Exploration of Poverty and Why the Poor are Poor 1
Exploration of Poverty and Why the Poor Are Poor
Julie Valentine
Lorain County Community College
Exploration of Poverty and Why the Poor are Poor 2
Poverty is a major global and national problem that unfortunately seems to be far
overlooked in our fast paced society these days. In fact, the working poor in America are
growing even poorer, and according to the U.S government, a family of four is poor if it earns
less than $21,834 annually. The number of families that are in poverty is growing to an
alarming rate of 8.15 million. (CCHD-poverty USA quiz) How and why can this be possible in
the wealthiest country in the Western Hemispere? This essay will examine explanations, or
theories of why poverty is a rampant and ongoing problem in our society and unfortunately, in
our own backyards. The theories that are being examined are individualism, social
structuralism, the culture of poverty, and fatalism. The biggest question this would propose:
How do we fix such a huge problem?
The individualism theory blames the poor. It reflects the views of our society
throughout most of history and today that the primary cause of poverty is to be found as a
defect in the individual effected. The view is the majority of people see the poverty stricken as
drug addicted, alcoholic, ignorant, and mentally ill, which shall not be ignored in some cases.
This “individualistic perspective is reflected in our country’s response to the poor with rags to
riches stories, the moral being that everyone can pull themselves up by their bootstraps with
hard work, sweat and motivation” (Seccombe, 2007) This theory would be described simply as
it’s their own fault they are in the position they’re in. This theory suggests that “opportunities
are available to all who are willing to work hard, and to all who are sufficiently motivated.
Because virtually everybody has an equal opportunity to acquire the skills, traits, and training
needed for upward mobility, those that fail to make it have themselves to blame.” (Seccombe
2007) The way that the government handles the poor seems to put a stigma on those that
Exploration of Poverty and Why the Poor are Poor 3
receive assistance, especially women and children. What the public seems to rationalize is that
the people on welfare and food stamps like it.
Another theory we can examine is social structuralism. This suggests that poverty is “a
result of economic or social imbalances within our social structure that serve to restrict
opportunities for some people.” (Seccombe, 2007) Social structure is defined as the social
institutions, organizations, and groups with statuses and roles, that have values and norms.
Seccombe goes on to say “These distinct themes exist under this broad perspective: a concern
with Capitalism, a focus on a changing economy and a concern that the welfare system itself
exacerbates poverty.” This theory has a relevant and realistic approach in that we as citizens
and society as a whole have accepted that the “rich get richer and the poor get poorer” and that
there isn’t much we can do about our ever changing and plummeting job market. Being in a
capitalist controlled society, the harsh reality is that Americans are blindsided by the approach
of being paid minimum wage and to hear that they are lucky to have the job they have. This
way is being brainwashed into the working class and working two or three jobs to support your
family is becoming acceptable. Capitalism is described as, “profit from an enterprise no matter
how it is made or how it is exploited.” (Poppel & Leighninger, 2005) This means that
capitalists can exploit workers whenever and however they want.
Additionally, another structural problem is the welfare system itself. Seccombe goes on
to say “social programs and welfare policies themselves contribute to poverty and exacerbate
welfare by trapping people into poverty and welfare dependency instead of helping them get
out of the cycle.” This goes with the theory of individualism and is popular with conservatives
in their claim of: the people that are on welfare abuse the system therefore the government
should get rid of it all together. These conservatives and people who believe this to be true
Exploration of Poverty and Why the Poor are Poor 4
however, do not take into consideration that the people who are on welfare are mostly women
with children lacking a male figure or a father present to take on the “breadwinner” role that
ultimately society has placed on them. They must expect the women with out the male figure in
life to take on both gender roles. This is certainly a complex issue and just part of the many
problems involved with the social structuralism theory.
A third theory this paper explores is the culture of poverty. This perspective suggests
that there is a lower set of standards by which people of poverty or the working poor live.
