Papers by Carol Cleaveland
Social Work, 2010
Using semistructured interviews and participant observation, this two-year pilot study of male Me... more Using semistructured interviews and participant observation, this two-year pilot study of male Mexican migrants in Freehold, New Jersey, explored how day laborers perceive their struggles to support families despite escalating anti-immigrant legislation at virtually all levels of government. In particular, the author looks at efforts by Mexican migrants to contest characterizations of them as "illegal", a term that has clear connotations of criminality, and to distance themselves from others who commit crimes. Migrants questioned the moral legitimacy of U.S. immigration laws, an indicator that vigorous legal efforts to thwart their arrival could prove fruitless.This finding is critical for social work, which must find the means to serve this vulnerable population.
Journal of Progressive Human Services, Nov 21, 2008
Welfare has been stigmatized as a benefit for poor African-Americans, in particular for blacks ac... more Welfare has been stigmatized as a benefit for poor African-Americans, in particular for blacks accused of sexual promiscuity and a weak work ethic. Stigma has been found to demoralize welfare recipients, alienate middle-class voters who resent tax expenditures for public assistance, and fuel conservative support for legislation limiting welfare. This article describes another aspect of the stigmatization of welfare as a "black benefit"-the belief by some poor whites that they have experienced racial discrimination when trying to access cash assistance and other benefits. Drawing on data gathered as part of a larger, 18-month qualitative study, this article examines how impoverished whites in Philadelphia view welfare receipt and race. Ugly racial epithets and stereotypes were typically used when describing frustration over lack of access to welfare and other social services.
Affilia, Nov 1, 2007
The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 allowed states to imp... more The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 allowed states to impose sanctions, that is, to revoke cash assistance for nonpregnant women on welfare as punishment for noncompliance with the new work requirements. In addition, the law called for women's benefits from Temporary Assistance for Needy Family benefits to be terminated after 5 years. This article, which reports on an ethnographic study of 29 women in two Philadelphia neighborhoods during an 18-month period, illuminates the women's struggles with the receipt of welfare and a new law that compelled them to find work, even when it meant earning wages that were below the poverty level. It examines how the women attempted to achieve agency after they were sanctioned or had their benefits terminated.
Families in society-The journal of contemporary social services, Dec 10, 2018
Social work scholarship on neoliberalism-the dominant ideology and policies shaping access to hou... more Social work scholarship on neoliberalism-the dominant ideology and policies shaping access to housing, jobs, healthcare, and education-is in its infancy. This study examines the groundlevel impact of the subprime mortgage crisis that triggered the Great Recession in 2008, examining how homeowners interpreted the changes to their neighborhood as they witnessed a remarkably high rate of foreclosures during the economic collapse of 2008-2010. Residents of a suburban community were unaware of the lending and banking practices that transformed their neighborhoods, though these policies arguably depreciated house values and a sense of well-being. Not knowing the culpability of predatory lenders in the crisis, some residents turned to an anti-immigrant social movement to preserve their community.
Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, 2017
Not only is the question of immigration controversial, it is complexladen with legal nuances as w... more Not only is the question of immigration controversial, it is complexladen with legal nuances as well as implications for human and civil rights. This article provides an overview of what happens to an immigrant who seeks to enter the country 'legally,' as well as the challenges for an immigrant who enters the country without authorization. Social workers who serve immigrants may find themselves called on to advocate for clients as they traverse a labyrinthine court system. I introduce this system to help practitioners and students understand the paths to legal immigration in the United States, as well as barriers to those who cannot access this system. I explain the system to offer insight into why 11.9 million immigrants have entered the U.S. without authorization rather than attempt legal means to immigrate.
Families in society-The journal of contemporary social services, Apr 1, 2011
An estimated 10 million undocumented immigrants now live in the United States, prompting calls fo... more An estimated 10 million undocumented immigrants now live in the United States, prompting calls for law enforcement crackdowns and pleas for stringent immigration controls. Social workers and agencies lack the resources to address the needs of this population and are often hindered in service delivery efforts by local anti-immigrant ordinances. This article argues that the sociological theory of social space can be used within a person-in-environment analysis to scrutinize the imbalances of power propelling migration by impoverished populations worldwide and to frame approaches for work with this population at the mezzo and micro levels. Sociologist Henri Lefebvre's tripartite conceptualization of social space is advocated because of its potential to delineate the spatial practices inherent in the question of immigration.
Journal of Human Behavior in The Social Environment, Aug 5, 2010
Lacking access to social services, unauthorized Mexican day laborers constitute a vulnerable popu... more Lacking access to social services, unauthorized Mexican day laborers constitute a vulnerable population. This case study uses a critical theory perspective to examine activist efforts to support migrants when professional social workers were unavailable. Using qualitative methods, ...
