Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research - Research Publications
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ItemNo Preview AvailableNews media representations of people receiving income support and the production of stigma power: An empirical analysis of reporting on two Australian welfare payments(SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD, 2022-11)People receiving working-age income support payments are often stigmatised as morally and/or behaviourally deficient. We consider the role of the media, as a potential source of structural stigma, in perpetuating negative characterisations of people in receipt of either the Disability Support Pension (DSP) or unemployment benefits (Newstart) during a major period of welfare reform in Australia. Newspaper articles (N = 8290) that appeared in Australia’s five largest newspapers between 2001 and 2016, and referenced either payment were analysed. We found an increased use of fraud language associated with the DSP, which coincides with increased political and policy focus on this payment. We conclude that in a period of increasing political concern with welfare reform, media coverage of welfare recipients is a form of stigma power, acting discursively as symbolic violence.
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ItemIs the stereotype of welfare recipients associated with type of welfare state regime? A cross-national meta-regression of the stereotype content model(WILEY, 2022-04)Abstract The association of societal‐level structural factors with stereotypes and stigma can be examined using the stereotype content model (SCM). The main aim of the current study was to review and synthesize all available research data of SCM dimensions of Warmth and Competence perceptions of welfare recipients, and compare the ratings in different types of social welfare regimes (Nordic, Conservative, and Liberal). To do this, we reviewed all published literature using the SCM methodology to assess stereotypes of welfare recipients and perfomed a cross‐national meta‐regression of 17 datasets (total N = 1797) drawn from six countries representing three types of welfare regimes. In each of the studies, participants were asked how others in their country viewed welfare recipients on the dimensions of warmth and competence. We predicted and found support for the hypothesis that countries with a Nordic welfare regime have a warmer cultural stereotype of welfare recipients than countries with a Liberal or Conservative regime. However, the expected association between Liberal welfare regime and incompetence stereotypes was not found. Supplementary analyses showed that the type of welfare regime better explained country differences in welfare stereotypes than country differences in income inequality. This study demonstrates how stereotypes of warmth and competence vary across welfare regimes, adding to knowledge about how societal‐level factors are related to cultural stereotypes.
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ItemIs unemployment benefit stigma related to poverty, payment receipt, or lack of employment? A vignette experiment about Australian views(Wiley, 2022-05-06)The present study sought to better understand the extent to which negative perceptions of people who receive unemployment benefits is due to their poverty status, their unemployment, and/or their receipt of income support payments. We sought to differentiate these three factors in a vignette-based experiment drawing on a large Australian general population sample (N = 778). Participants rated the personality and capability of two fictional characters. The key experimental manipulation of employment status and benefit receipt was embedded in description of other characteristics. Participants rated vignette characters who received unemployment benefits less favorably on personality (conscientiousness, emotional stability, agreeableness), competence, and warmth than characters described as having a job, as being poor, or as not having a job but without mention of receiving benefits. There was a gradient in the strength of negative assessments across these conditions, but only warmth, conscientiousness and employability distinguished between individuals receiving unemployment benefits and individuals without a job but no reference to benefit receipt. This study provides new insights showing that receiving benefits due to unemployment contributes to negative perceptions over and above the effects of poverty or being unemployed.
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ItemOne 'welfare recipient' stereotype or many? Using the stereotype content model to examine the stereotypes of different categories of benefit recipients(WILEY, 2022-07)Abstract The stereotype content model (SCM) provides a basis to investigate stereotypes of different social groups. Previous SCM research has shown that the “welfare recipients” are stereotyped negatively, with low warmth and low competence. However, prior research has not considered different categories of income support recipients who may be stereotyped differently. Using the SCM, we investigated the stereotypes held by the Australian general population (n = 807) towards five key social groups (unemployed, people with a mental disability, people with a physical disability, single parents, elderly). People with a mental or physical disability and the elderly were similar regardless of whether they were described as receiving income support payments or not. In contrast, the unemployed and single parents were stereotyped with significantly lower levels of warmth and competence when they were receiving payments. This research shows that the needs and circumstances of different groups may be reflected in different levels of community support.