These people lack the discipline it takes to achieve higher goals and standards. They don’t have
work ethic and have a need for instant gratification and a resignation toward work. In turn, they
pass these low standards off to their children. Seccombe quotes Lewis on page 49, saying, “The
culture of poverty is both an adaptation and a reaction of the poor to their marginal position in a
class-stratified, highly individuated, capitalistic society. It represents an effort to cope with
feelings of hopelessness and despair which develop from the realization of the improbability of
achieving success in terms of the values and goals of the larger society, and goes on to say, “By
the time slum children are age six or seven they have usually absorbed the basic attitudes of
their subculture.” (Lewis, 1966) This theory explains that poor people have adapted to being
poor. They are on the bottom of the food chain in society and they know it. Some theorists say
that it is lack of jobs or loss of well paying manufacturing jobs in cities that the middle-class
has moved away from creating an isolation of ghettos. This would hold true if poverty was only
in ghettos. Instead it runs rampant in rural and inner-city alike; therefore this theory is only a
piece of the puzzle.
The last theory this essay will investigate is fatalism. To illustrate this theory Seccombe
states that fatalism attributes the causes of wealth and poverty alike to quirks of birth, chance,
Exploration of Poverty and Why the Poor are Poor 5
luck, human nature, illness, or other forces over which people have no control. It is unfortunate
circumstances that people are in poverty. Of all the theories that are proposed, this one is found
to be least favorably considered. The factors in this theory include not knowing the gender of
the impoverished. The male role in society promotes independence. The female on the other
hand is considered less independent and in need of aid in dilemmas out of their control. “AFDC
was originally created to protect women who are single mothers from these vulnerabilities that
are out of their control, such as violence, abuse, or desertion.” (Seccombe, 2007)
In explaining theories of poverty, the theory of social structuralism stands out as the
most persuasive and gives the points that are clearly relevant in today’s world. The social
structuralism as described earlier with its capitalistic organizations, statuses, and roles allow for
the segregation of the poor and working class as innate inferiority. That is, specifically, “the
notion that social life is competitive, with the best and the brightest rising to the top of the
social hierarchy and with the slow and weak at the bottom.” (Popple & Leighninger, 2005)
They continue with how social hierarchy also is a meritocracy, or the stratification of people
and reasoning that those who are close in mental ability and class are likely to stick together.
This view is deemed highly conservative and extremely biased by the wealthy caucasian males
that have been given just as much “equal opportunity” to run a capitalist business, passed down
to them by their forefathers just like anyone else in this country. It makes perfect sense that
they justify this reasoning with a little hint of individualism.
Seccombe breaks down the theory of social structuralism with three specific points:
1. Poverty is an inherent feature of capitalism (Marx & Engels, 1968)
2. There is an ever changing economy with the growth of service jobs that do not pay,
along with erosion of minimum wage with dual labor markets.
Exploration of Poverty and Why the Poor are Poor 6
3. Social programs and welfare policies contribute to poverty by trapping recipients into
poverty and dependence upon the system.
She also brings out the key point of how the capitalistic society affects women. She states that,
“Until women are liberated from their privatized domestic roles, they are likely to always be
exploited and a more collective approach is necessary to carry out the duties of housework,
child rearing and development of a more socialist economy is needed to really eliminate
poverty and improve women’s lives”, who are the ones that receive public assistance at the
highest rate.
Another supporting essay states that, “well being or poverty is a consequence of
competitive market forces and the resulting structure or local economies, the relative power of
labor, and spatial characteristics. People in a given locality share a common fate because they
reside in a place having unique advantages and disadvantages as sites for capitol investment.
These characteristics are reflected in the spatial distribution of poverty and well-being.
Individual characteristics such as race and gender are important for the allocation of poverty,
but poverty rates within a locality are primarily due to the structure of economic activity.”
