Theories of PovertyTheories of Poverty

The Culture of povertyThe Culture of poverty

• Oscar Lewis developed this Oscar Lewis developed this theory “the culture of theory “the culture of poverty”poverty”

• He states that being in He states that being in Poverty tends to create a Poverty tends to create a way of living that becomes way of living that becomes a culture of its owna culture of its own

• This culture is “learned, This culture is “learned, shared and socially shared and socially transmitted as a behaviour transmitted as a behaviour of a social group”of a social group”

• What does Oscar Lewis What does Oscar Lewis mean by this? mean by this?

Social SegregationSocial Segregation

• Oscar Lewis saw people Oscar Lewis saw people living in this culture as a living in this culture as a separate part of societyseparate part of society

• He stated that the urban He stated that the urban poor ”make little use of poor ”make little use of institutions such as banks, institutions such as banks, hospitals, museums and art hospitals, museums and art galleries”galleries”

• In this way, Lewis argues In this way, Lewis argues that the poor segregate that the poor segregate themselves from themselves from mainstream societymainstream society

• Can you think of any reasons Can you think of any reasons for this low participation? for this low participation?

Lewis argues that once established, Lewis argues that once established, the culture of povertythe culture of poverty

• ““tends to perpetuate itself tends to perpetuate itself from generation to from generation to generation because of its generation because of its effects on childreneffects on children

• By the time slum children By the time slum children are aged 6 or 7 they have are aged 6 or 7 they have absorbed the values and absorbed the values and attitudes of their cultureattitudes of their culture

• And they are not And they are not psychologically geared to psychologically geared to take full advantage of take full advantage of increased opportunities increased opportunities which may occur in their which may occur in their lifetime”lifetime”

The cycle of poverty and The cycle of poverty and deprivationdeprivation

• In this way Lewis would In this way Lewis would state that the culture of state that the culture of Poverty perpetuates Poverty perpetuates through the generationsthrough the generations

• A CYCLE of Poverty is A CYCLE of Poverty is produced from which each produced from which each generation finds difficult to generation finds difficult to escapeescape

• Besides the learned Besides the learned cultural norms what other cultural norms what other barriers are there to barriers are there to prevent poor children from prevent poor children from improving their future improving their future lifestyle?lifestyle?

ActivityActivity

• Look at the flow chart on page 317 in Look at the flow chart on page 317 in your text book your text book

• Draw your own diagram of the cycle Draw your own diagram of the cycle of deprivation of deprivation

Social ExclusionSocial Exclusion

• Social exclusion is a much Social exclusion is a much broader concept than broader concept than povertypoverty

• It refers to being “shut It refers to being “shut out” or excluded from out” or excluded from mainstream societymainstream society

• Like Oscar Lewis’ theory of Like Oscar Lewis’ theory of social segregation, social social segregation, social exclusion describes exclusion describes divisions in societydivisions in society

• Unlike Lewis, this theory Unlike Lewis, this theory claims that social exclusion claims that social exclusion PREVENTS people from PREVENTS people from participating in societyparticipating in society

Situational ConstraintsSituational Constraints

• This theory states that the poor This theory states that the poor are trapped into poverty are trapped into poverty because of their situationbecause of their situation

• It rejects that it is the culture of It rejects that it is the culture of poverty that constrains thempoverty that constrains them

• Once poverty is removed then Once poverty is removed then the poor will have no difficulty in the poor will have no difficulty in seizing opportunities in societyseizing opportunities in society

• It states that the poor share the It states that the poor share the values of society as a whole values of society as a whole

• they do not have separate they do not have separate cultural values that are at odds cultural values that are at odds with society with society

New Right viewsNew Right views

• New Right theorists such as New Right theorists such as Charles Murray would Charles Murray would disagreedisagree

• He takes the work of Lewis He takes the work of Lewis further by stating that Britain further by stating that Britain now has an “underclass”now has an “underclass”

• This group has different This group has different attitudes and values to the attitudes and values to the rest of societyrest of society

• He states that the underclass He states that the underclass are the “undeserving poor” are the “undeserving poor” and that they have no wish and that they have no wish to support themselvesto support themselves

Welfare DependencyWelfare Dependency

• According to Murray, the According to Murray, the undeserving poor remain in undeserving poor remain in poverty because the welfare poverty because the welfare state encourages them to state encourages them to depend on state provisiondepend on state provision

• State provision is too State provision is too generous according to generous according to Murray and creates “welfare Murray and creates “welfare dependency”dependency”

• This in turn does not This in turn does not provide any incentive for provide any incentive for the “feckless poor” to the “feckless poor” to provide for themselvesprovide for themselves

• The concepts of the The concepts of the “underclass” and “underclass” and “undeserving poor” are highly “undeserving poor” are highly controversialcontroversial

• Most sociologists would Most sociologists would question whether these question whether these groups exist at allgroups exist at all

• These terms could be seen as These terms could be seen as labels that “blame the labels that “blame the victims” for their own victims” for their own misfortunesmisfortunes

• They could be seen as They could be seen as stigmatising people and stigmatising people and distancing them from societydistancing them from society

UnemploymentUnemployment

• Unemployment can be seen as Unemployment can be seen as a central issue in a central issue in understanding the causes of understanding the causes of povertypoverty

• An economic recession means An economic recession means an decrease in employment an decrease in employment rates and an increase in rates and an increase in povertypoverty

• Unemployment is imposed Unemployment is imposed upon people rather than it upon people rather than it being a lifestyle choicebeing a lifestyle choice

• Benefits can be seen as too Benefits can be seen as too low.low.

• By increasing benefits poverty By increasing benefits poverty may be reducedmay be reduced

Summary QuestionSummary Question

• Essay question (12 marks)Essay question (12 marks)

• To what extent does the culture of To what extent does the culture of Poverty explain why people live in Poverty explain why people live in poverty in Britain today? poverty in Britain today?