Final Paper
For my area of study, I chose to complete my observation on the employees who work for a housing assistance program. This organization is a division of housing assistance for people who identify as low-income. I conducted my observations over the course of a week in two different settings. The first for about an hour and forty-five minutes, and the second for about an hour and a half. The objective of my studies was to see how these employees act with one another, communicate with one another, when they are in different social settings. I used this information to identify and apply them to social theories I have learned over the course of the semester. I found that most housing assistance employees occupy the status as 'worker' at all times they are carrying out their roles, but I also found that some employees that occupy the status as 'worker' do not always carry out the behaviors of their roles.
As for my interviews, it was quite difficult for me to schedule interviews with some of the group members as the office was closed the week of Thanksgiving. Although I had already been to this office to perform my observations, the staff was still rude about me asking questions regarding who I could interview and how to reach them. I was able to conduct three interviews where I found that these employees assign so much meaning to their roles and actions in this group. They also display back stage behavior and say that they wish they could do more for the individuals they work with.
For my final area of research, I gathered multiple documents and videos pertaining to the housing assistance group that I have been studying. With these documents I was able to search for and code the information into different nodes. I found that framing of this group in the media is typically negative and there is not a conclusion that the general public can agree on. They recognize that there is a problem within this group, but few can propose solutions as to why we should care about this troubling condition.
Literature Review
Symbolic Interactionism-Goffman
Symbolic Interaction is a term related to the ideas of the mind, the self, and society. The fundamental imagery of the theory suggests that society is where interaction takes place. These interactions are then classified as symbols by people. But society cannot exist if individuals do not exist. There are three fundamentals to the symbolic interactionist perspective. The first states that there must be enough human social behavior interaction that includes both the perspective of the participant and the observer. The second is that the self brings a larger social organization or better structures the interaction of those people. The third states that the processes of social interaction come to existence before the self and social organization.
Symbolic Interactionism- Nature & Significance of Self, Goffman
The self is a multifaceted concept that social psychologists struggle to understand as it pertains to nature and significance. Symbolic interactionist disagree on the aspects of the self, such as the extent of it being situational and the degree to how it shapes ongoing behavior. They do believe that the self is a process of communicative activity that includes one's consciousness as well as the concept of self as a physical, social, and moral being that derives from relationships with other people (Sandstrom, Lively Martin 2013). It can also remain stagnant or transform through these same relationships. Interactionists also believe the self is a social structure and a social process. They do disagree however, on how much focus should be placed on the structure of the self, opposed to the process of the self. The increasing difficulty to obtain a unified sense of self is what makes it a social structure. As a social process, we are able to create and recreate the self through our relationships with others. Dramaturgical theorists believe the self adjusts to different contexts and interactions with different people. They state that we can realize the self in various situations. We can figure out who we are in a given situation by taking part in impression management. Impression Management is when we try to act a certain way or talk a certain way so that others will form opinions we want of ourselves and our situation (Sandstrom, Lively, Martin 2013). By focusing mainly on the present expression of the self, dramaturgical theorists fail to realize that the self is not subjected to its current situation. We also have the past and the future of the self. Therefore, we cannot just say that the self is shaped by our current situation, but rather realize that our past and present selves are shaped by these experiences.
