This is a Minority Research Initiation (MRI) Planning Grant proposal to study how individual characteristics such as, race, culture, job history, marital status, family structure, work attitudes, and so on, affect welfare dependency. The objective of this research is to provide answers to the problem of welfare dependency in the rural Deep South and to develop substantive policy suggestions based on theoretical and empirical evidence. The proposed research is a timely and important topic and will contribute to the base of scientific knowledge. Funds are requested to support pay for release time and the following activities preliminary to the preparation of a comprehensive competitive proposal for submission to the MRI research initiation component. o literature survey o travel to sample areas for which the study will cover o design of data collection methods o identification of collaborators
