Poverty is one of the main problems faced by racial minorities and blue-collar workers. The main problem is that stable work and full employment cannot help 3.4 million people to escape poverty and food shortage. Usually, sociological and economic statements concern the nature of wealth and poverty. The central proposition is that government intervention has changed behavior in all of the social classes and thus brought about disruption in society. The values of the work ethic and the free market system have been forgotten, as society has become more interested in short-term benefits. Thesis Te main causes of poverty include such factors as high costs of living, inadequate education and unemployment, increased population size and economic trends which lead to increased criminal activity and high mortality rates among poor.
Poverty is a direct result of economic policies and class structure which prevent many people coming from low classes to obtain higher-paid jobs. The belief that poverty results from institutional discrimination lie behind much state policy aimed at the reduction of poverty (Sachs 06). The human capital model assumes that the inadequate incomes of the working poor are the result of characteristics of the labor market rather than the inadequacy of the poor. High standards of living and low income of millions of people lead to poverty and inequalities. Unemployment is more likely to be seen as a social problem than is poverty. At no time during the years examined has poverty been seen as one of the crucial problems facing the nation by more than 6 percent of the population (Merrick 41). The results of these problems are high criminal activity in low-income regions and an increased prison population. Lack of social support and poor welfare policies lead to poverty among low-income populations. It is difficult to eliminate barriers and cultural prejudices existing in the society. In other words, cultural and social minorities are destined to live in poverty working full-time (Iceland 41). Following Clark “Social exclusion is necessary for both the creation of wealth and the creation of poverty” (Clark 418).
Changes in demographics and poor education lead to increased poverty among racial minorities and immigrants. Culturally, blacks and immigrants are seen as marginals because they are not easily assimilated into the mainstream culture. The consequences of marginality are second-class citizenship and social alienation (Kodras 67). It is possible to say that changes are needed which will bring these poor workers into the mainstream of society and will expand horizons to a broader self-definition. Mexican-Americans are part of the fastest-growing minority. They have the disadvantages of being Mexican-American and immigrants. Also, it is important to say that many women have a double minority status. It means that they work full-time but earn minimal wages in contrast to working men (Merrick 42). These problems lead to poor health and high mortality rates among low income people. Inadequate diet and unhealthy lifestyle lead to heart diseases and late treatment of incurable disease.
Using an innovative measure of earnings capacity and economic status, the authors attempt to demonstrate statistically that poverty is not the result of incompetence on the part of the poor. It is indicated many of the poor are working full-time and still not earning adequate incomes. The difference in perception in terms of a theoretical framework that considers ideology about work and social policy are closely connected and reflected in the current system of social stratification (Iceland, 2003: 244). The problem is that structurally society consists of different classes: owners and non-owners, with the latter again divided into white-collar, blue-collar, and the poor. Basic studies in stratification suggest that full-time working poor have no chance to cover all the family expenses including food, housing, health care, etc (McKibben, 87).
In sum, poverty is a great social problem that can be eliminated by full-employment of the poor. Research studies show that full-time employment of women and men does not guarantee improved living standards and high earnings. Poverty is a social problem connected with the social structure of the society, class differences and cultural prejudices prevented many full-time employees to receive high wages to cover increased expenses.
Works Cited
Clark, Ch. M.A. Wealth and Poverty: On the Social Creation of Scarcity. Journal of Economic Issues, 36 (2002): 415-420.
Iceland, J. Poverty in America: A Handbook. New York: University of California Press, 2003.
Kodras, J.E. The Changing Map of American Poverty in an Era of Economic Restructuring and Political Realignment. Economic Geography, 73 (1997): 67.
McKibben, Bill. Deep Economy. Times Books, 2007.
Merrick, T.W. Population and Poverty: New Views on an Old Controversy International Family Planning Perspectives, 28 (2002): 41-44.
Sachs, Jeffrey. The End of Poverty. Penguin, 2005.