(Humphrey, 1993)
Another reference sited from an educational source that implies the impact of social
structuralism from an economic standpoint states, “Countries with stagnant economic
performance cannot rescue the poor from their poverty, and it cannot be used to deny this
elemental truth: The idea that working with, and within markets fuels our interest of self-
interest, greed, avarice, and self-love, and that different cultures exhibit different forms of
capitalism.” (Cotter,2002)
Exploration of Poverty and Why the Poor are Poor 7
In conclusion, there are many supporting articles and connotations from professionals
and amateurs alike that tend to agree that social structuralism plays a very large role in poverty
in societies around the globe. Likewise, Seccombe reiterates this view by saying, “Social
structural perspective assumes that poverty is a result of economic or social imbalances within
our social structure that serve to restrict opportunities for some people.”
Perspectives on the System and its Reform
This section of the essay will be focusing on two separate issues. Lifting women from
poverty, and eliminating them from welfare. These two issues are very different. A better
understanding of asking the questions of how women can be lifted from poverty and why
eliminating them from welfare is not necessarily an answer to welfare reform, as people
generally would use as an irresolute answer to the first of lifting women from poverty.
Women on welfare are faced with stigmas and social problems and are labeled as
impure, unintelligent, addicts and alcoholics. They are discriminated against, and thought of as
lazy and worthless usually referred to with racial undertones. “If you go downtown to a nice
store,” says Maria, “They look at you sometimes as if your body is disgusting. You can be
dressed in your best dress but you feel you are not welcome. They follow you sometimes but
they do not want to touch you. You pay for something- she pulls back her hand-like that! As if
my hand is dirty.” (Kozol p.41)
Living with this stigma creates anger, frustration, and an over-all sense of not being
wanted, and dealing with rude, biased public opinion often leads to an even lower self esteem
and worthless opinion of themselves. “Images of moral dirtiness and overflowing
worthlessness, identified with poor black and Hispanic women and their children, fill the pages
Exploration of Poverty and Why the Poor are Poor 8
of our daily papers; and even young people who don’t read the papers are exposed to the same
images in conversations heard all day and night.” (Kozol p.41)
This dark cloud that follows them around along with all of the other issues of rearing
children alone, types of abuse, and worrying about how they are going to get by can certainly
be seen as a tangled web of emotions and frustrations of being caught between a rock and a
hard place. This will examine the factors of how women have entered the welfare system, what
they do to cope and what needs to be done to lift women from poverty, instead of eliminating
welfare.
First of all, how do all of these women and children start off needing assistance?
Usually failed relationships and lack of a father figure often is the culprit. “Absentee fathers
represent a growing and alarming national trend.” (Seccombe p.90) They are often embarrassed
and ashamed of asking for help, but when life situations don’t work out, they are left with no
choice in the matter. Incarceration, abandonment and abuse often leave these women with no
other direction but to turn to the local human services facility not only for cash and food
assistance, but for possible aid with mental and emotional help due to abusive issues and lack
of family security. Not receiving child support is a large complaint. “Mothers on welfare are
stigmatized for caring for their children, whereas fathers are rarely stigmatized for their failure
to support their children.” (Seccombe, p.91)
Next, even if one is equipped with a good paying job, it could be jeopardizing their
possibility of assistance if they are a few dollars over the maximum amount they need to get
Medicaid or food stamps. Seccombe reiterates the points that have been addressed on pg. 8,
“We live in a patriarchal society where male dominance is maintained and supported through
law, religion, culture, and social norms. Women, as a collective group of people, are more
Exploration of Poverty and Why the Poor are Poor 9
likely to be economically dependant upon others; they are more likely to be poor; they are more
likely to hold low- wage work; and they are more likely to be a single parent than are men.
Moreover, women around the world are routinely subjected to physical and sexual violence,
simply because they are women.” (Seccombe, 2007)
Furthermore, there is the factor of living wage jobs that come in to play. Few and far
between are there jobs that actually pay enough to make ends meet these days. In order to get a
living wage job, vocational training, college, or some type of higher education is needed.
