Income inequality has become a critical concern in modern society, with significant implications for economic opportunity, social mobility, and the overall …show more content…
In the past, welfare programs were set up to help families where the dad couldn't work because he had passed away, left the family, or couldn't work due to a disability. The idea was to give cash assistance to single moms so they could take care of their kids at home instead of sending them to institutions. Changes in society and welfare have dramatically altered over time. More mothers find themselves single due to divorce, separation, or having kids without getting married. Also, in the late 1900s, a lot of African Americans moved to cities looking for work, which made poverty more visible to white people. So, the people receiving welfare started looking different. Instead of mostly widows, more single moms were divorced, separated, or never married. In the late 1930s, about half of the families getting help were led by widows. But by 1960, that number dropped to about 10%, and the percentage of Black families getting welfare went up (Cauthen and