Ken,
This isn't about cultural issues, it's about people's expectations for jobs from which they'll receive a reasonable compensation. Benton Harbor is in Berrien Cty., Mi., and the living wage in that county is pegged at $8.14 for one adult. For one adult who has one child it's $16.45, two adults with no kids can 'get by' if their combined hourly wage is $13.00, that total becomes $21.31 for two adults w/one child, and for two adults with two children it's $28.06.
Families are seen as the backbone of our country, yet why is there is such a lack of opportunities that provide them with the incomes they need to provide for themselves, i.e., jobs that pay living wages? It isn't necessarily the type of employment that working folks consider to be 'beneath' them, it's the wages, and that becomes very apparent when you look at the above info and see the cost of having kids. A single parent w/one child needs a tad over twice the hourly wage that a single person w/out children needs, and that cost continues on down the line. An $8.14 per hour job on the grounds crew might be "OK" for a single person, but add in the cost of one kid and the need rises to $16.45 per hour unless there are assistance programs to help with the shortfall.