Journal of Human Behavior in The Social Environment, 2013
This qualitative study examines the lived experiences of Latina immigrants who settled in an area... more This qualitative study examines the lived experiences of Latina immigrants who settled in an area that enacted one of the United State's most draconian anti-immigrant initiatives—a law that would be a precursor for Arizona's SB 1070. Though this investigation was prompted by the law's adoption in 2007, interviews and 18 months of ethnographic observation with Latina immigrants (n = 16) found that it was only one in a patchwork of forces constricting work opportunity and threatening access to housing and food. Using critical phenomenology, I examine women's experiences of poverty both prior to immigration, and in the U.S. economy.
Ethnography, Nov 18, 2009
■ Lacking access to legal residency and to regular employment, undocumented Latinos in the USA of... more ■ Lacking access to legal residency and to regular employment, undocumented Latinos in the USA often find work as day laborers. Some suburban towns have tried to force Latinos out by enacting statutes to restrict their movement and their search for jobs. How do day laborers, who are conspicuous because of their racial-ethnic and language differences, find work by meeting employers in public spaces despite legal restrictions against their presence there? This comparative ethnography of day laborers in Freehold, New Jersey, and Manassas, Virginia, shows that workers engage such tactics as avoiding police and showing deference to white residents while battling for leverage when negotiating wages.
Journal of Social Work Practice in The Addictions, Apr 2, 2016
Although the associations among interpersonal- and community-level violence and substance use hav... more Although the associations among interpersonal- and community-level violence and substance use have been well-studied, the mechanisms of change that underlie each have not garnered the same level of attention. We offer an analysis that views both violence and addiction as the inevitable by-products of inequitably constructed social spaces, where poverty is a powerful structural force that erodes relational stability and undermines community health. Principles from the substance abuse recovery self-help and mutual aid group movements can be used to increase collective efficacy and strengthen social capital that enhances recovery commitment and decreases interpersonal and community violence.
SSM - Qualitative Research in Health, Jun 1, 2023
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, certain U.S. population groups have suffered higher... more Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, certain U.S. population groups have suffered higher rates of infection and mortality than whites, including Latinx. Public health officials blamed these outcomes on overcrowded housing and work in essential industries prior to the vaccine's availability. We sought to illuminate the lived experience of these factors through a qualitative study of undocumented Latinx immigrant workers in the secondary economy (n ¼ 34). This study focuses on the intersectionality of social locations for undocumented Latinx immigrants living in a relatively affluent suburb and working in the construction and service sectors prior to the pandemic. Their narratives revealed how the pandemic created financial precarity through prolonged periods of unemployment and food insecurity. Workers described worry over unpaid bills, and potentially catastrophic episodes in which they treated severe COVID-19 with home remedies. Long spells of unemployment, food insecurity, inability to pay bills and lack of access to healthcare emerged because of socio-political contexts including the nature of low-wage labor and lack of a safety net. "I thought I was going to die there:" Socio-political contexts and the plight of undocumented Latinx in the COVID-19 pandemic
Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities, Jul 13, 2022
Background Latinos have suffered disproportionate adversity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many st... more Background Latinos have suffered disproportionate adversity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many studies have focused on comparing Latinos to other groups, potentially masking critical concerns within population. This study identifies potential pathways to poor mental health among Latinos during the pandemic. Methods Data from US Census Household Pulse Survey, covering April 23, 2020, to October 11, 2021, were analyzed. Ordinal logistic regression evaluated categorical frequencies of problems with anxiety, loss of interest, worry, and feeling down. Findings were stratified by gender, poverty status, metropolitan location, and work. Demographic, household, financial, and work covariates were mutually adjusted, and jackknife replications and population weights applied. Results Adverse mental health was common, with higher frequencies of 2 or more adverse mental health symptoms for at least several days in the prior 2 weeks (59.1-76.3%, depending on stratified group). Food insufficiency was strongly associated with adverse mental health symptoms across all characteristics. Odds ratios of often not having enough to eat compared to enough of foods wanted being associated with adverse mental health ranged from 2.6 to 6.56 (depending on stratified group). Difficulty with expenses was also strongly associated with adverse mental health across characteristics, with odds ratios very difficult compared to not at all ranging from 2.7 to 7.7 (depending on stratified group). Conclusion These observations suggest household financial hardship factors influence mental health regardless of other personal characteristics, and this could inform services for Latinos. Targeted programs to ensure food sufficiency and income may be necessary to improve mental health in US Latinos.