Rethinking Symbolic Interactionism- The Presentation of Political Self
In this article, the question of how cultural environment shapes activist claims making is proposed. This report was conducted over one and one-half year with grassroots antitoxics/ant-incinerator activists. Author Timothy J. Kubal answers this question by showing how activist perfect their political claims from shifting to the back region to the front region, explaining that each region has different setbacks and opportunities that shape the construction and power of those said claims. We first look to the relationship between movement frames and the cultural environment. Kubal says resonance is the key to understanding how movement framing works. Frame resonance focuses on ideologies and beliefs but doesn't acknowledge the presentation of frames. On the other hand, cultural resonances try to understand the construction and influence of movement frames (Gamson 1998; 1992b; Gamson and Modgalini 1989). Because the two address different relationships, together they capture the interrelations between movement frames and cultural environment. On the concepts of front region and back region; activists denied that they would have different claims between regions. This was not evident in the study. They made back region claims in organizational meetings, personal conversations, and other personal areas while front region claims were made to the general public. Kubal then uses the idea that region and cultural resonance are responsible for shaping activist frames into conventional styles, forms, and themes. He states that the ideas of cultural resonance are responsible for providing a significant idea of frame resonance by highlighting the link between the interpersonal level and cultural context, examining individual mobilization, and avoiding the black box and tautology problems. Although cultural resonance does not shed light on individual mobilization, it provides great explanations for the construction of movement frames, the arrival of protest, and brings to light questions about movement outcomes (Polletta 1997; Williams and Kubal forthcoming).
Ethnomethodology, Phenomemology, and Auto-ethnoography- Accounts as Assembled from Breaching Experiments
Breaching experiments were first introduced to sociological literature by Harold Garfinkel. These experiments demonstrate how we violate expected behaviors. One area of these experiments that has not been touched on is the mental state of the people who volunteer in them. Author Gregory Stanford says that breaching experiments can be used to create experimenter anxiety and this something that can be studied. In this reading, he presents a sociological explanation of this anxiety. These insights deem to explain the influence of social situations on the individual's mental states, in addition to an understanding of how people explain their behavior.
Methods
Ethnography is a research method that involves interacting and talking with people in a setting. The first step in conducting ethnographic research is to choose a setting. Sometimes you may not be able to choose your setting but that's okay because in a case where you are hired to collect data, your setting will be chosen for you. When choosing a setting, it is important to select one that will allow you to study it in its entirety. You want to consider the accessibility, interest and cost of the setting. How you present yourself to your field of interest will determine how far you will get in your studies. This will include the way you dress, speak, your demeanor and so on. In approaching a setting, you should also consider anything about the setting that could be relevant to allowing or denying you access. Once you have been given access to a setting you will set a date and time with the person in charge to complete your observation. In some settings key informants may help you gain access to different situations and connections. These key informants are most likely the ones that allowed entrance into the setting. In addition to gaining access to situations, researchers may move around in a space with others in what is called a go-along. They may also engage in shadowing where they focus on aspects of the setting. When you feel that your observations are no longer yielding new and interesting data, you may leave the field. You must do this in a respectable and thoughtful manner especially if you plan on having access to this area of study in the future. If you are already a member of the group you are studying, you must learn to keep your thoughts and observations separate.
The second major qualitative method used together with fieldwork or itself is research interviewing. Interviews may be conducted face-to-face, by telephone, or electronically. Non-research interviewing provides the intent of getting to know the interviewer better. Research interviewing is a special kind of conversation where the interviewer questions the respondent on a topic of interest to the respondent. Research interviews are typically done only once. The decision to use the interview approach in qualitative studies depends on the kind of research questions you wish to answer. The following is a guided rule for research: if you are interested in behavior and interaction, use ethnographic method; if you are interested in biography and accounts, use the interview method; and if you are interested in both, use both methods. You should design research questions that will get you the most information from the respondent. The easiest and least disturbing questions should come first. This is because you want to build rapport with the respondent who might not be as open to answering questions in the beginning of the interview, but might be willing to as the interview goes on. You should be careful in asking questions that may come off as misleading or bullying to the respondent. Your instructor may ask you to obtain an informed consent form to ensure confidentiality of your respondents. Therefore, you will not use any names of the persons or the name of the group you're studying. You will not and cannot interview children and minors and people who are currently institutionalized like prisoners. It is the responsibility of the researcher to provide information about any potential harm that might happen to the respondent as a result of participating in the interview. There are also other ways to conduct interviews besides face-to-face interviews.
