Dignity and Dreams: What the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Means to Low-Income Families

Jennifer Sykes; Katrin Križ; Kathryn Edin; Sarah Halpern-Meekin

doi:10.1177/0003122414551552

Dignity and Dreams: What the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Means to Low-Income Families

Jennifer Sykes, Katrin Križ, Kathryn Edin, Sarah Halpern-Meekin

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

136 Scopus citations

Abstract

Money has meaning that shapes its uses and social significance, including the monies low-income families draw on for survival: wages, welfare, and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). This study, based on in-depth interviews with 115 low-wage EITC recipients, reveals the EITC is an unusual type of government transfer. Recipients of the EITC say they value the debt relief this government benefit brings. However, they also perceive it as a just reward for work, which legitimizes a temporary increase in consumption. Furthermore, unlike other means-tested government transfers, the credit is seen as a springboard for upward mobility. Thus, by conferring dignity and spurring dreams, the EITC enhances feelings of citizenship and social inclusion.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	243-267
Number of pages	25
Journal	American Sociological Review
Volume	80
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/0003122414551552
State	Published - Apr 27 2015
Externally published	Yes

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Sociology and Political Science

Keywords

Earned Income Tax Credit
economic sociology
poverty
working poor

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10.1177/0003122414551552

Cite this

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abstract = "Money has meaning that shapes its uses and social significance, including the monies low-income families draw on for survival: wages, welfare, and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). This study, based on in-depth interviews with 115 low-wage EITC recipients, reveals the EITC is an unusual type of government transfer. Recipients of the EITC say they value the debt relief this government benefit brings. However, they also perceive it as a just reward for work, which legitimizes a temporary increase in consumption. Furthermore, unlike other means-tested government transfers, the credit is seen as a springboard for upward mobility. Thus, by conferring dignity and spurring dreams, the EITC enhances feelings of citizenship and social inclusion.",

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AU - Edin, Kathryn

AU - Halpern-Meekin, Sarah

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © American Sociological Association 2014

PY - 2015/4/27

Y1 - 2015/4/27

N2 - Money has meaning that shapes its uses and social significance, including the monies low-income families draw on for survival: wages, welfare, and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). This study, based on in-depth interviews with 115 low-wage EITC recipients, reveals the EITC is an unusual type of government transfer. Recipients of the EITC say they value the debt relief this government benefit brings. However, they also perceive it as a just reward for work, which legitimizes a temporary increase in consumption. Furthermore, unlike other means-tested government transfers, the credit is seen as a springboard for upward mobility. Thus, by conferring dignity and spurring dreams, the EITC enhances feelings of citizenship and social inclusion.

AB - Money has meaning that shapes its uses and social significance, including the monies low-income families draw on for survival: wages, welfare, and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). This study, based on in-depth interviews with 115 low-wage EITC recipients, reveals the EITC is an unusual type of government transfer. Recipients of the EITC say they value the debt relief this government benefit brings. However, they also perceive it as a just reward for work, which legitimizes a temporary increase in consumption. Furthermore, unlike other means-tested government transfers, the credit is seen as a springboard for upward mobility. Thus, by conferring dignity and spurring dreams, the EITC enhances feelings of citizenship and social inclusion.

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Dignity and Dreams: What the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Means to Low-Income Families

Abstract

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Keywords

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