Georgia welfare experiences

Employing the methodology of Foucaults genealogy and the method of focus groups, this qualitative, manuscript-based dissertation provides an in-depth exploration of welfare in the United States and Georgia. The first manuscript examined the contingencies and historical eruptions that gave rise to welfare systems today. Beginning with the Equal Opportunity Act of 1964 and ending with the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, the genealogy reveals historical contingencies that created and maintain todays welfare policies. The second manuscript builds on the first as it explores how women who receive welfare navigate the processes in place and manage the perceptions of welfare. Women who receive welfare and/or housing in Georgia discussed their welfare experiences in relation to their leisure experience. Data analysis is presented through the narrative of Sharise, a composite character constructed with transcripts, fieldnotes, and observation. Sharise described her experiences receiving welfare and it was found that the White, middle class conceptualizations of leisure employed by leisure scholars do not address or describe the leisure experiences of women who receive welfare. Implications include a call for continued and more in-depth research concerning class and leisure.