Methods: Ethnography
I completed two different observations over the course of one week in order to collect my data. The first observation was done at the beginning of the week on November 5, 2018 at 3:17 pm while sitting at the main office desk. This observation lasted about an hour and forty-five minutes. The second observation was done that same week on November 9, 2018 at 2 o' clock pm while sitting in an office meeting. The meeting lasted about an hour and I stayed after for about half an hour observing the aftermath. The first observation included two women participants and the second observation included a group of 9 employees, both men and women. The group was about two thirds women and one third men. The data collected during my observation consisted of thick description and theory. I used the Nvivo software to upload my field notes and analyze my data. With this software I was able to code my information into five different nodes. The first being thick description, second is roles and statuses, third is definition of the situation, fourth is front stage/back stage, and lastly meaningful action. With Nvivo I also ran queries and word frequency queries. I enjoyed running the word frequency queries because I think they give you good insight into patterns within the data.
Methods: Interviews
I conducted two interviews on Tuesday November 27th, 2018 and another on Monday December 3rd, 2018. The first was with the supervisor of the program and the other was with a counselor. The last interview was with a Social worker/Case worker. The first one was quite short and only lasted about fifteen minutes. The second was half an hour, and the third was about twenty minutes. I asked questions that I thought would receive the most feedback and questions that I found interesting about the organization. I'll admit I felt awkward at the start of the interviews, but once the respondent went into detail about their work, I felt more comfortable. With the data collected, I used Nvivo to code my information into five different nodes; roles and statuses, front stage/back stage, definition of the situation, meaningful action, and critical theory. I also conducted queries and word frequency queries to help me recognize patterns in the data and make contributions to my nodes.
Methods: Content Analysis
I searched the internet for videos, news articles, information forums and direct websites relating to my group and used Nvivo to analyze and then code this data. I conducted this research over the course of a week until I felt I had exhausted all media outlets. I used the Ncapture feature to transport videos into Nvivo where I could analyze and code the comments into different nodes. I also did this for the documents that I wanted to use. I coded the data into five different nodes with the first being controlling images, the second typification, the third claims, the fourth a combination of grounds, warrants, and conclusions, and finally, framing. I also conducted word frequency queries to help me find some of the major themes occurring in the data.
Analysis: Ethnography
Thick Description
For my first observation I sat at the main desk at the front office of the group's building where I observed the two women who worked there. I describe the office as follows,
There are sliding doors to the entrance and the floor is tile. When you first walk in you are directed to a couple of iPads on a counter where you must check in for your appointment. There is a security officer who stands next to the main desk in the front. This office and waiting room are very small. There are only a few seats to sit in, about twelve total and many people are left standing.
This office also has four cubicles across from the main desk with high walls to give the person next to them privacy. There were signs at the front desk headlining things like "NO RECEIPTS", "MUST HAVE VALID ID", and so forth. These signs were translated in three different languages. Behind the two desks there was a hutch. This is where the printer was and there were binders on top of it and plants at the very top. These were not real plants, but rather the plastic plants used in offices for decoration. There were various pictures hanging on the wall. Most of them were family oriented I assume to show that the organization caters to families as I noted in my observation,
There is a picture of a child hanging on the wall behind the desk. There are also fake green plants behind the main desk and there are other pictures hanging on the walls including one of a family, and another of a backyard of a house with children playing outside.
To get to these desks there is a small swinging door that must be opened with a key. The two women sitting at these desks were dressed business casual. One was dressed in black slacks with a beige sweater and she had brunette colored hair. She wore a very distinct reddish pink colored lipstick. The other woman was wearing khakis with a pink blouse. She had blonde hair and a necklace with quarter size rocks that were turquoise. They both had wallet size pictures of children in the corner of their desks.
