The"War on Poverty" and "Welfare Reform": A Comparative Discourse Analysis of Elite Newspaper Editorial Coverage in 1964 and 1996

<p>From the time of the "war on poverty" of 1964, to the era of "welfare reform" in 1990s, the federal welfare system underwent a change from a model that acted to protect citizens from the vagaries of the market economy to one that mandated their participation in the paid labor force. For a shift in policy of this magnitude to occur and be unquestioningly accepted by the public, a significant change also had to occur in how poverty and welfare issues were discussed and perceived over the intervening years. Using discourse analysis, this study examines how editorials in elite newspapers framed the issues of poverty and welfare in the months prior to the passage of the Economic Opportunity Act (1964) and the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (1996). It also addresses how newspaper editorials influenced public perception about the nature and causes of poverty and welfare reliance.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

School of Urban Planning and Regional Studies

Year

2008

Author dc:creator

• Mogg, Laura

Contributors dc:contributor

• Gladstone, David
• Ehernfeucht, Renia
• Ehrenreich, Jeffrey

• welfare
• welfare reform
• poverty
• war on poverty
• media
• Economic Opportunity Act
• Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/685

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarworks.uno.edu:td-1685