Biting the Hand That Feeds Them - by Jacqueline Pope (Hardcover)

About the Book

This book examines the successful organizing and mobilization activities of urban poor women for social change and how they struggled to convince the larger society of the legitimacy of their cause. Challenging traditional views of poverty, women on welfare began demanding structural changes in the institution of social welfare in this country, but lacking the support of others their efforts were unsuccessful. To explore this issue an analysis is made of the Brooklyn Welfare Action Council (B-WAC), a grassroots cooperative established in 1967 and disbanded in 1973. Its purpose was to obtain social and economic benefits for its members through the promotion of changes within the system. The Brooklyn Council distinguished itself by being the sole welfare rights group controlled by and addressing the needs of the recipients. Demonstrations at welfare centers, disruptions at a major store as well as selling their blood are among the activities presented in sensitive, poignant, even humorous style. Taking large bites of the bureaucracy that fed them, for a time, recipients held hostage one of the most powerful agencies in the nation.

The author employs an historical approach to chronicle the welfare recipients' activities, analyze their strategies and examine B-WAC's weaknesses and strengths. Social scientists, activists, and social and program planners will find this a particularly timely book written from the perspective of an urban planner who was herself personally involved in the 1960's welfare rights movement and in this unique grassroots organization.

Book Synopsis

This book examines the successful organizing and mobilization activities of urban poor women for social change and how they struggled to convince the larger society of the legitimacy of their cause. Challenging traditional views of poverty, women on welfare began demanding structural changes in the institution of social welfare in this country, but lacking the support of others their efforts were unsuccessful. To explore this issue an analysis is made of the Brooklyn Welfare Action Council (B-WAC), a grassroots cooperative established in 1967 and disbanded in 1973. Its purpose was to obtain social and economic benefits for its members through the promotion of changes within the system. The Brooklyn Council distinguished itself by being the sole welfare rights group controlled by and addressing the needs of the recipients. Demonstrations at welfare centers, disruptions at a major store as well as selling their blood are among the activities presented in sensitive, poignant, even humorous style. Taking large bites of the bureaucracy that fed them, for a time, recipients held hostage one of the most powerful agencies in the nation.

The author employs an historical approach to chronicle the welfare recipients' activities, analyze their strategies and examine B-WAC's weaknesses and strengths. Social scientists, activists, and social and program planners will find this a particularly timely book written from the perspective of an urban planner who was herself personally involved in the 1960's welfare rights movement and in this unique grassroots organization.

Review Quotes

"A well-organized and well-written, if narrow, description of the Brooklyn Welfare Action Council (B-WAC). Founded in 1967, B-WAC was the only organization managed by welfare clients as a result of grass-roots efforts. B-WAC members formed about one third of the better-known National Welfare Rights Organization. The amazing story of how women receiving public assistance challenged traditional views of poverty and demanded fundamental changes in the institution of social welfare seems a less astounding accomplishment than it actually was because of Pope's sometimes overly restrained, methodical prose. The author examines what motivated the women to organize and what social policies and attitudes changed or did not change as a result. Pope also examines the questions of whether organization or mobilization is most effective as an avenue of positive change for low-income people; what strengths and weaknesses B-WAC had; and what the entire effort implies for other programs that encourage grass-roots leadership. . . . Pope's book is a good beginning for the story. Public and undergraduate libraries." --Choice

"Pope makes an important contribution throught her descriptive, thought-provoking case study approach. Without romanticizing the poor, she clearly illustrates how the protest model of community organizing was practiced by poor, urban minority women. Because community organizing is still developing, and is still unclear in theory, methods, and principles, her study significantly adds to our knowledge of what community organizing attempts to accomplish and some of its strengths and weaknesses." --Social Service Review

"[S]hould be read by urban planners, social workers, activists, sociologists." --Social Service Review

About the Author