The Self-Concept of Welfare Recipients

Do persons receiving welfare feel differently about themselves and others than persons who are not welfare recipients? Does duration of time on welfare have any bearing on these feelings? To answer these questions the writer compared 2 groups of clients who were receiving services from the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, using a number of scales that reflected attitudes regarding self and others. One group consisted of clients who were on welfare at the time of application for rehabilitation services and the other group consisted of those who were not. The welfare group was further broken down into 3 groups on the basis of the duration of time that they had been on welfare. No differences were found between any of the groups on self-concept, self-acceptance, ideal-self or concept of others. Some variables that might be masking the hypothesized differences, thus accounting for the present findings, are discussed.