Essay on Culture of Poverty - 5571 Words

WORKING PAPER SERIES Theories of Poverty and Anti-Poverty Programs in Community Development Ted K. Bradshaw RPRC Working Paper No. 06-05 February, 2006 Rural Poverty Research Center http://www.rprconline.org/ Introduction Community development has a variety of strategies available to meet the needs of those persons and groups who are less advantaged, usually in poverty. Community developers help all communities, but their passion lies disproportionately with people who do not have adequate personal resources to meet their needs or with communities with large populations of people who need assistance. These people and communities receiving attention from community developers are extensively varied in most other respects than†¦show more content†¦The economic theory that the poor lack incentives for improving their own conditions is a recurrent theme in articles that blame the welfare system’s generosity on the perpetuation of poverty. In a Cato Journal article, economists Gwartney and McCaleb argue that the years of the war on poverty actually increased poverty (adjusted for noncash transfers) among working age adults in spite of unprecedented increases in welfare expenditures. They con clude that â€Å"the application of simple economic theory† suggests that the problem lies in the war on poverty programs: They [welfare programs] have introduced a perverse incentive structure, one that penalizes self-improvement and protects individuals against the consequences of their own bad choices. (1985: 7) This and similar arguments that cast the poor as a â€Å"moral hazard† also hold that â€Å"the problem of poverty continues to fester not because we are failing to do enough, but because we are doing too much that is counterproductive† (Gwartney and McCaleb 1985:15). Their economic model would solve poverty by assuring that the penalty of poverty was great enough that none would choose it (and welfare would be restricted to the truly disabled or otherwise unable to work). A less widely critiqued version of the individualistic theory of poverty comes from American values of individualism—the Horatio Alger myth that any individual can succeed by skills and hard work, and that motivationShow MoreRelatedEthnic Culture and Culture of Poverty: the Gypsy/Roma Essay1356 Words   |  6 PagesConstructing a Gypsy National Culture whether the Gypsies are an ethnic culture or a culture of poverty. I would like to argue that the Gypsy identity is a product of traditional ethnic culture as well as the product of a marginalized social stratum. There are many aspects of gypsy ethnic culture to which can be contributed to the result of marginalization and sometimes those same ethnic cultural traits become stereotypes to which society justifies their stigmatization and poverty. Thus emerges a patternRead MoreEssay about The Culture of Poverty in America680 Words   |  3 PagesThe Culture Poverty America has always been a country known for their great integrity, diversity, financial prosperity and great pop culture. It has been a place many people have flocked to from many different parts of the world in order to escape their very own poverty struck countries in their quest to build a new life in America and hopefully become financially stable. In this article written by M. Harrington he pointed out some key factors discussing how America has not really changed fromRead MoreSelling in the Barrio: The Culture of Poverty Essay1165 Words   |  5 Pagesnegatively affected by poverty. Those in the lowest social class, while a mix of ethnicities, are predominantly minorities and affected the most. What stood out about Philippe Bourgeois’ is that he not only studies the people and their culture but he lived it with them. Mr. Bourgois spent two years with his wife and child living with the Puerto Rican’s in East Harlem, NY. He lived with them and became a friend to many of them with the hopes of providing an accurate analysis of their culture. While livingRead MoreSeeing And Making Culture : Representing The Poor By Bell Hooks Summary974 Words   |  4 PagesSophie Rice Patricia Verstrat ENG 106 October 8, 2017 Analysis Essay: Final Draft In Seeing and Making Culture: Representing the Poor, author Gloria Watkins under the pen-name Bell Hooks discusses the problem with the way poverty is depicted in the media in America. From her own personal experiences growing up poor, she has observed what the stigma surrounding poverty does to the underclass. Hooks points out how the media generates the idea that being poor means that one can’t live a meaningful lifeRead MoreSocial Class and Education1745 Words   |  7 Pagesidea. Democracy as it relates to education refers to the need to teach children how to be active and knowledgeable members in our democratic society. This preparation will lead them to live life in a way that promotes the good of the public. In an essay by John Dewey he discusses whether education is a public or private matter. Because the goal of democracy is education is to prepare students for society, I believe it is a public matter. By developing a school system that promotes democracy we wil lRead MoreRhetorical Analysis : Seeing And Making Culture1053 Words   |  5 PagesInstr. Sarah McMahon Evelyn O’Brien Eng 122 8/30/15 Rhetorical Analysis I liked bell hook’s essay â€Å"Seeing and Making Culture: Representing the Poor†. Bell assesses the light in which higher class people view the poor or lower class. Bell hooks, also known as Gloria Watkins grew up in a small Kentucky town where her father worked as a janitor for the local post office. As one of seven children she was taught that money and material possessions did not make her a better person but hard-work honestyRead Morepoverty is a way of life for the poor that is passed down from generation to generation through the family1133 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Ã¢â‚¬Å"Poverty is a way of life for the poor that is passed down from generation to generation through the family.† Explain and assess this view. In this essay I will assess and explain the view that poverty is a way of life for the poor that is passed down from generation to generation through the family. Thus, firstly I will assess this view from the culture of poverty. Firstly, the idea of a culture of poverty was first introduced by Oscar Lewis. He developed the concept from his fieldwork amongRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book By Barbara Ehrenreich, Allan G. Johnson, And Austin Fuentes1466 Words   |  6 Pagessocial class. It affects how we react to certain beliefs or people. Barbara Ehrenreich, Allan G. Johnson, and Austin Fuentes all wrote an essay that examines how closely one factor can lead to labeling a person. Each author has creditability in understanding social issues as they have researched social issues and earned a degree for their knowledge. Each essay from these authors focuses on a different topic relating to how as a society label each concept. The writer’s audience is any individual thatRead MoreAnalyzing Violence and Crime in USA1357 Words   |  5 Pagespurpose of this essay is to investigate the causes of violence in America and look specifically at the youth of this country and the effects that are produced because of their behavior. Essentially, this essay will try to communicate how the proliferation of violence committed by American youth demonstrates tight connections among culture, media, and capitalism creating unique circumstances that result in excessive violence and rage relative to other youth around the world. This essay will first introduceRead MoreUnderstanding Of Society s Portrayal Of The Poor1565 Words   |  7 Pagesfocusing on bell hooks’ essay, â€Å"Seeing and Making Culture: Representing the Poor.† In the essay bell hooks tackles issues about misrepresentation of poor people in today’s society and how the media can skew reality. She notes that society sees the poor as people who are sub par and unimportant, as well as possessing fruitless qualities such as laziness, shame, dishonesty, and worthlessness. She primarily uses personal anecdotes to deliver her essay’s main argument along with pop culture references and the