RECONCEPTUALIZING WOMENS WORK - A FOCUS ON THE DOMESTIC AND ELIGIBILITY WORK OF WOMEN ON WELFARE

The types of work performed by women receiving public assistance are e xamined. Research on women's work often neglects the labor of poor wom en, reinforcing the view that women receiving welfare do not work. Thi s perspective is challenged with focus group and interview data from w elfare recipients in New Orleans, Louisiana. We conclude that within t he restrictions of public assistance, poor women are engaging in three types of work: domestic work for their families, economic work for ca sh-both legal and illegal work, and eligibility work. Eligibility work is defined as the labor necessary to obtain and maintain public assis tance.