For my second observation, I was able to attend a group meeting of employees from different departments with the Director of Services. This observation took place at the same building as my first observation, except I could go to the back where other employees worked. I describe my experience as the following,
As I walked through the hall there were offices on my left and on my right. There were a couple of plants outside of these offices and hanging pieces of art on some of the walls. The meeting was held in a conference room with chairs at a big round table. The table was nice. Looked like it was oak wood. The chairs were comfortable as well.
I sat in this conference room waiting for the employees to arrive. They started to file in, and after they all found a seat some of them got up to go talk to others. I noticed right away that there were more women in this group than there were men.
These men and women were all dressed rather nicely, and their clothing made for good description. It was as if they were asked to follow a different dress code than the ladies out front because their outfits although different, represented that business type of style.
Some of the men wore ties with colorful designs like dots or stripes, and some of the men wore solid color ties. The women wore slacks, pencil skirts, and button up blouses. One of the blouses that stuck out to me was a yellow mustard blouse with blue and red flowers on it. The front of the blouse was tied in a bow that hung from the woman's neck.
There was another woman that caught my eye. She was wearing a pair of wedges that had a colorful flower design on her heel. The flowers were red, pink and yellow. When the director walked in everyone took a seat and looked his way. He was dressed a little differently. He wore dark jeans and a blue and white button up collared shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He carried a yellow notepad which I assume had his notes for the meeting. He read a list of topics they would be covering and told the people in the group that they would have a chance to ask questions as the meeting went on. He asked for someone to keep track of the time and to let him know when they were ten minutes from reaching an hour. They got through almost all the topics except the last one. The director stated that this last topic could be discussed at their next meeting and he ended there. I stayed after the meeting to observe more employee interaction.
Roles and Statuses
In my first observation I mentioned two women who I watched work and communicate with each other at the front desk of the office. I will refer to them as woman #1 and woman #2. Both women identify as their status being worker or employee. They both have similar roles. Here is a short description of the first woman,
Woman #1 (we'll call her shy) identifies as worker. Her role is to assist people in checking in, explain forms, update them on their assistance status, and explain what their next step(s) are in the process.
Now here is a description of the second woman,
Woman #2 identifies as a worker as well (we'll call her "bossy") but she seems to have more superiority over the shy girl despite their same status. She makes her status very apparent to the people she is helping.
I was able to notice some differences between how the two women executed their roles as I observed them. Here is how woman #1 executed her role,
When she calls people up to her desk, she speaks to them softly. She looks at them with deep concern and makes eye contact with them when they are saying something to her.
And here is how woman #2 executed her role,
Her duties include the same ones as shy girl, but she is more assertive. She yells people's names when it is their turn to go up to the desk. She speaks very loudly when she is communicating with her clients. She does not make eye contact with them when she is assisting their needs, but rather stares at the computer in search of whatever it is they are asking for.
Definition of the situation
Per my observation, I found that the two women defined the situation differently. Woman #1 seemed to have the idea that she works for the people, and not the organization in general. She knew that she was in a position to help others,
She has the tools to help people, but she also expects them to ask her for help. It seems that she wants to treat the people who come up to her with respect and that is why she listens to them carefully and reiterates what they have said. She defines the people in the situation as helpless.
Woman #2 seemed to have a different idea of how the situation was defined. She sees herself in a position of power and makes it known to the clients she is working with. Her lack of making eye contact with the people she is speaking to goes to show that she sees them as being less superior to her. After all, she is not the one who is there to ask for help.
In her interactions with her clients, she asks all the questions and tells them what to do. She makes her instructions very clear and sees that if the client does not listen to her, they will have to start over from step 1.
The members in the group meeting defined the situation differently than the workers who were in the front. They defined that this meeting was of importance and that it was mandatory. They knew that there were certain expectations that came with this meeting such as,
They were expected to attend a meeting with someone who holds power in their organization. They were also expected to pay attention to whomever was speaking.
Front stage/Back stage
In my first observation I did witness both front and back stage behaviors. I remember being surprised to hear talk about another employee so soon. This is an example of backstage behavior,
The three of them began to talk about this 'disliked employee' who I later found out was one of their supervisors. They also talked about their children and about their plans for the upcoming holiday.
