The Cost of Being Poor: A Comparative Study of Life in Poor Urban Neighborhoods in Gary, Indiana

Chapter 3. Differential Goods and Services to Feed a Family: Who Pays the Costs?

C H A P T E R T H R E E Differential Goods and Services to Feed a Family: Who Pays the Costs? The day-to-day challenges and choices in urban settings are directly correlated with historical and current structural changes. As presented earlier, factors such as globalization, the shift from manufacturing to service occupations, out-migration of workingclass and middle-class families, both African American and White, and businesses, increased social and residential isolation and segregation , and discrimination are primary factors that have resulted in increased urban poverty. And although residents in urban areas such as Gary, Indiana, may not be fully aware of all the intricacies of economic restructuring, they are acutely aware of its toll on their cities and neighborhoods. In William Julius Wilson’s book When Work Disappears, Chicago urban residents wax nostalgic about the demise of neighborhoods that were once economically and socially stable and organized. Residents now speak of the inability to locate gainful employment, decline in infrastructure, increased crime, and changes in the norms and values of their neighbors. Their responses overshadow the observations of even the most astute ethnographers and are all the more harrowing because they are lived experiences. Although not the focus of Wilson’s study, one of the direct results of the exodus of manufacturing plants in Chicago inner cities was the subsequent decline in local enterprise. According to Wilson’s observations: “In 1986, North Lawndale, with a population of over 66,000, had only one bank, and one supermarket; but it was also home to forty-eight state lottery agents, fifty currency exchanges, and ninety-nine licensed liquor stores and bars.”1 Wilson’s observation about the exodus of such enterprise is the focus of this chapter. 67 This chapter assesses dimensions of structure and agency within the context of urban poverty by examining the quantity and quality of service providers in Gary, Indiana, and surrounding areas, how their absence or presence influence shopping choices, and the economic and noneconomic costs residents incur. Of particular interest is the availability of and access to basic food staples and services, whether resources differ based on the racial composition and poverty level in these areas, and the choices and strategies residents use to feed their families. Using census data, pricing data, and direct observations of area service providers, as well as in-depth interviews with African American, White, and Hispanic residents from varied socioeconomic statuses, findings show that, regardless of the racial makeup , residents in more impoverished urban areas incur a variety of economic and noneconomic costs and often make industrious decisions to secure food stuffs and other staples. This analysis of one dimension of urban living is in the tradition of a small body of research that focuses on detailed accounts of various costs and budgeting problems incurred by the poor and near poor. The chapter concentrates on access, availability, and costs of basic goods and services at grocery stores. I focus on this topic, because food expenses are necessities for all families, regardless of race, class, or household composition. I examine the following types of questions: what types of grocery stores are located in Gary? How do these establishments fare when compared to their counterparts in a nearby city and town? What types of economic and noneconomic costs do Gary residents incur for basic food and staples? Does the poverty level of the area affect the economic and noneconomic costs incurred? Do available resources differ in predominately African American versus predominately White neighboring areas? Will costs differ in areas with different racial/ethnic make-ups, but similar poverty levels? Will differences exist between the percentages of median household income spent on food for each city/town? What choices, strategies, and coping mechanisms do residents use in light of structural constraints? Are there sociopsychological implications of exposure to certain costs? In summary, this chapter examines the number, types, and quality of grocery stores in the areas and whether they differ based on: 1) poverty level in the area and racial composition and 2) city and suburban locale. Next, expenditures associated with “making groceries” for a family of three in these areas are itemized by comparing hypothetical purchases at stores to demonstrate cost differentials. Substantive comparisons are also made between expenditures and median household incomes for each city/town. Responses and strategies from residents and direct observation are used to illustrate some of the 68 The Cost of Being Poor [18.117.76.7] Project MUSE (2024-04-25...