Understanding Poverty

People in poverty suffer daily under misconceptions about economic hardship and its causes. Providing the most comprehensive consideration to date of poverty in the United States, Elizabeth Seale tackles how we think about issues of culture, behavior, and poverty, cutting straight to the heart of debates about social class. The book addresses tough questions, including how being poor affects individual behavior, and how we can make sense of that in a larger social and political context. The central premise is that to understand the behavior and lives of people in poverty, one must consider their relational context, especially relations of vulnerability and the human need for dignity. Poverty is a social problem we should address as a society by changing social relations that, as a matter of course, cause unnecessary and immense suffering. To do so, we must directly confront our lack of regard for people in poverty by recognizing that they are in fact worthy of an effort to induce major social change. This critical introduction to poverty will be an important read for undergraduate students and above in sociology wanting to learn more about the growing social problems of poverty, inequality, and stratification.

1. On Understanding Poverty in the U.S. My Research Experience How We Think and Talk about Poverty A Relational Approach What a Relational Approach Contributes Relations of Vulnerability and the Desire for Dignity Aims and Overview of the Book 2. Who Are the Poor? Defining and Measuring Poverty Mobility Diversity Similarity to and Difference from the Nonpoor Conclusion 3. Family and Parenting Single Mother Households Young Moms Child Maltreatment Conclusion 4. Culture Historical Context Culture of Poverty and Policy Problems with the Culture of Poverty Arguments Contemporary Research on Culture and Poverty A Culture of Dependency or a Culture of Blame? Conclusion 5. Structure and Social Relations How Structure Creates Poverty Social Policy: Punishing the Poor The Limits of Structuralism A Relational Approach 6. Opportunity and Personal Autonomy Going to College Finding (Better) Employment General Autonomy Conclusion 7. Vulnerability and Dignity The Relations of Poverty Changing Our Thinking about Poverty The Significance of a Relational Approach Conclusion