The employees also displayed front stage behaviors as they were dealing with clients. This is how they would act with them,
They were respectful to their clients, they listened and offered instruction, and greeted them when they approached their desks.
For my second observation I witnessed more front stage behavior than backstage behavior. I think this had to do with the fact that it was a group setting and not just two or three members of the group. Front stage behavior occurred when the work meeting began,
When the director of services entered the room, everyone lowered their voices and went back to their seats. He was the one facilitating the meeting. He greeted everyone at the table and began the meeting. Everyone seemed to be displaying their front stage behavior as they were engaged, asking questions, and taking down notes.
In this setting, the front stage behavior kicked in when a person of authority was in front of the group. This group member did not display backstage behavior throughout the entirety of the meeting.
I did see some backstage behavior from the employees before the meeting began. Some were talking and joking amongst themselves, and others were talking about their own physical features like their hair.
Meaningful action
After reviewing my first observation, I didn't have an idea of what the meaningful action could be. The meaning of their actions brings self fulfilment. I think that the behaviors they partake in are meant to be positive but may sometimes come out in a negative manner.
I can tell that they get frustrated and may not feel appreciated by the people they work with, but they continue to engage in their behaviors because they know that it is all they can do.
The ultimate goal is to help those in need, but it may take a while for that person to get there. It is the positive outcome of their help that these women look for,
It is the feeling of accomplishment that they strive for when they see a client receive the assistance they need or that the client goes on to do well after working with them.
The second observation is quite similar, but the meaningful action is communication. The patterns of behavior lead to communicating with the group to help them succeed as a whole.
They must come together to create ideas, follow guidelines, and make decisions based on the cases they work with. They are here to help people in the community by providing housing assistance and working to gather more methods of funding.
Like the other members in their group, they too become frustrated with their work, but this frustration does not make them quit. They strive to do good for their clients and when their clients succeed, they succeed.
Analysis: Interview
Roles and Statuses
In my interviews I asked the respondents what their positions were in the group, and what roles they carried out while in these positions. I interviewed three people from different departments within the organization, but they all had similarities in common. The first interview was with a supervisor. She stated her organization name, so I had to cut that part out of the data. She holds a higher status in comparison to her employees and had this to say about her role,
Well, just like most supervisors, I oversee everybody else and kind of designate every role between (named group program) and everything else that everybody does I, kind of tell them what to do. I look over the applications. I mean, each employee like I take a second glance at everybody and everything and make sure everything was good
During the interview she took a few calls and asked me to pause while she responded to an email. She takes her position seriously and helps her employees as much as she can.
The second individual I interviewed was a counselor for the group. She too mentioned the name of the organization when she stated what she did. She seemed a bit timid when I was interviewing her, but overall, she is a great speaker. Here is a description of the roles she carries out in her position,
I help people through the application process and show them what they need to be doing. And if they have any questions, I am there helping them out.
She also talked about her status as a student before she obtained her position in this organization,
I went to school for human resources, and then I applied for the job just to get some experience and then just started worked working here.
Most people who work in this assistance program have to have a Bachelor's degree or higher, so the other two interviewers I spoke with also commented on the time they were students and how they came to work for this group.
The last gentleman who was a Social Worker, gave good detail when talking about his role,
Well, I work with families, and then just individuals to an order, helping them get home or medical care based on their needs, and what their income is, and what they can actually afford or what we can help them get. Well, I mean, I meet with them, I call my clients. I mean, with my clients, I find out what I can about them. And then I let them know about what things they're eligible to apply for.
