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Poverty

Poverty

  • Type of paper Research Paper
  • Subject Other
  • Number of pages 2
  • Format of citation Other
  • Number of cited resources 4
  • Type of service Writing from scratch

Use library online resources to find information on your topic. You need to have a total of *at least three* references: one book or ebook, one periodical and one article from an authoritative website. Step 2- needs to find two articles and one box on your topic in the “featured viewpoints” section. Choose one viewpoint that argues one way (for) and one viewpoint that argues another (against) Step:3- after you read the articles you selected, write a multi-paragraph essay, at least 500-600 words, containing the following guidelines: Introductory paragraph with a thesis – statement containing both viewpoints. – include one body paragraph with supporting details for one viewpoint on your select topic. – include one body paragraph with supporting details for the other viewpoint on your select topic. – include one body paragraph with supporting details for the other viewpoint on your select topic. – include a conclusion paragraph with a final opinion. – use standard American- English vocabulary, spelling, and grammar. No slang, jargon, or contractions. – write in third person. Eliminate the usage of the followings pronouns, I, me, us, you, your, my, our, yours, and we. (Unless you are making a personal point of view arguments) – when you select an article and books. Put all the links in a separate paper.

Globally, several people live in a state of poverty, that is, a state of inadequate essential goods, clothing, shelter, and food – considered very significant to human survival. Poverty is regarded as both a social and economic condition. Because of varying nations’ standards and cost of living, so does the causes of the poverty also differs. This paper, therefore, gives an elaboration of various ways to understand the causes poverty from two viewpoints, where one tend to emphasize on the individual characteristics and the behavior of people, while the other viewpoint tends to focus on both the economic and social conditions.

The first viewpoint, called the Culture of Poverty Theory, suggests that economic success of poor communities originates from some cultural outlooks and attitudes of the communities, which are unfortunately passed from one generation to the other over decades (Waxman, 1977). These attitudes, as well as insufficient family life organization, certainly inclines to respond to the severe conditions of poverty. The viewpoint suggests that the culture of poverty does not necessarily involve certain norms such as community service, hard work, and self-improvement, but rather involve individual behavior and characteristics (Thompson, 1978). According to Raffo et al., (2007), the viewpoint is not just a mere matter of deprivation or disorganization, which is, signifying the lack of something. It is a traditional culture that offers the individuals with an approach for a living, with a convenient variety of solutions for the human beings’ problems and issues. The viewpoint also states that being poor tends to develop a way of living that forms part of a culture of its own. In short, the culture is learned, shared and then socially transferred as a behavior and characteristics from generation to the next.

However, another viewpoint tends to contrast the theory of culture poverty and steers that poverty emanates from the social and economic conditions of the communities instead of individual behavior and attitudes. The viewpoint, also called the Situational Theory, states that the poor are trapped in poverty just because of their societal situation (Thompson, 1978). The theory disagrees strongly with the culture of poverty that compels them. It argues that once the level of economic and social conditions are heightened, surely the poor will have much ease in seizing the opportunities that are available in the community. For instance, high level of unemployment is an economic condition that causes poverty. If the community in such an environment are exposed to the job market, and as a result, they will wear the preparedness that gives them the opportunity to seize (Gordon, 1972). In other words, their condition just originates from the values of the society that they share as a whole, and not that they have distinct cultural values that are at odds with the society (Waxman, 1977).

In conclusion, it is significantly clear that poverty is caused by various factors that various theories tend to rationalize with. However, it may be up to the government and the local to try and alleviate poverty. The alleviation might happen through the creation of essential structural adjustments within the society, such as wealth distribution, organizing the affected communities and providing them with a sense of belonging, of leadership and of power. The people should also form certain frequent revolutions that incline to eradicate some of the basic characteristics of the people’s way of thinking about poverty, even when they do not prosper in alleviating the poverty itself.

References

Gordon, D. M. (1972). Theories of poverty and unemployment.

Raffo, C., Dyson, D., Gunter, H. M., & Hall, D. (2007). Education and poverty: A critical review             of theory, policy and practice. Education and Poverty Programme.

Thompson, E. P. P. (1978). Poverty of theory. NYU Press.

Waxman, C. I. (1977). The Stigma of Poverty; a Critique of Poverty Theories and Policies.