The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #47423

Carol Easley Allen, PhD RN, Department of Nursing, Oakwood College, 7000 Adventist Blvd., Huntsville, AL 35896, (256) 726-7297, callen@oakwood.edu

The social construction of reality provides the implicit basis from which we create a context or worldview. Specific discourses of social construction inform public attitudes and policies surrounding particular issues. In the context of welfare reform, several discourses may be identified, for example, those related to poverty, women, and public assistance. This presentation will provide a discussion of several of the most prominent discourses related to welfare reform, both historically and contemporaneously, and explore the implications of social reality construction for current public attitudes and policies. An appreciation of the critical impact of the social construction of welfare reform on the issues of just treatment of a vulnerable population is important for any public health worker who serves the recipients of public assistance.

This paper is part of a 4-part session on welfare reform reauthorization that is being considered for a joint presentation with CHPPD Section.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session the participant will be able to

• Discuss the various discourses that inform the social construction of welfare reform
• Evaluate the impact of these discourses on public and public health policy related to welfare reform.

Keywords: Poverty, Welfare Reform

Presenting author's disclosure statement: