Untitled Flashcards Set

• What has and has not changed over time?
  Historically, poverty was often seen as a moral failing, while wealth signified divine favor. Over time, the understanding shifted towards structural causes, emphasizing economic and social systems. However, stigmatization of the poor remains persistent.

• Know each era in terms of their historical views of poverty & wealth.

  • Medieval Era: Poverty seen as part of God’s plan; wealth tied to noble birth or divine favor.

  • Industrial Revolution: Rise of capitalism; poverty linked to laziness or lack of hard work.

  • Modern Era: Increased awareness of systemic issues like unemployment and discrimination.

• Understand “culture of poverty” and critique.
  The "culture of poverty" suggests poverty is perpetuated by values and behaviors in impoverished communities. Critique: It overlooks structural causes like systemic racism and inadequate public policies.

• History of U.S. welfare state.
  The U.S. welfare state was established during the New Deal (1930s). Key components include Social Security, unemployment insurance, and later programs like Medicare/Medicaid and food stamps.

4. Measuring & Defining Poverty

• Absolute vs. relative measures, examples of each.

  • Absolute: Based on fixed income thresholds (e.g., $2/day globally).

  • Relative: Defined in comparison to societal standards (e.g., earning less than 50% of median income).

• How is poverty defined in the U.S.?
  Poverty is measured by the Federal Poverty Line (FPL), calculated based on food costs and adjusted for family size.

• Understand terms like “200% (or 125% or 150%) of the federal poverty line.”
  These percentages indicate income levels above the FPL, often used to assess eligibility for assistance programs.

• Limitations of the U.S. FPL.

  • Doesn’t account for geographic cost differences.

  • Ignores modern expenses like childcare and healthcare.

• How does the poverty line compare to NYS minimum wage & Buffalo cost of living?
  The poverty line is often insufficient to meet minimum wage earners' basic living costs, especially in areas like Buffalo where the cost of living can exceed the FPL.

5. Measuring and Defining Wealth

• What is wealth? What is class privilege?
  Wealth refers to assets minus liabilities. Class privilege includes advantages like access to education and networking opportunities that come with wealth.

• Distribution of income and wealth.
  Income and wealth are highly concentrated, with the top 10% owning most of the wealth in the U.S.

• How many classes are there? Different class structures.
  Typical divisions include lower, middle, and upper classes, with subcategories like working class and elite.

6. Statistics on “Who is Poor”

• Rate of poverty between races/ethnicities, education levels, citizenship status.
  Marginalized groups (e.g., Native Americans, African Americans) and non-citizens experience poverty at disproportionately high rates compared to white citizens.

• Understand terms like “disproportionate.”
  Used to describe overrepresentation of certain groups in poverty statistics compared to their population size.

• Be able to read/interpret graphs with poverty data.
  Focus on trends and disparities (e.g., non-citizens are roughly twice as likely to live in poverty as citizens).

7. Global Poverty

• Information and arguments of film “End of Poverty.”

  • Highlights exploitation of the Global South by the Global North.

  • Links colonialism and neocolonialism to persistent poverty.

8. Explanations of Poverty

• Individual vs. structural causes/determinants/correlates of poverty.

  • Individual: Lack of skills, education, or effort.

  • Structural: Economic systems, discrimination, and policy failures.

• Understand particular explanations.

  • Human capital theory: Focuses on education and skills.

  • Social & cultural capital: Access to networks and norms that facilitate success.

  • Structural explanations: Globalization, wage stagnation, and tax policies that harm the middle class.

• Residential segregation (Massey & Denton).

  • Tools: Redlining, neighborhood covenants.

  • Effects: Concentrated poverty, limited access to resources.

• HOLC maps, history of segregation & redlining, ongoing consequences.
  Redlining policies created lasting racial wealth gaps and spatial segregation.

• Relationship between segregation & deindustrialization.
  Economic shifts (e.g., factory closures) compounded segregation’s impacts.

• Education & socioeconomic achievement gap.

  • Education both reflects and exacerbates class divides.

  • Mechanisms: Unequal funding, school zoning, systemic biases.