THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES - CONFLICT

Conflict Perspective: Basic Assumptions

• Poverty results from society's failure to fairly allocate resources and provide opportunities.

• The poor should be seen as the victims of this system and should not be blamed for their poverty.

• The causes of poverty include:

  • Disadvantaged position in the labour market due to their lack of power.

  • Social stratification.

  • The inevitable consequence of capitalism.

Poverty, the Labour Market, and Power

• Many poor individuals are employed but receive wages too low to meet basic needs.

• Abigail McKnight (2002): Poverty and low wages are linked over the lifetime of individuals and across generations.

  • Childhood poverty is likely to lead to low-paying jobs in adulthood.

  • Low pay in working life increases poverty risk in old age.

• Causes of low pay and poverty:

  • Decline in demand for unskilled labor due to automation.

  • International competition which force wages down.

  • Majority of low paid workers are employed in the labor intensive or declining industries.

  • Growth of the service sector, reducing secure full-time jobs.

  • Companies outsourcing cheap labor for lower costs.

  • Increased labor supply, particularly from women entering the workforce.

• David Byrne (1999): The "new reserve army of labor" keeps wages low.

  • The unemployed are desperate for work and willing to accept lower wages.

  • Capitalism forces workers to move from one low-paying job to another as requirements change.

Poverty and Stratification

• Poverty is deeply rooted in the structure of society.

• Peter Townsend states that class determines how resources are distributed.

  • He adds that the social status and lack of wealth, prestige, and opportunities limit the poor’s access to well-paying jobs.

Poverty and the Capitalist System

• Marxist theory argues that poverty remains because it benefits the ruling class.

• Capitalism requires a motivated workforce, and poverty ensures that people will work for wages.

• J.C. Kincaid (1973): Low wages at the bottom keep wages low throughout the economy.

• Unequal wages create competition among workers, reinforcing economic inequality.

Evaluation of the Conflict Perspective

• Provides a strong structural explanation for poverty in capitalist societies.

• However, it does not fully explain why specific groups or individuals become poor.

• It fails to distinguish the poor from other working-class members.

• Focuses too much on economic structures and ignores reasons why certain individuals/ groups are more likely to become poor as compared to others.