Front stage/back stage
From talking to the individuals in this group, I learned the kind of front stage behavior they had to display when helping their clients. They ask them questions about themselves in order to assess their situations and determine what kind of assistance they would be eligible for. They are to treat applicants with respect and offer them support as best as they can (front stage) but recognize that sometimes their personal biases (back stage) interfere with how they work on certain cases. The Supervisor stated that although she knows you are not to get personally involved, it is difficult when you come across someone that makes you want to work harder to get them assistance,
But there's those cases that just kind of stick to you. I think everybody gets those, even if you're in your daily life, you get those people you meet that just stick so I would say I try to keep my biases neutral. It's just everybody has that one person.
The Social worker also had similar feelings when it came to not getting personally involved. He mentioned how he will dwell in his personal life about the people he meets who he could not help,
It definitely does affect a person day to day even though I try not to let it. It is your job, you take it home with you. Even though you're out of the workplace, you're still thinking about it.
As far as biases he felt he did have some towards certain individuals and would think about them when dealing with applications. There was an example he gave about how he would want to give more help to a single mother rather than a gentleman who he knew was in a gang saying,
Why should she have to struggle to find a home and barely keep a roof over her head…? Because you know, she doesn't really have an out and this person chose to get involved with the wrong people and yet, we're deciding that, Oh, well, you qualify better. I'd have to try and keep my personal views out of it and go with what our job is to just help the people that need it more, even if I personally don't feel that that's the case.
Definition of the situation
We know that the role of the group members is to help people, but I wanted to know how they defined the situation when they had to deny people support. I asked them what is stressful about their work and how they feel in those situations. The Supervisor said it was the people she has to interact with is the most stressful, but also when it came to decision making,
It's hard for me to come up with the answers because I have to put myself in that family or that person's position. And that's kind of one of the biggest things for me is trying to make the right decision, even when I might be wrong. I feel like we make a lot of right decisions, but sometimes people are not happy and it's just not the best feeling.
She has to really assess the situation and find a solution to the problems that employees bring to her. When she does something "right" it may not be of benefit to the client and she feels upset about it.
The counselor who assists people in the application process, defined the program itself as a success step for clients. She stated,
I do think it helps people a lot those who need a helping hand who need to get on their feet, at least so they can be on their own, they have their own means of income, a job, a steady job, and once they're ready, they don't need our services anymore, they can go ahead and leave us but for the time being, everyone needs a helping hand.
The Social worker defined the situation as helping keep people off of the streets and thought that although the job is stressful, less people are on the streets because of housing assistance programs,
I think that through doing this that helps keep a lot of individuals off the streets, which may be considered like mentally ill people, they may be considered just crazy homeless people to the average citizen, but that's not the case.
Meaningful action
Through my interviews I was not only able to hear but see the look on the respondent's faces when we talked about what part of their jobs is meaningful. They do find the job itself rewarding, but there were certain points that they described the feelings they felt when they were able to be of service to their clients. The Supervisor said,
I think the best part is working with families I get to help a lot of families out putting them in homes now. There's a lot of families that can't have homes and we help them out and just to see their smile on their faces and everything else.
This is meaningful to her because she feels like she is contributing to eliminating the homeless problem.
I think if we didn't have this, we would have more homeless on the street, and we don't because of what we do.
As for the counselor, she finds meaning in helping clients better their lives,
I think getting the help from us, everybody that's approved, they, there's some people that don't have their life together, I think I've seen more people expand and improve their lives just from the help from us and I've seen families grow.
Critical Theory
In the conversations I had with the group members, I noticed that they all talked about how they wish they could do more and how it was sad when there was no way they could help clients. All three of them pointed to "the system" as to why there wasn't enough funding going to helping people in need and that there is more and more people trying to get help making things competitive amongst those living in poverty. The Supervisor has dealt with people yelling at her and recalls several times when,
They're crying to my employees; my employees are asking me what they should do and sometimes we just don't have the answers. It's just the way the system is and everything else. We have denied them, and it sucks.
The members also acknowledge the criticism as to why they don't receive as much support, and the stigma society has against those who receive assistance, but that doesn't stop them from wanting to provide help and recognizing that it is those in power who make up "the system".