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ItemThe persistence of welfare stigma: Does the passing of time and subsequent employment moderate the negative perceptions associated with unemployment benefit receipt?(Wiley, 2019-09-01)People receiving welfare payments are stigmatized. However, previous studies of welfare recipient stereotypes have not examined whether the stigma endures after payments are no longer received and have rarely considered the stigma associated with specific categories of welfare payments. We examined whether welfare stigma endures in three experiments (total N = 873) focused on one category of welfare recipient, people receiving government income support due to their unemployment. To test if this stigmatized identity marked or scarred how people are perceived, we compared evaluations of currently unemployed benefit recipients to currently employed people who either previously received this benefit or who had no stated history of benefit receipt. Across the three experiments, we found that current recipients of unemployment benefits were evaluated as much less conscientious, less human, and poorer workers, but as somewhat more extraverted than currently employed individuals irrespective of their welfare history. Moreover, we found that currently employed individuals were evaluated similarly, regardless of whether they had a prior history of benefit receipt, and the recency of this prior benefit experience. This pattern of results suggests that receiving unemployment benefits does not scar how a person is perceived by others, but only temporarily marks how they are perceived. These findings suggest that welfare stigma may create an evaluative barrier to returning to work, but that if this barrier can be overcome there are no negative evaluations of former recipients’ character. Overall, community members seem accepting of prior benefit receipt once a person returns to work.
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ItemPatterns of Welfare Attitudes in the Australian Population(PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE, 2015-11-10)The study of community attitudes toward welfare and welfare recipients is an area of increasing interest. This is not only because negative attitudes can lead to stigmatization and discrimination, but because of the relevance of social attitudes to policy decisions. We quantify the attitudes toward welfare in the Australian population using attitude data from a nationally representative survey (N = 3243). Although there was broad support for the social welfare system, negative attitudes are held toward those who receive welfare benefits. Using canonical correlation analysis we identify multivariate associations between welfare attitudes and respondent demographic characteristics. A primary attitudinal dimension of welfare positivity was found amongst those with higher levels of education, life instability, and personal exposure to the welfare system. Other patterns of negative welfare attitudes appeared to be motivated by beliefs that the respondent's personal circumstances indicate their deservingness. Moreover, a previously unidentified and unconsidered subset of respondents was identified. This group had positive attitudes toward receiving government benefits despite having no recent experience of welfare. They did, however, possess many of the characteristics that frequently lead to welfare receipt. These results provide insights into not only how attitudinal patterns segment across the population, but are of relevance to policy makers considering how to align welfare reform with community attitudes.
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ItemUnemployment, Employability and COVID19: How the Global Socioeconomic Shock Challenged Negative Perceptions Toward the Less Fortunate in the Australian Context(Frontiers Media, 2020-10-15)Unemployed benefit recipients are stigmatized and generally perceived negatively in terms of their personality characteristics and employability. The COVID19 economic shock led to rapid public policy responses across the globe to lessen the impact of mass unemployment, potentially shifting community perceptions of individuals who are out of work and rely on government income support. We used a repeated cross-sections design to study change in stigma tied to unemployment and benefit receipt in a pre-existing pre-COVID19 sample (n = 260) and a sample collected during COVID19 pandemic (n = 670) by using a vignette-based experiment. Participants rated attributes of characters who were described as being employed, working poor, unemployed or receiving unemployment benefits. The results show that compared to employed characters, unemployed characters were rated substantially less favorably at both time points on their employability and personality traits. The difference in perceptions of the employed and unemployed was, however, attenuated during COVID19 with benefit recipients perceived as more employable and more Conscientious than pre-pandemic. These results add to knowledge about the determinants of welfare stigma highlighting the impact of the global economic and health crisis on perception of others.
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ItemWithin-person analysis of welfare transitions in a longitudinal panel survey reveals change in mental health service use(OXFORD UNIV PRESS, 2017-12)BACKGROUND: While international research shows that receipt of welfare benefits is associated with poor mental health, less is known about the relationship between welfare receipt and mental health service use. We investigate whether within-person change in welfare recipient status is associated with change in mental health service use. METHODS: Analysis of two waves of data from an Australian national household survey. Random- and fixed-effect models considered the effect of change in welfare receipt status, and assessed whether change in mental health service use differed by type of welfare benefit or the direction of welfare transition. RESULTS: Individuals were more likely to report greater mental health service use at times of welfare receipt. These associations were attenuated, but remained significant, after adjusting for mental health. Increased health service use was not tied to specific types of welfare benefits. The increase in mental health service use associated with a transition onto welfare benefits was much greater than the decline in service use associated with the transition off benefits. CONCLUSIONS: Within individuals, welfare receipt is associated with greater mental health service use. While this does reflect poorer mental health at the time of welfare receipt, other factors seem to facilitate health service use.