Poverty and Power: The Problem Structural Inequality

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Format: Paperback
Pub. Date: 2009-01-30
Publisher(s): Rowman & Littlefield Pub Inc
List Price: $46.60

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Summary

Most Americans persist in believing that poverty results primarily from individual deficiencies: people are poor because they lack intelligence, determination, and skills. In opposition to this dominant, individualistic view, Poverty and Power proposes that American poverty is a structural problem, resulting from the failings of the political economy, not the failings of the poor. In Poverty and Power Edward Royce argues that the current poverty problem originates from changes in the larger economic, political and cultural landscape and from a corresponding shift in the balance of power that has worked to the advantage of business over labor.

Author Biography

Edward Royce is associate professor of sociology at Rollins College

Table of Contents

Acknowledgmentsp. xi
Poverty as a Social Problemp. 1
The Problem of Povertyp. 2
The Individualistic Perspective and the Structural Perspectivep. 13
Organization of the Bookp. 15
Appendixp. 24
Individualistic Theories of Poverty and Inequalityp. 27
The Biogenetic Theory of Poverty and Inequalityp. 29
Our Fate Is in Our Genesp. 29
Genes, IQ, and Intelligencep. 31
Is It Better to Be Born Smart or Born Rich?p. 33
Genes, IQ, and Povertyp. 35
Conclusionp. 40
The Cultural Theory of Poverty and Inequalityp. 47
Poverty as Deviancep. 47
The Origins and Development of the Cultural Theoryp. 48
The Culture of the Poorp. 49
The Sources of the Cultural Deviance of the Poorp. 51
The Cultural Solution to the Problem of Povertyp. 53
Is the Cultural Theory Plausible?p. 55
How Well Does the Cultural Theory Know the Poor?p. 57
Do the Poor Differ from the Nonpoor, and If So How and Why?p. 58
Conclusionp. 63
The Human Capital Theory of Poverty and Inequalityp. 71
Education Is the Key to Successp. 71
Acquiring Human Capitalp. 73
Converting Human Capitalp. 75
What You Know or Who You Are?p. 76
What You Know or Who You Know?p. 79
What You Know or Where You Work?p. 81
Skills Deficit or Jobs Deficit?p. 82
Conclusionp. 84
A Structural Perspective on Poverty-Four Systemsp. 89
The Economic System and Povertyp. 91
The Economics of Povertyp. 91
Poverty and Economic Growthp. 93
Skill-Biased Technological Changep. 94
A Shift in the Balance of Economic Powerp. 97
Deindustrializationp. 100
Globalizationp. 103
Corporate Restructuringp. 107
A Shortage of Jobsp. 110
Conclusionp. 112
The Political System and Povertyp. 123
The Politics of Povertyp. 123
We're Number One: The United States in Comparative Perspectivep. 124
The Structure of the American Political Systemp. 127
The Political Mobilization of Businessp. 131
The Political Marginalization of the Working Class and the Poorp. 132
The Synergy of Money and Powerp. 136
Policy Consequences of the Power Shift: Robin Hood in Reversep. 139
Conclusionp. 146
The Cultural System and Povertyp. 157
Hearts and Mindsp. 157
The American Dream and the Ideology of Individualismp. 159
Beliefs about Poverty and the Poorp. 161
Strong Individualism, Weak Structuralismp. 162
The News Mediap. 165
The Right-Wing Ideology Machinep. 172
The Rightward Turn in Poverty Discoursep. 175
Conclusionp. 178
The Social System and Povertyp. 187
We Are Not Alonep. 187
Group Membershipsp. 189
Neighborhood Effectsp. 192
Social Networks and Social Capitalp. 196
Conclusionp. 204
A Structural Perspective on Poverty-Ten Obstaclesp. 215
Structural Obstacles and the Persistence of Poverty (I)p. 217
Racial and Ethnic Discriminationp. 218
Residential Segregationp. 222
Housingp. 226
Educationp. 230
Transportationp. 234
Structural Obstacles and the Persistence of Poverty (II)p. 249
Sex Discriminationp. 249
Child Carep. 253
Health and Health Carep. 256
Retirement Insecurityp. 260
Legal Deprivationp. 264
Conclusionp. 268
Conclusionp. 283
Poverty and Powerp. 283
Programs and Powerp. 285
Movements and Powerp. 289
Selected Bibliographyp. 295
Indexp. 317
About the Authorp. 327
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

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