Snap and Stigma: Analyzing the Food Stamps Program
Document Type
Panel Presentation
Start Date
22-4-2021 10:45 AM
Keywords
Stigma, Poverty, Snap
Biography
Paris Fairfax is a senior majoring in Psychology and Sociology at Marshall University. Her research interests include race & culture, social psychology, sex & gender, social inequalities, rural populations, health & health care disparities, sustainability, and behavioral health.
Major
Sociology
Advisor for this project
Kristi Fondren
Abstract
Hunger and access to healthy and affordable foods are challenges that many Americans living at or below the poverty level faced before the COVID-19 pandemic and the burden has worsened since its start. This additional obstacle has placed many individuals in a position to prioritize other fees, such as rent and transportation, over the necessity of food and nutrition. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers numerous nutritional assistance programs to address these issues, the largest being The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamps Program. This program provides low-income individuals and families with supplemental benefits to purchase foods and provide nutrition. Despite the known benefits of SNAP, some individuals hold negative sentiments regarding it and its expenditures. The goal of this study is to better understand varying opinions, by using online survey participant data to create generalizations to serve as a representation of the public's views and observe related stigmas. More specifically, this project investigates the impact that the SNAP program has on the United States and explores participant's demographic associations in relation to their opinions, cognitive rationality, and perception of terminology surrounding the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program using stigma and social cognition theories.
Snap and Stigma: Analyzing the Food Stamps Program
Hunger and access to healthy and affordable foods are challenges that many Americans living at or below the poverty level faced before the COVID-19 pandemic and the burden has worsened since its start. This additional obstacle has placed many individuals in a position to prioritize other fees, such as rent and transportation, over the necessity of food and nutrition. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers numerous nutritional assistance programs to address these issues, the largest being The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamps Program. This program provides low-income individuals and families with supplemental benefits to purchase foods and provide nutrition. Despite the known benefits of SNAP, some individuals hold negative sentiments regarding it and its expenditures. The goal of this study is to better understand varying opinions, by using online survey participant data to create generalizations to serve as a representation of the public's views and observe related stigmas. More specifically, this project investigates the impact that the SNAP program has on the United States and explores participant's demographic associations in relation to their opinions, cognitive rationality, and perception of terminology surrounding the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program using stigma and social cognition theories.
