Poverty and Power: The Problem of Structural Inequality

Description

Poverty and Power examines structural inequality in American society with a focus on the issue of poverty. The third edition features new material throughout, including discussions of the 2016 election and current political climate, the geography of poverty, the weakening of the safety net, the declining quality of employment opportunities, and more. Many Americans believe that people are poor because of individual failings, such as lack of skills or work ethic. Poverty and Power challenges this view, showing that American poverty instead is a structural problem, resulting from failings of our political, economic, cultural, and social systems. The book examines the social forces and institutional problems that contribute to growing inequality and the persistence of poverty in the United States. Throughout the book, the author compares individualistic and structural approaches and makes a case for the superiority of a structural perspective on American poverty. Preface to the third edition Acknowledgments 1. Poverty as a Social Problem Part I: Individualistic Theories of Poverty and Inequality 2. The Biogenetic Theory of Poverty and Inequality 3. The Cultural Theory of Poverty and Inequality 4. The Human Capital Theory of Poverty and Inequality Part II: A Structural Perspective on Poverty—Four Systems 5. The Economic System and Poverty 6. The Political System and Poverty 7. The Cultural System and Poverty 8. The Social System and Poverty Part III: A Structural Perspective on Poverty—Ten Obstacles 9. Structural Obstacles and the Persistence of Poverty (Part I) 10. Structural Obstacles and the Persistence of Poverty (Part II) 11. Conclusion Appendix: The Individualistic Perspective and the Structural Perspective Notes Selected Bibliography Index About the author