Neoliberalism and Poverty Management in Canada

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Questions and Answers

What effect does the criminalization of poverty have on less vulnerable groups?

It makes them more politically influential. (correct)

It increases their financial security.

It encourages them to invest in punitive measures. (correct)

It decreases their interest in welfare issues.

What measures have Canadian governments taken to manage welfare support?

Increased funding for welfare

Promoted community support programs

Reduced benefits and restricted eligibility (correct)

Eliminated surveillance of recipients

How have race and gender interplay affected the patterns of penalization related to poverty?

Only racialized people are affected by penalization practices.

They have made men less susceptible to poverty.

They have increased the benefits available to all groups.

Women and racialized minorities are more likely to face disciplinary measures. (correct)

What role do workfare programs play in the governance of poverty?

They are a means to punish individuals for fraud. Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant factor that has influenced the transformation of state practices in governance concerning poverty and welfare?

Increased immigration and national security concerns. Signup and view all the answers

What is a primary aim of law-and-order policing in the context of neoliberal policies?

To address and control resistance from low-income populations Signup and view all the answers

How does law-and-order policing function in relation to gentrification?

It reinforces economic disparities Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the neoliberal project?

The re-imposition and expansion of market relations as the primary means of subsistence Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the main consequences of law-and-order policing as viewed by social activists?

It is seen as a reaction to the fear of economically disadvantaged individuals Signup and view all the answers

What underlying issues accompany law-and-order policing in the context of economic restructuring?

Cuts to social programs and attacks on workers’ rights Signup and view all the answers

How does neoliberalism contribute to structural insecurity?

Through privatization of care and devaluation of labor Signup and view all the answers

What is a consequence of the criminalization of poverty according to the content?

It reinforces market capitalism and neoliberal policies Signup and view all the answers

How does the criminalization of poverty reframe vulnerability?

As individual failure and criminality Signup and view all the answers

What societal factors are masked by the criminalization of poverty?

Institutionalized racism, colonialism, and patriarchy Signup and view all the answers

What is a key implication of viewing individuals as 'responsible' or 'irresponsible' in the context of neoliberalism?

It reflects a neoliberal perspective on individual behavior in markets Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the relationship between state policies and the criminalization of poverty?

State policies withdraw from resource distribution, reinforcing criminalization Signup and view all the answers

What role do stigmatized individuals play in a neoliberal society?

They symbolize social fears and anxieties created by structural uncertainty Signup and view all the answers

What does the criminalization process suggest about the state's approach to vulnerable populations?

The state uses criminal justice to manage perceived problems Signup and view all the answers

What misconception contributes to the belief that women of color have children primarily to obtain welfare money?

They are perceived as hypersexed and promiscuous Signup and view all the answers

How do punitive welfare reforms disproportionately affect marginalized groups?

They reinforce racial stereotypes about welfare recipients Signup and view all the answers

What is a consequence of criminalizing the activities of poor people under policies like the Safe Streets Act?

Increased criminal sanctions for behaviors like panhandling Signup and view all the answers

What is a misleading assertion about welfare fraud?

It has a significant impact on the welfare system Signup and view all the answers

What assumption have recent welfare reforms made about poor individuals, according to Gustafson?

They possess latent criminality Signup and view all the answers

Which method of monitoring welfare recipients is mentioned as a current practice?

Biometric surveillance Signup and view all the answers

What do critics argue about the Safe Streets Act policies?

They create more disorder for vulnerable populations Signup and view all the answers

What is a common misconception about the relationship between poverty and criminal activity?

There is an assumed correlation between poverty and criminality Signup and view all the answers

What effect have welfare reforms had on women's vulnerability to abusive men?

Made them more vulnerable to abusive men Signup and view all the answers

How do deep cuts to benefits impact women's relationships with abusive men?

They increase dependence on material assistance from others Signup and view all the answers

What does the expanded definition of spouse imply for women seeking welfare?

It increases the likelihood of violating rules regarding cohabitation Signup and view all the answers

What strategy do abusive men employ to manipulate women vulnerable due to welfare reforms?

Threatening them with allegations of fraud Signup and view all the answers

What ideological shift has significantly impacted welfare policies?

From welfare liberalism to neo-liberalism Signup and view all the answers

What was a significant societal view toward single mothers prior to the adoption of the Mother’s Allowance Act in 1930?

They were perceived as paupers without private means of support. Signup and view all the answers

Which principle was legally encoded by the British new poor laws of 1834?

The principle of ‘less eligibility.’ Signup and view all the answers

What motivated female reformers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to advocate for public assistance?

They saw family instability and poverty as threats to national security. Signup and view all the answers

In what year was the Nova Scotia Mothers’ Allowance Act enacted?