Women that are on welfare and assistance will seek lower sector, part time service jobs that are
needed to receive the benefits and health care that is provided for low income families. This
ensures entrapment instead of incentives to go out and find higher education and training for
descent paying jobs. There are issues of childcare and transportation even if they have the
motivation. Of course the more desirable alternative is to stay on welfare than go out and get a
low wage job that doesn’t pay health insurance. Seccombe proposes an important question on
pg. 30, “Historically, our policies ponder whether single mothers, as a group, are worthy of
assistance. Should we pay them to stay home and take care of their children, or should we
require them to work? Does government assistance undermine their incentive to work,
encourage loose morals and undermine their willingness to enter marriage- thus perpetuate their
poverty?” (Seccombe,2007)
That question bridges the gap between the issues of lifting women from poverty and
getting them off of welfare. The questions that should be asked in this multifaceted problem
would be: How can we change the current system of entrapment and dually keep women from
getting on welfare and getting those reformed? How can the public stigma of being lower class
bottom feeders milking the system be changed? Could there be incentives and educational
Exploration of Poverty and Why the Poor are Poor 10
programs for young teens to ensure a positive track in life. A perfect world would have with it
motivational incentives to do positive things. This is needed on every level from getting an
education, to staying off drugs and alcohol, to not joining gangs… the list goes on and on. It is
a difficult challenge on where to begin considering so many issues with precious lives.
It starts with Christian principles, positive family involvement and selflessness. It
begins with an attitude of kindness and love for fellow human beings. It begins with teaching
our children that we are all equal and everyone deserves respect and a helping hand. It starts at
the root of our ethical thinking…“Rather than being materially poor, American’s “poor” suffer
from the effects of behavioral poverty, meaning a breakdown in the values and conduct that
leads to the formation of healthy families, stable personalities, and self-sufficiency. This
includes eroded work ethic and dependency, lack of educational aspirations and achievement,
inability or unwillingness to control one’s children, increased single parenthood and
illegitimacy, criminal activity, and drug and alcohol abuse.” (The Heritage Foundation, 2004
p.2)
The women that do seem to be lifted from poverty or make it off welfare get help. They
get help from family, friends, neighbors, churches, charities and organizations. They get pulled
out from under their problems with other’s kindness and positive example of helping hands.
They work hard. They don’t succumb to evils of the streets. They keep their children protected
as much as possible. They try and teach them all of the values mentioned. They are open
minded and thrifty. They juggle day to day issues and cope with stresses. They manipulate the
rules and openly rely on other resources. “Family, friends, neighbors, children’s fathers, or
other individuals, and even social service agencies can be important resources to help alleviate,
Exploration of Poverty and Why the Poor are Poor 11
or at least minimize, the numerous daily tensions and unforeseen disasters that are
commonplace when one lives in poverty.” (Seccombe p.139)
To conclude this segment of the essay, women need empowerment to face the day to
day challenges of getting off of welfare and getting lifted from poverty. Many of the challenges
include dealing with extra stress of combating closer to home problems that include complying
with human services, childcare, finding jobs, and dealing with the problems associated with
ghettos that include violence and drug trafficking. Keeping children safe from harms way and
feelings of being a lower class citizen by degrading comments from the public are just a tip of
the ice-berg. A lot of women and children would not be able to get by if it weren’t for the extra
helping hands of community charity organizations, churches and some that are lucky to have
family. Many of today’s society don’t realize how close they are to being in the same situation
as the single mothers receiving welfare, food stamps and Medicaid. Not living a “normal”
family life or not of having the support of a strong family to lean on can lead to disastrous
consequences.
