DRAFT VERSION –PLEASE DO NOT CITE OR REPRODUCE WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR From Self-Sufficiency to Personal Economic Sustainability: A New Paradigm for Social Policy By

This paper asserts that the concept of self-sufficiency is unclear, inequitable, dichotomous, and limited in scope. Current social policy that affects welfare recipients focuses on the concept of “self-sufficiency ” where leaving welfare for work is the goal. While this approach has aided in reducing welfare rolls, it has not necessarily helped low-income people – especially single mothers – enter stable jobs or even improve their economic, educational, or social outlook. Using grounded theory in qualitative interviews with low-income single mothers, this paper examines the complexity of their lives, and suggests a new paradigm for considering the goals of social welfare policy related to poverty: Personal Economic Sustainability (PES). Findings produced six domains that can be used for the creation of specific PES indicators: (1) human capital development, (2) human agency, (3) social networks, (4) physical violence, health and mental health, and substance abuse, (5) children and childcare, and (6) housing