Emotion and Exclusion: Disgust, Contempt, and the 'welfare Queen' Stereotype

The stereotype of the "welfare queen," analyzed in Ange-Marie Hancock's (2004) groundbreaking book The Politics of Disgust, exemplifies the emotional forces that shape political discourse and public policy in the U.S. The term, popularized by Ronald Reagan during the 1976 presidential campaign, stigmatizes black single mothers by portraying them as manipulative individuals who exploit the welfare system for personal gain. This image is laden with emotions of disgust and contempt, reinforcing racial and gender biases that denigrate poor women. Hancock argues that this stereotype evokes public disgust, a moral emotion that distances the "welfare queen" from societal norms, casting her as morally deviant.

Disgust in this context does not simply express individual feelings, but becomes a political tool to justify harmful welfare policies. It reinforces narratives that link welfare dependency to laziness, uncontrolled reproduction, and financial irresponsibility, especially among marginalized communities. As a result, welfare reforms such as the introduction of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) in 1996 have been shaped by this rhetoric, placing strict limits on assistance and reinforcing the view that welfare recipients are undeserving.

This talk explores how disgust fuels political narratives that both reflect and shape social attitudes toward poverty and race. Drawing on Hancock's work and recent research on the stigmatization of welfare, I argue that the "welfare queen" trope perpetuates a cycle of exclusion. It perpetuates systemic inequalities by justifying policies that punish rather than alleviate poverty. Through a sociological lens, I examine how disgust and contempt drive policymaking and create lasting social stigmas.