Acknowledgments xi
1. Poverty as a Social Problem 1
The Problem of Poverty 2
The Individualistic Perspective and the Structural Perspective 13
Organization of the Book 15
Appendix 24
Part I Individualistic Theories of Poverty and Inequality 27
2. The Biogenetic Theory of Poverty and Inequality 29
Our Fate Is in Our Genes 29
Genes, IQ, and Intelligence 31
Is It Better to Be Born Smart or Born Rich? 33
Genes, IQ, and Poverty 35
Conclusion 40
3. The Cultural Theory of Poverty and Inequality 47
Poverty as Deviance 47
The Origins and Development of the Cultural Theory 48
The Culture of the Poor 49
The Sources of the Cultural Deviance of the Poor 51
The Cultural Solution to the Problem of Poverty 53
Is the Cultural Theory Plausible? 55
How Well Does the Cultural Theory Know the Poor? 57
Do the Poor Differ from the Nonpoor, and If So How and Why? 58
Conclusion 63
4. The Human Capital Theory of Poverty and Inequality 71
Education Is the Key to Success 71
Acquiring Human Capital 73
Converting Human Capital 75
What You Know or Who You Are? 76
What You Know or Who You Know? 79
What You Know or Where You Work? 81
Skills Deficit or Jobs Deficit? 82
Conclusion 84
Part II A Structural Perspective on Poverty-Four Systems 89
5. The Economic System and Poverty 91
The Economics of Poverty 91
Poverty and Economic Growth 93
Skill-Biased Technological Change 94
A Shift in the Balance of Economic Power 97
Deindustrialization 100
Globalization 103
Corporate Restructuring 107
A Shortage of Jobs 110
Conclusion 112
6. The Political System and Poverty 123
The Politics of Poverty 123
We're Number One: The United States in Comparative Perspective 124
The Structure of the American Political System 127
The Political Mobilization of Business 131
The Political Marginalization of the Working Class and the Poor 132
The Synergy of Money and Power 136
Policy Consequences of the Power Shift: Robin Hood in Reverse 139
Conclusion 146
7. The Cultural System and Poverty 157
Hearts and Minds 157
The American Dream and the Ideology of Individualism 159
Beliefs about Poverty and the Poor 161
Strong Individualism, Weak Structuralism 162
The News Media 165
The Right-Wing Ideology Machine 172
The Rightward Turn in Poverty Discourse 175
Conclusion 178
8. The Social System and Poverty 187
We Are Not Alone 187
Group Memberships 189
Neighborhood Effects 192
Social Networks and Social Capital 196
Conclusion 204
Part III A Structural Perspective on Poverty-Ten Obstacles 215
9. Structural Obstacles and the Persistence of Poverty (I) 217
Racial and Ethnic Discrimination 218
Residential Segregation 222
Housing 226
Education 230
Transportation 234
10. Structural Obstacles and the Persistence of Poverty (II) 249
Sex Discrimination 249
Child Care 253
Health and Health Care 256
Retirement Insecurity 260
Legal Deprivation 264
Conclusion 268
11. Conclusion 283
Poverty and Power 283
Programs and Power 285
Movements and Power 289
Selected Bibliography 295
Index 317
About the Author 327