Social workers speak on the economy
In this segment of the essay the American economy and its economic policies are being
addressed as a huge problem the American population faces. This reading concurrently
illustrates how the social structural theory is at work. It takes a look at the rich getting richer
and the poor getting poorer and huge gap that separates the people in numbers. “In 2004, the
top 1 percent of wealthy families received almost seventeen percent of all income and more
than forty two percent of net assets” (Mishel, Bernstein, & Allegretto,2007) That, among many
others established some extremely frightening statistics like the one stated above. In “Poverty
and economic Justice” the NASW takes a look at the disparities in wealth, the effects of welfare
Exploration of Poverty and Why the Poor are Poor 12
reform, and concentrated poverty throughout this country. The theory that the NASW supports
is social structuralism, just as this essay provides an in-depth look at how the wealthy class of
people runs the country’s economy to benefit themselves as capitalists and not the rest of the
people as a whole. It states that “America’s new economy generates extraordinary riches for the
few, but creates declining wages, rising debt and the risk of deep and persistent poverty for
many.”(NASW, 2008) It also expresses how wages and work among the working class are
shrinking and the income threshold for American families is unrealistic. The welfare reform act
of 1996 didn’t only get those off of welfare to minimum wage jobs; it left them still in poverty
and still in need of levels of support from the government. The poverty level has not gotten
better; it seems to have gotten worse. Phenomenally high numbers of children under age 18
account for 35.2 percent of the people in poverty, along with elderly and ethnic minority
groups.( NASW 2008) This reading concurrently illustrates how the social structural theory
and the Government allow such black and white margins of fairness.
This essay’s view along with the NASW undoubtedly shares the same view and stance
on poverty and how to be lifted from it. Their policy statement is a thorough and detailed
example on how a nation would be able to overcome such a battle of social injustice. All of the
bulleted points such as fair labor, income levels that meet or exceed guidelines, proposals to
improve economic programs are all ways of overcoming poverty and reforming the system as
we know it. If this view and policy were loud enough, and their was a big enough educational
movement, maybe this voice would be heard.
Summary of Interview with Dale Jones of the Salvation Army
This interview was conducted on Monday, May 10 with the Social worker Mr. Dale
Jones at the Salvation Army, 716 Broad Street, Elyria 440-323-2026. Mr. Jones has worked
Exploration of Poverty and Why the Poor are Poor 13
locally at the Salvation Army for decades. His definition of poverty and how it influences
program operations for him went like this: “Folks with low income to no income come into the
facility for a variety of programs. The most popular one that people use the most is the
emergency food assistance program. How it works is: anyone in our community can come to
the Salvation Army and get an emergency food bag every thirty days. It has to be an emergency
situation. All you need is two forms of I.D and prove you are a resident of Elyria and receive a
food bag. Holiday times are the busiest, but, in the last six months we have seen a drastic
increase in them, probably about 1300 a month now. The recent largest number of people
served was 71 in a two hour window. Our food comes in a variety of ways with the primary
being from donations. Our community steps up to help. We just had a major food drive called
“Stamp out Hunger” that the U.S Post Office helps with nationally. We got over 65,000 pounds
of canned goods. It should last us about 4-5 months. We spend about $1500-$2000 at Second
Harvest Food Bank and vendors like Aldi, and Save-A-lot to supplement what we give.
The hardest part of his day is trying to organize all the community service that comes
through the doors, which 90% of what gets accomplished here is through community service.
The community service comes through the court system for people that are required to do
community service as their restitution. We need to know their background and we need to keep
them busy. People come in these doors from various walks of life and backgrounds. Safety is
an issue.”
What Dale thinks is needed to make a serious difference in reducing the problems of
Poverty are: “Once again, in our community, I would like to say we are addressing one of the
issues, which is food, we are addressing hunger, so that is important. But, the biggest situation
we are facing right now is becoming housing. We are getting more and more people who need
Exploration of Poverty and Why the Poor are Poor 14
shelter and housing assistance. Housing right now is the biggest situation in our community.
We can only refer people to shelter. We have to recommend the Haven House in Lorain. There
is nothing in Elyria. We have the community backing us, but we need to have the community
landlords that are willing to take a chance on people with low-income. We need people that
own vacant buildings just sitting there to be opportunities for people in need. People in the
community need to be creative in solving the problem; I don’t think there is just one solution to
it all. We are looking into housing solutions that would make sense.”
