Mimi Abramovitz

Dr. Mimi Abramovitz is a co-founder of WRI, Professor of Social Policy at the Silverman School of Social Work at Hunter College, City University of New York and author of several books, including her seminal, "Regulating the lives of Women: Social Welfare Policy from Colonial Times to the Present."  This interview covers the influences in her life, her experiences and her motivations. After working in a number of jobs, including as a welfare worker and community organizer, Dr. Abramovitz  turned to academia and focused her research by applying a gender lens to bring attention to the history of welfare, highlighting the unbalanced affect on women. In the mid 1990's during the height of welfare reform, Mimi Abramavitz and Ruth Sidel were invited to develop an anti-poverty/family policy center at Hunter College. The Welfare Rights Initiative emerged out of Dr. Abramovitz's desire to counteract one of the early provisions of welfare reform that denied those on public assistance funds to pay for higher education.

For access to the full transcript and audio file, please contact Mimi Abramovitz for permission and access via email request at iabramov[at]hunter.cuny.edu

Rights:

All rights to this interview are reserved with Mimi Abramovitz.

Reproduction Policies:

For permission to read, publish, and quote from this interview, please contact Mimi Abramovitz at iabramov[at]hunter.cuny.edu

Digital ID:

Abramovitz_Mimi.mp3

Reference URL:

http://wri-voices.org/interview/mimi-abramovitz-interview

Bibliographic Citation:

"Interview with Mimi Abramovitz," in Welfare Rights Initiative Oral History Project, http://wri-voices.org/interview/mimi-abramovitz-interview