“They Don't Want to Know; They Don't Want to Hear”: Social Distance Between Leaders and Low‐Income Community Members in a Rural Indiana Community☆

Abstract

Drawing on 65 in‐depth, semi‐structured interviews with community members and local leaders, this research examines and categorizes social distance between local leaders and low‐income community members in “Green Glen,” a rural Indiana community. We operationalize this distance as high, medium, and low based on leaders' connection to low‐income residents, knowledge of their livelihood strategies, and belief in culture of poverty rhetoric. High social distance leaders tend not to know any low‐income residents personally, know little about how they make ends meet, and rely upon culture of poverty explanations in discussions about them. Medium social distance leaders may have occasional interactions with low‐income residents or may have close personal ties with someone who does, tend to have some knowledge of how low‐income residents make ends meet, and use a combination of cultural and structural explanations when discussing poverty in Green Glen. Low social distance leaders have frequent interactions with low‐income residents, know a great deal about how they make ends meet, and point to local and national economic conditions that negatively impact the low‐income residents of the community. The amount of social distance may directly and indirectly impact low‐income community members' available resources and ability to make ends meet.