idea that welfare leads to less work and nonmarital births. The results have implications for understanding how religious organizations fit into the social safety net as well as the extent to which public opinions about the detrimental effects of welfare are accepted among low-income populations.

Author

• Daniel Bolger, Rice University