Fear of the Brown Envelope: Exploring Welfare Reform with Long‐Term Sickness Benefits Recipients

Garthwaite, Kayleigh

doi:10.1111/spol.12049

Cited by 95 publications

(131 citation statements)

References 19 publications

(21 reference statements)

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“…In our research, amongst those working with groups subject to increased scrutiny, there was a sense of disbelief at the level of harassment. As with other recent research in the region (Garthwaite, 2013), we see here both the demonization of vulnerable groups as a justification of change, but also the emotional damage caused by these changes. For those already dealing with challenging conditions, the impact is acutely felt.…”

Section: Emotion Politics and Austeritysupporting

confidence: 85%

Emotions of austerity: Care and commitment in public service delivery in the North East of England

Clayton

Donovan

Merchant

2015

Emotion, Space and Society

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In the context of an austerity agenda constructed through the deployment of aversive emotions, we offer a more-than-rational understanding of the implications of geographically uneven austerity politics for organisations providing public services for marginalised groups.The article highlights how emotions are at the heart of the experiences of those delivering services in the North East of England and considers the emotional toll of changes under austerity on the professional lives of participants, but also those impacts which relate to wider interpretations of loyalty and care beyond individual participants. Due to the nature of occupational roles which involve an ethos and practice of commitment, and through relations with decision makers, colleagues, service users and broader definitions of community and marginalisation over time, participants are engaged in a range of emotional work. We explore how recent experiences have highlighted a continued and in some cases accelerated undermining of their work and communities of which they are, in different ways, a part. However, they are also seen as generative of a set of significant emotionally charged responses to such challenges, which variously challenge and conform to the dominant discourse of austerity.

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Section: Emotion Politics and Austeritysupporting

confidence: 85%

Emotions of austerity: Care and commitment in public service delivery in the North East of England

Clayton

Donovan

Merchant

2015

Emotion, Space and Society

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“…These are "negative value judgements that construct 'the poor' variously as a source of moral contamination, a threat, an 'undeserving' economic burden, an object of pity or even as an exotic species", for Lister (2004: 10). The practice of 'othering' by people living in poverty has become increasingly well documented in academic literature in recent years (Chase and Walker 2013;Garthwaite 2014;Patrick 2014;Pemberton et al 2016;Shildrick et al 2012;.…”

Section: Foodbank Use and 'Othering'mentioning

confidence: 99%

Stigma, shame and ‘people like us’: an ethnographic study of foodbank use in the UK

Garthwaite

2016

Journal of Poverty and Social Justice

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Foodbanks and other charitable activities are fast becoming an established part of austerity Britain. This paper is based on ethnographic research undertaken over a two-year period in North East England, exploring the lived experiences of health inequalities for residents in the most and least affluent areas. Findings show how the majority of foodbank users experienced stigma, fear, and embarrassment, which was at times aggravated by representations in ‘poverty porn’ television shows. Stigma could be overcome once people recognised that ‘other people like us’ were receiving a food parcel. Finally, the practice of ‘Othering’ was evident across the research sites.

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“…This has been argued by UK charities, several of whom argued in 2012 that 'this narrative of benefit scroungers….does risk stigmatising all people with a disability'; 2 has been suggested in the academic literature (Taylor-Gooby, 2013); and claimants themselves report that this discourse makes them feel stigmatised (e.g. Garthwaite, 2014;Walker et al, 2013:226). This does not mean that benefits stigma is only of interest in 21 st -century Britain; rather, it seems to be an endemic feature of most social security systems (see below), that develops into epidemics in particular…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The stigma of claiming benefits: a quantitative study

2015

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Stigma has long been viewed by some as essential to discourage excessive claims, yet seen by others as a cause of non-take-up by people in need and as a form of symbolic violence. More recently, there has been a resurgence of interest in the links between shame and poverty (including the role of benefits), and particular concerns about media/political rhetoric in the UK. Yet while our knowledge of benefits stigma has been enhanced by theoretical/qualitative contributions, few quantitative studies examine its extent or patterning. This paper therefore reports the results of a 2012 nationally-representative survey in the UK. It finds sub-types of stigma are reported by 10-19% per benefit, but 34% report either personal stigma (their own view) or stigmatisation (perceived stigma by others) for at least one benefit, and over one-quarter say a stigma-related reason would make them less likely to claim. One-third of claimants themselves report some degree of stigma around their claim. Against the predictions of 'dependency culture' claims, however, respondents in high-claim areas were more likely to stigmatise benefits, both before and after accounting for other factors. The paper concludes by considering lessons for future benefits stigma studies, and policy options to reduce benefits stigma.

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Fear of the Brown Envelope: Exploring Welfare Reform with Long‐Term Sickness Benefits Recipients

Abstract: This article presents qualitative data taken from in-depth interviews with

Cited by 95 publications

References 19 publications

Emotions of austerity: Care and commitment in public service delivery in the North East of England

Emotions of austerity: Care and commitment in public service delivery in the North East of England

Stigma, shame and ‘people like us’: an ethnographic study of foodbank use in the UK

The stigma of claiming benefits: a quantitative study

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