The Social worker stated,
There's support sure. But like I said, the, the need is greater than the support we actually have for these people.
The other part in the process that he says can be unfair is when a client is receiving help or getting support, but they don't meet all the qualifications necessary they are discontinued from the program,
Even though I know that they after working with this family for sometimes months, that I know can use the help or this individual could use the help he doesn't qualify because he's missing one thing, or maybe isn't, he's not impoverished enough or maybe he isn't disabled enough or something like that. So it feels it's rough.
Analysis: Content Analysis
Controlling images
For controlling images I came across a video and news article that talked about a government official for the housing department who is urging Congress to raise the rent for the people who are receiving housing assistance. In his statements he produces the image of the people in this group as ones who do not work and must do so to rise out of poverty. In his proposal for the raise he stated,
"The way we calculate the level of assistance to our families is convoluted and creates perverse consequences, such as discouraging these families from earning more income and becoming self-sufficient,"
A lot of people did not seem very pleased with him as they believed he would help support those receiving housing assistance and voted for him. I think this is a perfect example of someone who is in a dominant position aiming to create an image of the people who are housing assistance recipients.
Another quote coming from this same article included a statement from the President,
"Earlier this month President Trump issued an executive order directing the secretaries of labor, commerce, HUD and five other departments to "do everything within [their] authority to empower individuals by providing opportunities for work, including by investing in Federal programs that are effective at moving people into the workforce and out of poverty."
This statement creates the image that the individuals in housing assistance do not work. This is not always the case, but a statement like this coming from the President will most likely lead to others believing that these group members are not employed. Some of the comments from this video focused on the political parties in power such as Democrats and Republicans when speaking on this issue. They blamed one party or the other for not being able to improve their circumstances but other commenters would not hear of it.
The comments of the people in this group have projected a negative image to the general public similar to what one person said,
"I hear you! Even in my country, some people talk as if those of us in State housing, are using the system while we hide all our millions under the mattress. Shaking my head."
Typification
There were a lot of comments made in a video about people who receive housing assistance for a period of more than five years and how they generalized their situations to the many others. One person commented,
"I came from a dirt poor family who worked like rented mules for a meager earning. I found a way to get out. Hard work and perseverance. Their are far more freeloaders than people like to admit. And yes, a have 3 rental properties. I am in no way a what you like to think i am. No free rides. Unfortunately, many do not feel the way i do about the system, and they like to take advantage of it, in a bad way."
Comments like these were very common in calling group members names like "freeloaders" and "moochers" who they said were simply not working hard enough and needed to do what was necessary to help them get off of assistance. There were also angry commentators who were angry about paying taxes into these types of programs,
"Sure do it then you will end up raising taxes to get the lazy mother******* up and give them a job instead of them living as leeches of society"
Others commented on the poor not "being smart" and investing their money like the rich do. Another commentator focused on the government stating,
"trump has a bunch of billionaire in his cabinet who they don't care about the struggling working or poor families because they have money trump has not stepped foot in a poor black or latino neighborhood because he don't give a damn he cares about his money and power and what he can get and the people who voted for him will see too when his decision hurt their pockets"
Claims
For this section I studied the documents produced by the housing assistance programs that described claims. Some talked about the equal opportunity for recipients, why these programs may not necessarily be working, and the affect these programs have on people of color. In this first quote, a document from the Housing of Urban Development was used where they stated the following,
"The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO), administratively enforces Federal statutes, executive orders and regulations designed to afford all persons an equal opportunity to live in housing of their choice and to participate in HUD-assisted programs and activities."
In this claim they are making a statement of the goal intended for this group of persons. In the next quote of information, this document was referring to the problem with the current system in place having to do with housing assistance,
"Having earned income, however, does not mean having enough income to afford housing. The single biggest problem with the current housing voucher program is that federal spending for affordable housing is woefully inadequate."
