Citation

Underlid K. Int. J. Soc. Welf. 2007; 16(1): 65-74.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1468-2397.2006.00423.x

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore experiences of insecurity among people living in relative poverty in an affluent welfare society. Twenty-five long-standing recipients of social security were interviewed. The study finds that poverty and related factors give rise to a sense of insecurity to which respondents react affectively with apprehension and anxiety. Respondents, all of whom live in the same Norwegian town, report multiple causes of their emotions, and adopt numerous psychological methods to address their sense of insecurity. The study's findings are discussed in light of theories of needs and emotions and contextual and methodological factors.