Collins argues that there is a private, hidden space of Black women’s consciousness called the ‘inside’ ideas. These ideas allow Black women to cope with, and transcend the confinements of race, class, and gender oppression. (Collins, 1990. Pp. 92-93) Katz connects this concept of ‘inside ideas’ to the concrete, practical strategies assisting woman on welfare. Examining mothers “survival narratives” allows Susan Katz to further analyze systems of oppression, as well as investigate how welfare policies impact each woman’s survival narratives.
Analyzing narratives proposes the opportunity to explore social life, and allows for the investigation of racial oppression, gender inequalities, and power that can be privileged by individual speakers. Through each woman’s “extensive offstage existence,” the mothers network with each other, leading to the development and sharing of survival strategies. Additionally, the mothers “develop a shared critique of power” that supports the paradox of welfare