The first fact about poverty in the United States essential to know is its concentration by race and ethnicity. According to Cohen (2020), “American Indians and African Americans are more than three times more likely, and Latinos are more than twice as likely, to be poor than Whites” (p. 136). It is evident that poverty rates differ for racial-ethnical groups as a result of numerous socio-economic factors. Therefore, being aware of this tendency and acknowledging the problem are essential steps to addressing inequality and discrimination in society. Another critical fact is the relationship between poverty and family structure. Single-parent households in the US are more likely to face hardships in life (Cohen, 2020). It is important to know which social groups require social support to overcome or avoid poverty.
Generally speaking, modern society in the US is characterized by a rather high degree of social mobility. In other words, people can move in social positions upwards and downwards over the course of time as a result of various impacts. Family structure is a factor that can influence one’s social mobility. For example, children of single mothers often live in a household with a family income under $25,000, while married couples with children frequently have an income of $50,000-99,999 (Cohen, 2020, p. 144). This tendency implies limited financial opportunities and social capital needed to succeed in society. Evidently, children from lower-income households are more likely to dominate future lower classes due to the scarcities they face and a significant difference in opportunities.
References
Cohen, P. N. (2020). The family: Diversity, inequality, and social change (3rd ed.). W. W. Norton.
UNICEF. (n.d.). Redesigning the workplace to be family-friendly: What governments and businesses can do. UNICEF. Web.
UNICEF. (2019). Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Estonia and Portugal rank highest for family-friendly policies in OECD and EU countries [Press Release]. Web.