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Poverty in the US

Poverty in the US. What is poverty?. US gov’t defines it as the lack of minimum food and shelter necessary for maintaining life- absolute poverty Then decides what income is needed to sustain that minimum standard of living

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Poverty in the US

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  1. Poverty in the US

  2. What is poverty? • US gov’t defines it as the lack of minimum food and shelter necessary for maintaining life- absolute poverty • Then decides what income is needed to sustain that minimum standard of living • Multiplies the cost of food by 3 (average American spends 1/3 of it’s income on food) • $23,492 for a family of 4 • $11,720 • 16.1% of the population

  3. How else can we determine poverty? • Define it in terms of how people live relative to the majority of the population • Relative definition • According to this those who earn less than 1/2 of the nation’s median income are poor bc they lack what is considered to be needed by most people to live a decent life

  4. Feminization of poverty • Poverty affects women more than men • Most are single mothers or head of the families • The US has the largest gender gap in poverty • US women are more likely that their foreign counterparts to be both unemployed and head of families with children • Single mothers make up the largest proportion of the poor adult population • Why?? • Increased divorce rate • Decrease in fathers paying child support • Reduction in govt support for welfare • Women live longer than men

  5. Blame the Poor Theory • Assume that there are plenty of opportunities for making it in the US • The poor failed to grab the opportunities by not working hard • The poor have accepted being poor and see no way out • Developed a culture of poverty-debilitating values and attitudes • Passed from one generation to another • Discourages the poor from working hard, which in turn keeps them poor

  6. Holes in this theory • Poor people are not necessarily averse to working hard • If given the opportunity they would work hard • Problem is: even if given the opportunity and work, they are still likely to be poor bc of changes in the economy and welfare policy • The working poor account for 1/2 of the those who fall below the poverty line

  7. Sociological Theory • According to functionalist theory, society create and maintains poverty bc benefits can be derived from it • Poverty performs some positive functions for society • Make it possible for society’s dirty work to be done • Poor people make it easier for the affluent to pursue their business and professional careers • Poverty creates jobs for social workers and other professionals who serve the poor

  8. Holes in this theory • Cant explain how society creates poverty in the first place • Conflict theory explains that the unequal distribution of opportunities is the reason

  9. Who are the Homeless? • Among the extremely poor • Sleep in streets, parks, shelters and places not intended for dwelling • According to Peter Rossi’s study of the Chicago homeless, most are: • African-American men in their thirties • Average education level • Never been married • Held their last steady job 4 years earlier • Other studies show that many are families with children, alcohol and drug abusers, and the mentally ill

  10. The “new” homeless • More than 40 years ago, most of the homeless were old men • Today the homeless are younger and include more women and families with young children • Today’s homeless are more visible to the public

  11. Causes of homelessness • Increased shortage of inexpensive housing for poor families bc of diminishing gov’t subsidy • Decreasing demand for unskilled labor • Extremely high unemployment rate • Erosion of public welfare benefits

  12. Welfare • Most of the poor are NOT on welfare • Only about 1/3 of the poor • Majority of recipients are single mothers and their children • Major push for welfare reform in the 90s

  13. Beliefs about welfare • Most people think the gov’t should reduce spending on welfare • Attacking the single mothers not the children on welfare • People believe that welfare encourages dependency and wont ever leave • Most people believe welfare recipients should be required to work • Most recipients (about 70%) stay on welfare for less than 2 years

  14. Welfare reform • 1996 a law was passed to end welfare dependency in the US • Head of every family on welfare must work and benefits are limited to a total of 5 years throughout a person’s lifetime

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