Journal of Social Service Research, Apr 21, 2019
This article presents findings from an exploratory, mixed methods study to: (1) Ascertain whether... more This article presents findings from an exploratory, mixed methods study to: (1) Ascertain whether Latina immigrant clients of a healthcare clinic for uninsured patients suffer a higher rate of PTSD compared to the citizen population at large and (2) Explore whether factors unique to immigrants, such as surviving human smuggling, would predict PTSD. Two validated instruments were deployed with clients who agreed to be screened (n ¼ 62). Ten percent of U.S. women are expected to develop PTSD in a lifetime, a total tripled by immigrant women in this study. Women who scored high on the PTSD CheckList for Civilians (PCL-C) reported victimization from sexual assault, robberies and loss of friend/family member to violence, though no single assault predicted PTSD. Qualitative data, however, revealed that violence in countries of origin influenced decisions to immigrate. Among the avenues for future research identified by this study are (1) exploration of methods for linking Latina immigrants to mental health services, (2) determining the effects of smuggling violence on immigrants, and (3) Evaluate additive effects of multiple traumas.
Qualitative Social Work, Apr 3, 2019
Latina migrants often suffer rape, assaults, and gun violence during unauthorized immigration fro... more Latina migrants often suffer rape, assaults, and gun violence during unauthorized immigration from Mexico to the US. Despite widespread violence during immigration to the US, social work scholarship on this issue is sparse. This article seeks to close that gap by examining the narratives of women who survived smuggling from Mexico. Social workers who practice with immigrants and refugees may encounter women who relied on human smugglers to traverse borders and thus need to understand the human rights violence they may have suffered. The question of how women perceive, navigate, and survive smuggling is critical for understanding the consequences of immigration enforcement and the perpetuation of the human smuggling industry.
SSM - Qualitative Research in Health
Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities
Background Latinos have suffered disproportionate adversity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many st... more Background Latinos have suffered disproportionate adversity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many studies have focused on comparing Latinos to other groups, potentially masking critical concerns within population. This study identifies potential pathways to poor mental health among Latinos during the pandemic. Methods Data from US Census Household Pulse Survey, covering April 23, 2020, to October 11, 2021, were analyzed. Ordinal logistic regression evaluated categorical frequencies of problems with anxiety, loss of interest, worry, and feeling down. Findings were stratified by gender, poverty status, metropolitan location, and work. Demographic, household, financial, and work covariates were mutually adjusted, and jackknife replications and population weights applied. Results Adverse mental health was common, with higher frequencies of 2 or more adverse mental health symptoms for at least several days in the prior 2 weeks (59.1-76.3%, depending on stratified group). Food insufficiency was strongly associated with adverse mental health symptoms across all characteristics. Odds ratios of often not having enough to eat compared to enough of foods wanted being associated with adverse mental health ranged from 2.6 to 6.56 (depending on stratified group). Difficulty with expenses was also strongly associated with adverse mental health across characteristics, with odds ratios very difficult compared to not at all ranging from 2.7 to 7.7 (depending on stratified group). Conclusion These observations suggest household financial hardship factors influence mental health regardless of other personal characteristics, and this could inform services for Latinos. Targeted programs to ensure food sufficiency and income may be necessary to improve mental health in US Latinos.
Social Work, 2010
Using semistructured interviews and participant observation, this two-year pilot study of male Me... more Using semistructured interviews and participant observation, this two-year pilot study of male Mexican migrants in Freehold, New Jersey, explored how day laborers perceive their struggles to support families despite escalating anti-immigrant legislation at virtually all levels of government. In particular, the author looks at efforts by Mexican migrants to contest characterizations of them as "illegal", a term that has clear connotations of criminality, and to distance themselves from others who commit crimes. Migrants questioned the moral legitimacy of U.S. immigration laws, an indicator that vigorous legal efforts to thwart their arrival could prove fruitless.This finding is critical for social work, which must find the means to serve this vulnerable population.
Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, 2017
Not only is the question of immigration controversial, it is complexladen with legal nuances as w... more Not only is the question of immigration controversial, it is complexladen with legal nuances as well as implications for human and civil rights. This article provides an overview of what happens to an immigrant who seeks to enter the country 'legally,' as well as the challenges for an immigrant who enters the country without authorization. Social workers who serve immigrants may find themselves called on to advocate for clients as they traverse a labyrinthine court system. I introduce this system to help practitioners and students understand the paths to legal immigration in the United States, as well as barriers to those who cannot access this system. I explain the system to offer insight into why 11.9 million immigrants have entered the U.S. without authorization rather than attempt legal means to immigrate.
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Papers by Carol Cleaveland