Social Poverty : Low-Income Parents and the Struggle for Family and Community Ties

How low-income people cope with the emotional dimensions of poverty Could a lack of close, meaningful social ties be a public--rather than just a private--problem? In Social Poverty , Sarah Halpern-Meekin provides a much-needed window into the nature of social ties among low-income, unmarried parents, highlighting their often-ignored forms of hardship. Drawing on in-depth interviews with thirty-one couples, collected during their participation in a government-sponsored relationship education program called Family Expectations, she brings unprecedented attention to the relational and emotional dimensions of socioeconomic disadvantage. Poverty scholars typically focus on the economic use value of social ties--for example, how relationships enable access to job leads, informal loans, or a spare bedroom.However, Halpern-Meekin introduces the important new concept of "social poverty," identifying it not just as a derivative of economic poverty, but as its own condition, which also perpetuates poverty. Through a careful and nuanced analysis of the strengths and limitations of relationship classes, she shines a light on the fundamental place of core socioemotional needs in our lives. Engaging and compassionate, Social Poverty highlights a new direction for policy and poverty research that can enrich our understanding of disadvantaged families around the country. Could a lack of close, meaningful social ties be a public-rather than just a private-problem? In 'Social Poverty', Sarah Halpern-Meekin provides a much-needed window into the nature of social ties among low-income, unmarried parents, highlighting their often-ignored forms of hardship. Drawing on in-depth interviews with thirty-one couples, collected during their participation in a government-sponsored relationship education program called 'Family Expectations', she brings unprecedented attention to the relational and emotional dimensions of socioeconomic disadvantage. Poverty scholars typically focus on the economic use value of social ties-for example, how relationships enable access to job leads, informal loans, or a spare bedroom. However, Halpern-Meekin introduces the important new concept of "social poverty," identifying it not just as a derivative of economic poverty, but as its own condition, which also perpetuates poverty. Through a careful and nuanced analysis of the strengths and limitations of relationship classes, she shines a light on the fundamental place of core socioemotional needs in our lives. Engaging and compassionate, 'Social Poverty' highlights a new direction for policy and poverty research that can enrich our understanding of disadvantaged families around the country Introduction: social poverty in America -- Young, poor parents: lacking social support and social capital -- Becoming an adult: getting a car, a job, and paying the bills -- Committing to a relationship: "you have to have your trust in place"--Becoming a parent: doing better and settling down -- Family expectations: looking for support -- Learning skills: building trust and communities -- Relationship and parenting changes: making it work -- Conclusion: escaping social poverty Halpern-MeekinSarah: **Sarah Halpern-Meekin** is Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Studies in the School of Human Ecology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She is the co-author of It's Not Like I'm Poor: How Working Families Make Ends Meet in a Post-Welfare World. She received her PhD in sociology from Harvard University in 2009. 'Social Poverty' draws on 192 interviews with young, low-income, unmarried parents to investigate the concept of social poverty, using the setting of a government-funded relationship education program