24 12 2012 12 32 00 What does the Public Think About Poverty Some believe that the poor have the same moral values as other Americans Others believe the poor have lower moral values Individualism Theory What does our society say about people who become wealthy Hard work connections family Rags to riches The American Dream Work hard make something of yourself Assumption Characteristics of people lead to wealth resources Implications Poor are uneducated untrained perhaps lazy unmotivated Wealthy attained wealth through own hard work positive decision Poor lack morals have an eroded work ethic make poor decisions are The poor parent their children in ways that do not promote positive making intelligence bereft of aspirations behaviors Structural Explanations of Poverty What is structure Society wide systems Greek system work place Laws policies minimum wage school districts Social systems Schools Health care Local national global economy Global economy is a piece of structure because the economy shapes where jobs are affecting socioeconomic status The way a society is organized perpetuates poverty sets patterns for dynamics in and out of poverty affluence Consideration of environmental social factors on a wide scale Social stratification systems evolve over time within societies Forced vs Natural Economic social factors determine US poverty levels patterns Cultural Explanations of Poverty What is culture Do we know it when we see it Patterns around group members locations How aware of our own culture are we Facets of Culture Cuisine food social stratification political systems family characteristics values attitudes language religion communication customs rituals clothing Definitions of Culture A framework that guides and bounds life The encompassing expression of a person s life Suggest that a sub cultural set of values traits and expectations has developed as a direct result of the structural constraints associated with living in poverty Individual behaviors cannot be understood apart from the circumstances in which they exist Subculture of poverty results in weakened family structure foreshortening of perspective helplessness resignation towards work Culture of Poverty Explanations Origins Oscar Lewis Culture of Poverty 1959 Latin writer Moynihan Report 1968 The Underclass 1980s Culture or Structure high school Scenario a young adolescent of color living in Adelphi MD drops out of JUMP factor job poor academics others dropped out no opportunity parental support PUSH factor safety Was he pushed or did he jump 24 12 2012 12 32 00 24 12 2012 12 32 00
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