1930 Signup and view all the answers

What kind of language characterized the annual reports of the Mothers’ Allowance in the 1930s?

Moral and judgmental. Signup and view all the answers

In the hierarchy of motherhood established in the 1970 Provincial Social Assistance Act, which group was considered most worthy?

Widows. Signup and view all the answers

Why did reformers exclude unwed mothers from receiving public assistance?

They wanted to discourage childbearing out of wedlock. Signup and view all the answers

What was the societal perception of unmarried mothers in comparison to other mothers during the formulation of the social assistance hierarchy?

They were positioned at the bottom of the hierarchy. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

CRM 515: Gendering Justice

Criminalizing Poverty: This lecture explores the criminalization of poverty within the context of neoliberalism.
Neoliberalism and Criminalization: The shift from collective risk management to individualized responsibility is a key element of contemporary liberal capitalist societies.
Welfare Liberalism: This framework emphasized socialized risk and responsibility through welfare programs and economic partnerships between capital and state. Keynesian economics played a significant role.
Advanced Liberalism/Neoliberalism: This approach focused increasingly on individual responsibility and risk mitigation, often criminalizing those perceived as problematic. State actors and private entities have contributed to this shift.
Dynamics of Neoliberalism: Neoliberalism fortifies market capitalism through explicit and implied criminalization of non-market activities. It disguises structural vulnerabilities (racism, patriarchy) as individual failings.
The "Undeserving" Poor: Poor people are often constructed as morally deficient, reinforcing market-driven ideas of responsibility. Racialized and gendered imagery perpetuates this.
Racialization and Criminalization of Poverty: Punitive measures targeting immigration and welfare are linked to criminalizing the poor and racial minorities. Reduced benefits, increased surveillance, and disciplinary systems are common strategies.
Rolling Back State Support: Current policies emphasize work ethics and personal responsibility, shifting blame to individuals rather than addressing structural issues.
Law and Order Policies: Policing has become a key element of neoliberal strategies in Canada's cities, responding to perceived resistance to the new market economy.
Locating the Emergence of Law-and-Order Policing: Zero-tolerance policing and aggressive policing practices emerged in the 1970s and 80s in response to economic hardship.
Policing and Resistance to the New Labour Market: Law and order policing is a direct response to working-class resistance against the new labour market, focusing on issues of vagrancy and panhandling.
From Welfare Fraud to Welfare as Fraud: Government attacks on welfare policies have disproportionately affected poor women.
Double Taxonomy of Moral Regulation: Hall's work highlight the complexities of moral regulation, emphasizing both constraint and freedom/leniency. "Self-regulation" as inextricably linked to public regulation.
Reforming Welfare in the 1990s: Reforms illustrate the shift from welfare fraud to welfare as fraud in Ontario focusing on case studies and statistical data.
Moral Regulation Revisited: The entry of women into the workforce altered prevalent norms about women's roles, altering the perception of "deserving" vs. "undeserving" women.
Women, Welfare, and the "Never Deserving" Poor: Welfare reforms disproportionately affected women, often creating conditions where these women faced increased vulnerability.
"A Bad Time to Be Poor": Neo-liberal economic and political shifts intensify poverty for recipients, particularly single mothers. Changes to the definition of spouse highlight new social standards.
Regulating, Punishing, and Excluding Single Mothers on Social Assistance: These policies disproportionately affect single mothers through regulations, restrictions, and sanctions.
Current Application of the Man-in-the-House Rule: The application and enforcement of anti-fraud regulations often target single mothers, particularly immigrant women.
Mothers' Allowance: The Genesis of the Penis Police: Historical development of welfare policies reveals moral judgments towards women in poverty.
Unmarried Mothers and the Hierarchy of Motherhood: The hierarchy of mother- hood was constructed to differentiate "deserving" and "undeserving" mothers.
The Family Benefits Act: The Act formalized rules that made it more difficult for single mothers receiving welfare assistance to have access to the program.
A Class Analysis of the Man-in-the-House Rule: The rule perpetuates class inequalities and criminalizes the poor, especially single mothers.
Women, Fear of Crime, and the Criminalization of Poverty in Toronto: Women's fear of crime is used to justify criminalizing those in poverty.
The Ontario Safe Streets Act, 2000: The act criminalized behaviors often associated with urban poverty.
Protective Men and Victimized Women: Men's Concerns for Female Safety: Gendered representations of poverty and safety are used to justify criminalizing behaviors of the poor, framing women as victims.

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Description

This quiz explores the complexities of poverty governance within the context of neoliberal policies in Canada. It delves into the intersectionality of race, gender, and criminalization of poverty, as well as the role of law-and-order policing. Test your understanding of the measures taken by governments and the implications for vulnerable groups.