Putting it together
The interview with Mr. Jones illuminates the approach of community involvement and
Judeo-Christian ethics, which is described as being responsible for one another and having a
sense of duty to care for those in need. It needs advocacy of social welfare, which is the “result
of a society’s ongoing efforts to define a vision of what the quality of human life can and
should be and translating it to a reality.” (Whittaker, Frederico, 1990) The interview
illuminates the growing concern and growing rate of people that are in need of assistance
locally. The number of people is growing, but the number of programs such as the Salvation
Army’s is the same. There is a larger need for stronger community outreach. There are more
and more people, especially women and children, disabled and elderly that are in need of our
helping hands right in our own backyards. We as a society cannot be blind to this. We cannot
turn our backs and pretend that the need for advocacy and outreach isn’t there. It is needed
more than ever. This essay has brought another great advocates voice to mind - Jonathon
Kozol. He writes,” I have after all, seen hundreds of small victories, but I have also seen them –
almost all, with few exceptions- washed away in time by larger losses. I’ve also seen heroic and
ephemeral victories of individuals used by conservative sectors of the press to militate against
Exploration of Poverty and Why the Poor are Poor 15
larger changes it would take to win enduring victories for their communities. If only enough
children we are told, to act the way heroes do, say no to drugs and sex and gold chains and TV
and yes to homework, values, church, abstinence, and only enough good parents, preachers,
teachers, volunteers, and civic-minded business leaders would assist them in these efforts, we
could “turn this thing around” and wouldn’t need to speak about dark, messy matters such as
race, despisal, and injustice.” (Kozol, 1996)
The way social workers can improve their understanding of social welfare and Social
work practice with poor populations would be to keep an open mind and not be judgmental.
Get as much knowledge and understanding of how and why this massive dilemma of poverty
has come to be, get an understanding of how just a small step in the right direction can make a
huge difference in the world. Don’t be afraid of the people who are just like you. Give them the
courage it takes to reach out to the people that need your helping hand. A smile is a small step
and maybe all that someone needs to know that you are there to help, time patience, and
understanding.
The way future social workers can intervene to make a positive change would be to
volunteer. Get to the grassroots of the problems. Make a change in public policy, or even go to
congress to pass a bill. Think about why they might be in this field as an advocate for so many
people that need their help. Educate the people around them about the truths of what we can do
to change. Question people if they have media fed versions of welfare and stigmas to those in
need of it. Treat people the way you want to be treated. Just because someone may be different
than you, doesn’t mean they are bad. Maybe they need some help or are in a terrible situation.
Do not be biased. Question what you are doing: Is it out of service, love, and unselfishness? We
Exploration of Poverty and Why the Poor are Poor 16
must persevere in our battle to help others, even if it seems like a lost cause sometimes. That is
our duty as social workers.
“But life,” he says, “is a complicated school. Not all the powerful are happy. Not all the
children from this neighborhood are sad. There are many who surprise you. They have faces
sometimes that are like illuminadas. Light surrounds them. No one yet has clipped their
wings.” (Kozol, 1996 p.239)
Exploration of Poverty and Why the Poor are Poor 17
References
1. “So you think I drive a Cadillac?” Welfare Recipients’ Perspectives on the System and its Reform, By Karen Seccombe 2nd edition
2. Amazing Grace- The Lives of Children and the conscience of a nation By Jonathon Kozol 1st edition 1996
3. Source for definition of Social welfare Social Welfare in Today’s World, by William H. Whitaker and Ronald Federico, 2nd edition McGraw-Hill 1997
4. Source for Societal ValuesSocial Working: Exercises in Generalist Practice 2/EPhyllis. Day, Temple UniversitySandra M. Shelly, Indiana UniversityHarry J. Macy, Ball State University
Publisher: Allyn& Bacon, 2000
5. The Urban Rural Disparity : A demand Side Analysis By Ling, ShenShanghai University of Finance and Economics, ChinaCopy write 2003 Ebco publishing
6. Feeble Critiques: Capitalism’s Petty Detractors By Bhagwati, JagdishWorld Affair Fall, 2009 Copy write 2009 Ebco Publishing
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