The last quote for this section made a claim that the voucher system currently in place for low-income recipients is not effective,
"Vouchers have not been as effective in promoting residential mobility and choice among minority recipients as they have been for whites. But even for African Americans and Hispanics, vouchers perform better than public and assisted housing projects in giving families access to low-poverty and racially mixed neighborhoods."
Grounds/warrants/conclusions
There were so many comments made for grounds but not as many for conclusions or warrants. The data didn't show promise in the ideas people may have for why we should care about the issues at hand, but did offer sufficient evidence of what we could do to provide a solution to this problem. One of the problems is that people need assistance, but those receiving it are not always successful in utilizing that assistance,
"6.1 million Low-income renters still face severe housing hardship—paying more than half their monthly income for housing, or living in seriously run-down or overcrowded housing".
The group who offers assistance can only do so much, this is where organizers believe others contributing factors are to blame,
Not all families who receive vouchers are able to find a house or apartment where they can use them. Shortages of moderately priced rental housing, tight market conditions, racial and ethnic discrimination, landlords who are unwilling to accept voucher payments, and ineffective local administration all contribute to this problem.
The following were identified as possible solutions the group could work on:
"Mobility counseling and assistance can help voucher recipients understand the locational options available, identify housing opportunities, and negotiate effectively with landlords; aggressive landlord outreach, service, and incentives can substantially expand the housing options available to voucher recipients; and regional collaboration and/or regional administration of the voucher program can help address the administrative"
Framing
I really enjoyed searching and analyzing through the data to relate it to the framing concept. I think it's a great concept and can be noticed when analyzing data carefully. The comments that I was able to code came from news videos showing members of the group all gathered in one place to reach an intended goal. I believe the media focused on the African Americans in this group and portrayed them in a way that the masses would respond negatively. The following was the first comment that I came across,
"Did you see all those colored people with gold jewelry and even gold teeth? Those teeth are like $1,500 each. Did you hear one woman say she works, pays her rent, bills, groceries yet is applying so she has it easy? Wow, deadbeats. One colored woman said "you don't win the lottery if you don't enter". Scum. Everyone trying to scam the system while those that need it are denied"
The second comment is just as harsh and was a common one amongst the people who made negative comments,
"I am so tired of these videos of blacks acting like society owes them something and how the fake news portrays them as a victim! Why do they (blacks) have so many kids when they know they cannot afford them?"
Lastly, the people being commented on are called names like "ghetto" and once again "lazy",
"It appears the ghetto and lazy are rewarded in this country. Section 8 is a terrible program that allows the ghetto into once clean/pristine neighborhoods."
Conclusion
After studying the group of people who work for housing assistance, I know that they can take on different roles and statuses in different settings of their workplace. I also know that the group displays more front stage behavior when a powerful member of the group is present. Lastly, the meaning of their actions is to gain a rewarding experience. Their actions give them a type of self fulfilment that makes continue to work in their positions.
After talking with members of the group, I now have an idea of what it is like to be a part of the housing assistance organization. I found that the members find their actions in their roles very meaningful. They are filled with gratitude when their clients are successful, and there are times where their biases and backstage behavior is displayed when working with applicants.
In my content analysis research, I found many occurring themes and patterns of behavior of the people who are participants in my group's area of study. There were many typifications found throughout the data, plenty of ways the group was framed, and lastly not very many conclusions were presented for the social problems identified in this group.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Discovering Qualitative Methods: Ethnography, Interviews, Documents, and Images, Third Edition. 2014. Carol A. B. Warren and Tracy Xavia Karner
Ethnomethodology, Phenomemology, and Auto-Ethnoography- Accounts as Assembled from Breaching Experiments
Rethinking Symbolic Interactionism- The Presentation of Political Self
Symbolic Interactionism- Nature & Significance of Self, Goffman
Symbolic Interactionism, Goffman
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