Some Conventional Wisdom About Poverty Anyone Can Get A Job

Some Conventional Wisdom About Povertyanyone Can Get A Job If They Try

Some Conventional Wisdom about Poverty Anyone can get a job if they try. If you have a job, you can lift yourself out of poverty. Poor people are poor because they are lazy. Poor people are poor because they don’t know how to make good financial decisions. Ehrenreich How do Ehrenreich's experiences support or refute the conventional wisdom about poverty stated above? Give 2-3 concrete examples to support your position. Would you be able to carry out the experiment conducted by Ehrenreich? Why/Why not? Newman and Lennon How do Newman and Lennon's findings support or refute the conventional wisdom about poverty stated above? Give 2-3 concrete examples to support your position. Loewan According to Loewan’s analysis, what are the most important functions and dysfunctions of the American myth of social equality? Define the concepts of “hidden injuries of class” and “blaming the victim.” Explain how these concepts help to shed light on the persistence of the existing social class system in U.S. society. Explain why Loewan suggests that “social class is probably the single most important variable in society". Where did you get your own ideas about poverty and social class? Give 1 or 2 concrete examples of your socialization experiences around these topics.

Paper For Above instruction

The traditional view of poverty often posits that individuals can escape their economic circumstances by effort and determination, suggesting that anyone willing to work hard can achieve financial stability. This conventional wisdom, however, simplifies the complexities of poverty, ignoring structural barriers and social inequalities that influence economic mobility. Through the works of Barbara Ehrenreich, Newman and Lennon, and Loewan, a more nuanced understanding of poverty emerges, challenging the notion that poverty results solely from personal failings such as laziness or ignorance.

Barbara Ehrenreich's seminal work, "Nickel and Dimed," vividly illustrates how working poor individuals struggle to survive despite working full-time jobs. Ehrenreich's firsthand experiences in low-wage jobs reveal that physical exhaustion, inadequate wages, and minimal benefits hinder the ability of the working class to lift themselves out of poverty. For example, Ehrenreich describes how her salary as a waitress was insufficient to cover basic expenses such as rent, food, and transportation, highlighting that mere effort may not be enough to escape poverty. Her exposure to systemic barriers such as high living costs and unlivable wages refutes the simplistic view that anyone can succeed through effort alone. Carrying out Ehrenreich's experiment today might be challenging due to safety concerns, economic differences, or personal circumstances, but the core lesson about structural barriers remains pertinent.

Similarly, Newman and Lennon provide insights into how social and economic structures perpetuate poverty. Their research supports the idea that personal attributes like laziness are inadequate explanations for poverty. For instance, they document that many poor individuals work multiple jobs and still remain in poverty, indicating that effort alone is insufficient. Moreover, their findings show that access to education, quality healthcare, and social networks significantly influence economic mobility. These examples undermine the notion that poverty is solely a matter of personal effort and highlight the importance of systemic factors.

Loewan's analysis offers a critical perspective on the American myth of social equality, emphasizing that this myth often masks the persistent inequalities rooted in social class. He discusses how the "hidden injuries of class"—the social and emotional toll experienced by those marginalized by class—are often overlooked, perpetuating stereotypes and social exclusion. The concept of “blaming the victim” further explains how society attributes poverty to individual failings rather than structural issues, thereby justifying the status quo. These mechanisms sustain the social hierarchy by discouraging collective efforts to address inequality. Loewan underscores that social class is perhaps the most significant variable influencing life chances, access to resources, and social mobility, because it shapes one’s opportunities from birth. My own ideas about poverty and social class have been shaped by personal experiences, media consumption, and education. For example, growing up in a working-class neighborhood exposed me to poverty firsthand, influencing my understanding that economic hardship is often systemic rather than individual weakness.

In conclusion, the conventional wisdom that anyone can escape poverty through effort does not hold up against the evidence presented by Ehrenreich, Newman, Lennon, and Loewan. Structural barriers, social inequality, and systemic injustices play critical roles in shaping economic realities, necessitating a broader perspective that acknowledges these forces. Recognizing the significance of social class and its persistent influence underscores the need for societal change to reduce poverty and promote genuine equality.

References

• Ehrenreich, B. (2001). Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America. Holt Paperbacks.
• Newman, K., & Lennon, M. (2008). The broken ladder: How inequality affects the way we think, live, and die. Beacon Press.
• Loewan, P. (1991). The American myth of social equality. In Society and Education, 2(3), 25-36.
• Gordon, D. (2013). Mapping Decline: St. Louis and the Fate of the American City. University of Pennsylvania Press.
• Wacquant, L. (2009). Punishing the Poor: The Neoliberal Government of Social insecurity. Duke University Press.
• Wilson, W. J. (2012). The Truly Disadvantaged: The Inner City, the Underclass, and Public Policy. University of Chicago Press.
• Piketty, T. (2014). Capital in the Twenty-First Century. Harvard University Press.
• Rothstein, R. (2017). The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America. Liveright Publishing.
• Young, I. M. (1990). Justice and the Politics of Difference. Princeton University Press.
• Millan, J. (2019). Education and Inequality: Structural Barriers to Success. Routledge.