Beyond Sticks and Stones: How Poverty Narratives Shape Public Assistance and Support for Guaranteed Income

My dissertation focuses on how societal narratives about poverty not only shape public perception but also drive policy decisions, particularly for women of color. Using mixed methods, I investigate how these narratives affect both public assistance recipients’ experiences and public support for guaranteed income. Through in-depth interviews with 40 Black and Pasifika women in California who accessed CalWORKs, CalFresh, or WIC, I found that dominant narratives, such as the “welfare queen” stereotype, discouraged them from seeking help, reinforcing stigma and shame. My second study, a nationally representative survey of 1,050 participants, revealed that structural explanations for poverty correlated with greater GI support, though support decreased when programs explicitly benefited Black or Native American communities. Interestingly, support for a guaranteed income for single mothers, pregnant women, or families with children under 18 years old was high among the nationally representative sample, indicating some public support for policies aimed at helping low-income families. These findings underscore the need to challenge harmful poverty narratives and promote equity-driven policies like GI.

The Abundant Birth Project

Monica has been on the evaluation team for the Abundant Birth Project (ABP) since 2020. ABP is a guaranteed income program that provides cash during pregnancy. It was developed by Expecting Justice, research partners, and the community to make birthing healthier and safer for the people facing the greatest risk during their pregnancy journey.

ABP provides cash with no strings attached as a strategy to prevent stress during pregnancy. Research shows this is likely to prevent babies from being born too early or too small and can also protect the health of the mother (or birthing parent). By providing unconditional cash, mamas have resources to support themselves and their families, and babies have the chance at a healthy start.

Diversity and Community Fellows @ UC Berkeley

Monica was a Diversity and Community fellow from 2022-2025. Fellows are current graduate students whose unifying mission is to support the development of an inclusive graduate learning community by enhancing the cultural, academic, and professional experiences of historically underrepresented students.