Poverty In America

Poverty is a prevalent issue embedded within the society and culture of the United States. Poverty can be defined as a condition in which ones basic needs for food, clothing and shelter are not being met. The increasing rate of people unable to obtain adequate resources for survival in one of the wealthiest and abundant countries in the world is concerning. Measuring and ending poverty however is not a simple task due to its overlapping dimensions. Assumptions can be made that poverty is determined by personal traits of the individual, but research has shown there are more significant root causes such as social stratification, discrimination, gender, family structure and more. Poverty can have lasting effects on society such as a lack of

(71) In other words a societal ranking system of hierarchy. In the United States it is apparent that some groups of people have higher status, power, and wealth than others. Functionalists argue that stratification is needed in society. For example, jobs that require extreme talent and education such as an open heart surgeon should be rewarded with a higher pay. Incentives are needed for more important jobs, and equality could only result in the acceptance of anyone performing any job. Therefor stratification is a function of society and occurs naturally. On the other hand conflict theorists suggest social stratification is not needed but exists in order to benefit some at the expense of others (the owners versus the workers). Although caste systems and slave systems are no more in the United States, inequality continues to be evident. In fact, social stratification is so ingrained in society it can cause some people who are born into poverty to have a more difficult time overcoming the disadvantage resulting in a family remaining in poverty for generations, a phenomena known as the cycle of poverty. A learned helplessness can be developed, a psychological concept that can cause depression, low self esteem and lack of coping skills. One with learned helplessness may not be able to perceive any other way of life and can learn ways to handle poverty that

There is what as known as economically depressed rural areas in which there is limited public transportation, poor education systems, and few social support services. On the other hand there is concentrated poverty in inner cities known as ghettos or barrios. In these urban settings, problems such as crime, drug use, out of wedlock births, and substandard education systems are prevalent. (58) The cluster of poor into communities puts even more of a hardship onto the poor themselves whom have to put up with an unsafe environment, and homes that are constantly falling apart. The high concentration of poverty in urban settings is due to a lack of adaptability to the post industrial economy, welfare policy changes, and also forced relocated, when "unwanted" people were to move away to revitalize a city, which in turn caused more harm than good. One could argue that people are a profuct of their environment. If one is born into depressed rural poverty which little job opportunity, or into a ghetto, they are more likely to stay in that