Urban Poverty In Black And White: Article Analysis

Introduction "This paper will utilize the three sociological perspectives, Structural Functionalism, Conflict Theory and Symbolic Interactionism, to analyze a social issue in society today. The article that I have selected is entitled "Urban Poverty, in Black and White." This article analysis poverty in urban neighborhoods. It appeared Friday July 11, 2014 on CNN. It was written by (Alexander & Olson 2014)

Summary of Article. This article is based on research conducted on “urban poor” in Baltimore, Maryland by two Sociology Professors (Alexander & Olson, 2014). They followed the lives of 800 children. Half of these children came from low income households, for more than 25 years, from first grade in the public school system, well into

This Theory ask the question why do people get involved in problematic behavior. Living in poverty people learn to adapt to their environment. People do not know other ways to live, because all they have seen is poverty. Some people living in poverty condemn others for trying to escape poverty. Thus we have the Learning Theory that “claims people learn troublesome attitudes and behavior from others around them.” (Macionis, J, 2015). All poor people are not involved in drugs, violence, and crime, but poverty leads to it. Some people in poor neighborhoods get into troublesome behavior as a matter of survival. Having a record or failing to complete high school is a problem in the poor black communities. “84 percent of white men without a high school diploma had employment by age 22, where only 40 percent of black men in urban neighbors were employed. At every age, white men had shorter spells of unemployment, were more likely to be working full-time and earned more.” (Alexander & Olson,

To end social problems in society we need to focus on policies that help all people, especially people of color. We need to educate poor people and help them obtain meaningful employment. In order for people to see a better future they need to be removed from an environment of poverty and hopelessness. The authors of this article suggests we develop programs such as former President Barak Obama’s “My Brother’s Keeper” (Alexander & Olson, 2014) to address problems facing society concerning the poor. To change the next generation, start with the children. We need to understand that poverty not only effects people of color, but white people also. Poverty effects all of society.

The perspectives that are best suited for this article are the Conflict Theory and the Symbolic Interaction Theory, because these two theories focus primarily on inequality, the “haves and have- not’s,” and the Learning