THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES OF POVERTY- FUNCTIONALISM

Basic Assumptions of Functionalism

• Society is stratified by class, creating inequality.

• One’s place in society is determined by their ability to take advantage of opportunities.

• Success is linked to effort, while failure is associated with inferiority.

• Poverty exists in all societies, implying it serves a functional purpose.

Herbert J. Gans (1971) - "The Uses of Poverty: The Poor Pay All"

• Poverty persists because it benefits affluent members of society and will only be reduced when it becomes dysfunctional to them or when the powerless gain enough influence to change society.

• Functions of poverty are divided into economic, social, and political.

Economic Functions of Poverty

• Ensures that dirty, menial, and low-paying jobs are filled (garbage collection)

• Provides a cheap labor force.

• Subsidizes economic activities that benefit the wealthy (e.g., domestic workers).

• Poor individuals contribute a higher percentage of their income in taxes.

• Supports medical and scientific research as test subjects.

• The poor extends the economic life of goods by purchasing secondhand and expired items.

• Provides income for professionals unable to attract affluent clients (e.g., doctors, lawyers).

• Creates employment in industries that serve or control the poor (e.g., police, social workers, pawn shops).

Social Functions of Poverty

• Reinforces societal norms by associating poverty with laziness and failure.

• Strengthens the belief that those who conform to mainstream values will succeed.

• Contributes to popular culture (e.g., hip-hop, rock & roll).

• Enables upward mobility for those slightly above the poor, as they provide services considered undesirable by the upper class.

• Supplies the majority of soldiers in the military.

• Justifies the existence of charity and philanthropy.

Political Functions of Poverty

• Stabilizes the political system by forming a base of voters.

• Limited political engagement allows the elite to ignore their needs.

• Perpetuates the idea that poverty is an individual failure rather than a systemic issue.

Criticisms of the Functionalist Perspective

• Suggests that poverty is beneficial for society and should not be eliminated.

• Marxists argue that this perspective justifies inequality rather than addressing its root causes.