THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES OF POVERTY - THE CULTURE OF POVERTY

Who proposed the Culture of Poverty theory?

Oscar Lewis;

What are the basic assumptions of the Culture of Poverty theory?

The poor create a subculture adapted to poverty; They develop values, attitudes, behaviors, and language to survive; Poverty is sustained through these attitudes and behaviors; The original causes of poverty are external, but continued poverty is attributed to the attitudes of the poor;

List six characteristics of poor communities according to the Culture of Poverty theory.

• Unskilled employment and child labor

• Absence of savings and chronic shortage of cash

• Living in crowded quarters with a lack of privacy

• Frequent use of physical violence, including wife-beating and child punishment

• Early initiation into sex and father abandonment

• Reliance on informal credit systems, such as borrowing from moneylenders

What does the term ‘design for living’ refer to in the Culture of Poverty theory?

A structured way of life developed by the poor to adapt to poverty;

What are the three levels of the ‘design for living’ in the Culture of Poverty?

The Individual, The Family, The Community;

What characteristics define the individual level of the Culture of Poverty?

• Fatalistic attitude

• Present-time orientation with little ability to defer gratification

• Feelings of marginalization, inferiority, and powerlessness

• Dependence on state welfare

What characteristics define the family level of the Culture of Poverty?

• Trend toward free, consensual unions and mother-centered households

• High rates of abandonment, with children knowing maternal relatives more than paternal ones

• High divorce rates and male marginalization in homes

• Frequent use of physical violence in child discipline and wife-beating

What characteristics define the community level of the Culture of Poverty?

• Low participation in organizations such as trade unions and political parties

• Minimal and ineffective engagement in major institutions

• Dependence on informal financial systems like moneylenders with high interest rates

What are the criticisms of the Culture of Poverty theory?

• It blames the poor for their poverty rather than considering social and economic factors

• It assumes that poverty is fixed and unchanging

• Marxist theorists argue that poverty is due to structural injustices, not personal attitudes

• Research suggests poverty-related behaviors result from situational constraints like unemployment and low income