The moral maze of foodbank use
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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In: Journal of Poverty and Social Justice, Vol. 28, No. 3, 10.2020, p. 383-399.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - The moral maze of foodbank use
AU - Beck, David
AU - Gwilym, Hefin
PY - 2020/10
Y1 - 2020/10
N2 - The foodbank symbolises a changing landscape of social insecurity and welfare conditionality. Attending to decision making within the foodbank system, this article argues that foodbanks, and their referral-system creates a bureaucratic ‘moral maze’ identifying people as ‘deserving’ or ‘undeserving’ of help. Maintaining a moral distance, organised religious foodbanks are reliant upon a complex outsourcing of moral decisions and walk a fine balance between supply (donations) and demand (use). Within this article, we argue that the foodbank landscape is akin to navigating a moral maze, and that this creates, and justifies decisions of deservingness.
AB - The foodbank symbolises a changing landscape of social insecurity and welfare conditionality. Attending to decision making within the foodbank system, this article argues that foodbanks, and their referral-system creates a bureaucratic ‘moral maze’ identifying people as ‘deserving’ or ‘undeserving’ of help. Maintaining a moral distance, organised religious foodbanks are reliant upon a complex outsourcing of moral decisions and walk a fine balance between supply (donations) and demand (use). Within this article, we argue that the foodbank landscape is akin to navigating a moral maze, and that this creates, and justifies decisions of deservingness.
KW - bureaucracy
KW - decision making
KW - foodbank
KW - neoliberalism
KW - welfare reform
U2 - 10.1332/175982720X15905998909942
DO - 10.1332/175982720X15905998909942
M3 - Article
VL - 28
SP - 383
EP - 399
JO - Journal of Poverty and Social Justice
JF - Journal of Poverty and Social Justice
SN - 1759-8273
IS - 3
ER -